We make no apology for returning time and again to the issue of cricket on free-to-air television. This has become an increasingly crucial battleground for those who campaign to democratise cricket and broaden public access to the game. The issue arouses fierce emotions in every sport. The announcement that Sky Sports have snatched The Open golf away from the BBC was met with widespread dismay. Exactly who welcomed the deal, except BSkyB shareholders? Piece by piece the nation’s sporting...
Glorious summer 2005
Some things can not be overhyped. A few events live up to every word of hyperbole. And occasionally our memories do not deceive us – the reality was every bit as good as our recollection. The 2005 Ashes, which began ten years ago this month, were one such passage of time. It was the greatest series I have ever witnessed. It was the greatest series ever played in England. Who can say it wasn’t the greatest series of all time? The 2005 Ashes were a perfect storm, a narrative sent by...
The Cult of Alastair Cook
I feel sorry for Alastair Cook. It’s no secret that the English media, and certain fans, love to build someone up and then knock them down. We see it in other sports all the time. You’re either brilliant – a world class hero, a pin-up boy, a genius or an all time great – or you’re a waste of space, a steaming pile of donkey manure or even worse, Louis Suarez. But what makes Cook a unique case is that his employers have built him up as much as anyone. In order to justify the decision to sack you...
The Curious Case of Adrian Shankar
When troubled Worcestershire signed Adrian Shankar, the former Lancashire 2nd XI batsman, a couple of weeks ago, they were in dire need of a miracle worker. They were bottom of the table, with a tiny budget, and had little prospect of winning a single match – let alone avoiding relegation. In Shankar, they found a man capable of the extraordinary … but not quite in the way they’d hoped. Just like Brad Pitt’s character in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Shankar was blessed with the...
