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Buchanan’s revamp
By Will last year, mid-November, 9 Comments »
John Buchanan (right) has come out of hiding and suggested a revamp of world cricket.
“This equality debate keeps bubbling to the surface and means that there is a serious issue there,” Buchanan told the Age. “I think it mightn’t be a bad thing if the ICC looked at some rule relaxations, which might allow a more even distribution of players around the world.
“Most young cricketers in Australia grow up wanting to play for Australia, but I’m sure there would be quite a few who, when they get to about 25 or 26 and realise they probably won’t get a chance to wear the baggy green, would still be happy to play international cricket anywhere. The problem at the moment is that there is a long qualification period and, by the time that’s up, the player and the other country probably lose interest.”
It’s a fascinating idea, certainly, but is this really the solution to bridging the gap between Australia and the rest? There were some fairly catty texts from some of you on my last post, with a suggestion that I was somehow a) angered at Australia’s dominance and b) that I was proposing they are the ones with the problem. Sorry if that’s how it came across. Yes, I am angry by how dominant they are - I am an Englishman, and it pains me to see our arch enemies so far ahead of the pack. But I’m realistic enough to know the onus is on the rest of us to catch up.
My concern with Buchanan’s idea is that it dilutes the very meaning of representing one’s country. We are in an era which allows those with the right parents to play for countries other than those of their birth, and I’m not against that in principle. But I don’t see this as a solution whatsoever. If anything, the madness of his idea says enough about the gravity of the problem.
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