Crazy Cricket!...A blog about mental health

It’s been great to be a regular Tweeter again, and i’ve really enjoyed reading peoples tweets in regards to mental health day/week this week.  People have felt empowered to speak out and be honest, without (for the most part, it would seem) the fear of being judged.  It’s been a refreshing change in recent years from the silence and indifference of the past.

  Mental health and cricket go hand in hand for me.  Cricket was a huge help when I needed a means of getting away from it all.  I would watch a game or go to a match and all my worries would ebb away and for 2 or 3 hours at least I would feel genuinely happy, regardless of my general state of mind.  All that i’d think about was the scene in front of me; the beauty of the ground, the entertainment of the occasion and the history that surrounds it all.  It made me relax and for one period of time in particular i’d happily say that it was the only thing that made me truly, deeply happy!

The high profile nature of mental health in the cricketing community, with the likes of Sarah Taylor, Marcus Trescothick and many others speaking so openly, honestly and admirably about the problems they’ve faced makes me happier still. Cricket, unlike football is a sport where it feels like it’s ok to not be ok, without judgement…whether you’re a high profile cricketer, a participant or (merely) a fan, there are always people happy to lend an ear.

It’s so important to talk about mental health, even if it appears mundane when you blog (Tweet, Bookface etc) that you once had problems and you’ve kinda pulled through.  Even if you’ve never had any real problems, you may be able to help someone with problems to get through a tough time…in many cases without ever knowing that you’ve helped...So talk!

I know that I will never be ‘cured’ of my mental health problems.  I’ll always need to look out for myself, i’ll always need the help and support of others to stay afloat…but i’m happy with that, i’ve come to terms with that.  I’ve thought hundreds of times about how I should bring up mental health on social media without being judged by peers, friends, work, the general public.  I’ve never really gone into much detail on social media and i’m not likely to go into greater depth than this, even now when it seems more acceptable.

I know that cricket is the sport for me.  It enhances my life in so many ways and I know it’ll always be there for me, whatever i’m going through in my life.  Through the highs and lows, cricket is my ever present rock.

If you’re reading this, remember that I am always here to lend an ear.  I know that being there for you will mean that a little way down the line, you may be there for me when I most need you.  Stay well!

We Need to Talk about The Hundred!

Now, before I begin, I just want to make it clear that if I feel something has the potential to be good for the game of cricket I am the kind of guy who would get right behind that idea.   I’ve loved cricket from a young age and always wanted it to succeed.  I want cricket to be relevant and loved both now and 300 years down the line.  I want new fans to be enthused, just as I was when I witnessed Donald vs Atherton back in ’98, just as I was when I sat through hours of Ambrose, Walsh, Akram, Younis and Warne terrorising England throughout the 90s (cries a little inside).

I fell in love with the game during a period when it should have been very difficult to fall in love with the game, during an era where West Indies and Australia were the dominating sides in World cricket, where England were the plucky underdogs against the big sides…and the format I fell in love with was Test cricket!

I fell in love with all its quirks and historical oddities, its lengthy 5 day format, with Richie Bernaud purring and steering us quietly, unassumingly and majestically through a days play.  I fell in love with its outdated ways, its quiet Sunday afternoon in pipe and slippers feel.

Anyway, I digress, and i’m getting a little teary eyed so i’d best move on.  The point i’m trying to make is that I was young, I didn’t need a short format and I didn’t need razzmatazz, fireworks, TV personalities and 2 hours of Kwik cricket to get into the game.  I didn’t even need an enthusiastic family member to wax lyrical about how great the game was.  It took me no time at all to appreciated the history that had gone before, the exciting twists and turns of Test match cricket, the relaxing and the occasionally (and often unexpectedly) edge of the seat nature of the game.

I appreciate that time has moved on.  We’re in a whole new era of cricket and young people need that quick fix.  They need to be entertained from start to finish and Test cricket, for many of the younger generations, will never be remotely considered as a viable sport to watch.

Taking just this factor into consideration, I see what they’re trying to do with The Hundred.  For those who don’t know, the Hundred is a newish idea, thought up by the ECB to try and make the game relevant and well supported for generations to come.  It’s a new format (although they might tell you that it’s a variation on an existing format ie the short format game) which is shorter than T20 and involves 100 balls per side (so that’s 10 overs of 10 balls per over).  It will be partly aired on free to air TV and is what is known as Franchise cricket.  Anyway, i’m not here to promote the format (far from it!).  For more information, see https://www.thehundred.com.

