Wither, Cricket?
When this was published, in 2003, T20 cricket was not on the international radar. When it came, it wasn’t so much the solution to cricket’s binary bind as a foil.…
Issues
Blame Culture
Note: This was written just before Mark Taylor made his unexpected exit from Cricket Australia – but not before he influenced the appointments of both Paine and Langer. Were…
Sideline Fever
All over the world, sporting officials are under siege. Australia’s figures disclose a crisis. A record 75% of kids who begin umpiring Australian Rules Football are dropping out. Rugby League’s rate is 60%. The number of people officiating in sporting events has fallen by a confounding 26%. It’s not a silent epidemic. There’s no mystery about it. The entire world witnesses it daily, on television screens, at major and minor sporting events, and, crucially, in junior ranks. Here are some examples of what they’ve seen just at the elite level: