Testing times for English cricket | Letters

By Guardian Staff · The Guardian Opinion

Readers respond to Emma John’s article on the difference in attitudes to the game in England and Australia Emma John’s perceptive analysis of cricket in Australia is spot-on ( England ruthlessly privatised cricket – Australia embraces it with constant public displays of affection, 9 January ). I have been visiting Australia for many years – our son and his family live in Sydney. The locals, on hearing my accent, mostly respond by saying “Sorry about the cricket, mate.” It’s not in a gloating or superior way, but in a genuine sense of puzzlement at how when we have often promised a real contest we perform like a malfunctioning firework. As Emma observes, in Australia cricket is a national obsession and accessible to all, either to watch or to play. In England it has become elitist, with free-to-air TV coverage long gone, the cost of going to a game increasingly prohibitive and the county game’s importance as a place to learn having been eroded. In spite of a loyal and well-heeled bunch of supporters, epitomised by the Barmy Army, it has become a minority sport, and the poorer for it. Continue reading...