The plan is to reduce the average age of cricket fan down from its current average of around 34.  I’m all for that, but I have many reservations in regards to the idea, many of which i’ve detailed below.  Please note that these are my observations from a lot of research on the matter over the past few months.  You may not agree with everything I have to say, but I will try and make valid and succinct points:

1)  Do we need a new format?  There are already 3 incredibly successful formats!

Now, I appreciate that when The Hundred was devised, it wasn’t off the back of an incredibly successful summer of cricket like the one we’ve just had.  However, even before this summers heroics by the England World Cup winning side (plus Ben Stokes), all 3 formats were already successful (at least in this country).  Test match cricket always gets a good crowd (try getting Test match tickets for the first 3 days of a Test in the run up to a game) and the Ashes, for many, is and always will be the pinnacle of the sport.  The one day (50 over) game is very successful, as was proved by the very well attended Champions Trophy just 2 years ago.  Finally, T20 cricket is in the rudest health of all, having established itself worldwide as the format of choice for thrill seeking sports lovers and young families alike.  The IPL in particular has taken off to an extent that few would  have predicted during its infancy and the Big Bash is (and pretty much always has been) a very well attended, watched and admired tournament out in Australia.

2) The schedule is already packed to the rafters.  How will this work?

Players and fans alike have, for years, been saying that there is simply too much cricket crammed into an English summer.  It already starts in April and ends in late September when all the weathers can occur and fans huddle for warmth in the crowd in images akin to a mid-winter footy game (complete with a cup of Bovril and a pie).  The season can’t be stretched any further, so something good loses out.  It’s because of this that county cricket has already been pushed to either end of the season in a somewhat like it or lump it gesture by the ECB.  As is often the case, the biggest loser is the county game.  Fewer games will be able to be played in the already successful existing formats.  As for the players, more cricket means a greater chance of injury and an all round weary, disgruntled group of sports stars.

3) How is using Test cricketers in The Hundred going to help anyone?

I’ve seen many an ad for the Hundred and a lot of these ads seem to be championing Test cricketers (mainly batsman) for the 100 over game.  Now, i’m Joe Root’s number 1 fan, but even I have to admit that his T20 abilities are limited to say the least.  Ok, he’s capable of getting up to 50 on a good day when he’s timing the ball well and missing the fielders, in a small ground like Taunton for example…but he’s not a box office short format player as he’ll never be able to hit the amount of sixes required to be a potent player.  So why is he even being considered for an even shorter format?  Finally, and probably the most important issue with this kind of scrambled thinking, is that we are currently desperate for Test batsman who are capable of spending a long time at the crease.  How is a game of kwik cricket going to help with this long running concern.  The ECB (and indeed the Hundred) are very quick to point out that Test cricket is the number 1 priority, but this smacks of it being sidelined in favour of the shorter formats.

4) How is including big international star names going to enthuse youngsters?

There has always been (particularly in the more recent days of central contracts) a county vs country battle for players.  Country is currently winning that battle and international players are seemingly forever on international duty, with the odd county game thrown in during an all too infrequent rest period or as part of the recovery process during a players return from injury.  This has always been a bone of contention amongst the hardened county fan, who understandably want to see more of their star players.  The problem with the Hundred is that there is unlikely to be any player loyalty to the cause, at least with the big name international players.  Playing for 2 or so games in a season (due to schedule clashes, injury avoidance and burn out prevention) is unlikely to enthuse either these top players or (more importantly) the young fans themselves, who would surely be wanting to get behind a consistent squad of star players (or am I missing the point somewhere?!?)

5) Isn’t T20 already so well set that some countries won’t want a bar of the Hundred?

The problem with introducing a new shorter format is that it’s too little, too late for that.  T20 and the IPL is so well set in India that I can’t see them being interested in promoting The Hundred.  It’s so popular that Test cricket is dying a death over there.  Indian players have already decided (or been told) not to take part in The Hundred, as the format currently stands and I can’t see that changing in the future.  The Big Bash in Australia is also going from strength to strength, so it would take a lot for them consider a whole new format.  How is The Hundred going to become and stay relevant on a global stage if it only takes place in England?

6) How is the move away from county teams going to work?

For quite a number of people i’ve heard from, this is their biggest gripe on the issue of the Hundred.  The decision to move away from the county structure has been divisive to say the least.  Existing cricket fans have entrenched allegiances to their local county.  Some of these fans no longer have a local team (Durham/Somerset for example) and will not be prepared to travel miles to go to a game and watch a team that they have no vested interest in.  On top of that The Hundred have come up with mystifyingly poor names like Manchester Originals, Trent Rockets, Birmingham Phoenix, Western Fire and the Oval Invincibles.  They might as well have called one of the teams Cricket McCricket Face and been done with it!

7) Poor PR?

I’m not going to go into this in great depth, because it’s an extremely weighty subject (probably worthy of its own blog post), but for more information why not have a look at the Bad PR section of this excellent article from The Cricketer https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/banner/how_do_you_solve_problem_like_the_hundred.html

and finally…

8) Nobody Wants it?

Well, at least 80% of the cricket fans i’ve heard from at least.  In all the posts i’ve read about it there are a large number of likes but a high percentage of outraged comments and angry/upset reactions to every single post relating to The Hundred.  With half empty grounds and un-loyal cricketers/fans I really can’t see this getting off the ground, let alone being around for hundreds of years.  Young cricket fans may be drawn in by the razzmatazz of the occasion at the very beginning, but I can see them quickly realising the terrible mistake they’ve made, before heading back to their more familiar first love and quick fix of football/rugby.

A lengthy blog post, but a necessary one in order to air my views.  There are many more negative points that i've not covered here but i’m getting a severe case of RSI.  I’d say that i’d like The Hundred to be a roaring success and for many more fans to be enthused by the game, but i’d be lying.  I want the ECB to realise what a bad idea it is before it’s too late and before it has a negative impact on the game I love so much.  Spend all that money on grass roots cricket and re-energising the already energised formats (and give a little back to the downtrodden county game)

A Stupendous Summer and a Reliable Old Banger!

Today marks the end of the kind of cricket season that most England fans could barely have dreamt of 4 years ago, with England achieving their long term ambitions to reach the very pinnacle of the sports One Day format, defeating New Zealand in one of the most astonishing matches of all time.

 Winning the previously highly illusive cricket World Cup should have been the champagne moment of the season.  However, such was the nature of this incredible summer of sport, a few weeks later Stokes almost singlehandedly manufactured what many considered to be the most remarkable cricketing comeback of all time.  Producing a backs to the wall, swashbuckling performance to rival or even surpass Beefy ’81, he put on a last wicket stand of 76 alongside the stubborn, obstinate, determined and steamy-glassed Jack Leach to keep the Ashes series alive.

It’s been an incredible journey this summer, with plenty of things to look back on with fondness.  But today, many of my thoughts are with one man and one man only.  A player who never really reached his full potential for England due to his much-publicised mental health problems.  A batsman who had the talent to rival Cookies incredible run record, if only his career hadn’t been cut short so prematurely on the international stage.  A cricketer who went on to prove himself with the performances and leadership qualities he showed week in week out for his beloved county.  England’s loss was Somerset’s gain, as he showed the kind of loyalty and class most sports teams could only dream of. 

Marcus “Banger” Trescothick, take a bow and enjoy your well earned retirement!  Though I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around cricket in some kind of coaching capacity for county and country for many years to come.  You were a highly polished diamond of a player and you shall be much missed on the cricket field, by players and fans alike!

A New Beginning!

Hello again!  Nice to be back!

It’s been a few years since I last created a blog post about cricket.  Though I followed cricket a lot back then, my knowledge wasn’t as extensive as it is now.  There are still some gaps in my knowledge and in some areas gaping chasms, mostly because I don’t get to watch as much cricket as I’d like.  However, after a large amount of time spent responding to Facebook posts on England Cricket, Wisden, The Hundred (more on this later!) and similar pages, I’ve decided that on rare occasions I do get a few likes and at least SOME people seem to enjoy and respond positively to what I have to say.  It’s given me some newfound confidence and made me believe a little more in my writing abilities and knowledge of the subject.

Although I enjoy interacting with other cricket fans and blogging may not be the best forum for that, I thought it would be nice to re-start my blog and really try and stick at it this time.  I’d like to improve my writing abilities still further, and what better way than to write about something you’re passionate about, with the added bonus that a blog tends to start fewer arguments.

It may take a while and a lot of hard work but it would be great to get to the point where I’m a semi-proficient writer with at least a handful of followers.  I’m not aiming big here!

Anyway, that’s the little (re-)introduction out of the way.  Please be entertained! J

(Here's me at the Champions Trophy game between England and Bangladesh at the Oval back in 2017)