Has the rise in stakeholders in cricket democratized the game?

Has the rise in stakeholders in cricket democratized the game?
The annual lecture provides a focal point for reflection on the state of the game by one person (AFP)
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Updated 25 May 2023

Has the rise in stakeholders in cricket democratized the game?

Has the rise in stakeholders in cricket democratized the game?
  • With the game no longer dependent on paying fans at the turnstiles, its welfare is now controlled by those with profit motives

In his “Spirit of Cricket” lecture to the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lords last week, former England captain Sir Andrew Strauss addressed the macho-male dressing room culture and language, the growth of women’s cricket and that of T20 franchise cricket.

The annual lecture provides a focal point for reflection on the state of the game by one person. There have been 20 previous lectures, all by men, mainly former pre-eminent cricketers.

Strauss spoke positively about franchise cricket. His view is that it has “democratized” the game, arguing that it has “never been more popular or diverse.” He went on to suggest that “no one controls the game anymore, not even the Board of Control for Cricket in India,” on the basis that there are too many stakeholders.

Readers of previous columns will be aware that the increase in the number and power of stakeholders is a recurrent theme. The claim that democratization is a result of this demands a closer look. It does depend on one’s definition of democracy. Abraham Lincoln viewed it as a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” It is a concept that has been misused, misinterpreted, misrepresented and abused over time.

What its myriad applications have in common is that the people are supposed to have some say, power and authority in the political process. Evidence is all around that this privilege is under pressure.

In the world of cricket, it does not appear that the people have ever had much power, other than to make the simple decision to pay for the opportunity to watch, either in person or, more latterly, on screen. They can also decide to bet on matches. Historically, power has been vested in unelected national cricket boards, in unelected sponsors, in unelected broadcasting and media companies and now in unelected franchisees.

Player remuneration has soared. There is motivation for them to perform well, so as to be attractive to other franchises in other tournaments. It is a selective rather than democratic process. Strauss seems to fall into a familiar trap, that of not mentioning the paying spectator. They turn up to capacity at Ashes matches, at T20 and ODI World Cups and at the IPL in India, for example. No doubt players would prefer to play in front of full houses, but these are not necessary in franchise tournaments because income is derived off-gate. Players do not need a paying public to fund their salaries.

What a change from the days of poor Albert Trott. The only man to hit the ball over the pavilion at Lords, he was granted a benefit match in 1907 from which he would keep a share of the takings from a full house. It was over a weekend, Monday being a public holiday. He bowled the opposition out in two days, thereby depriving himself of the third day’s takings and, in his own words, “bowling himself into the poorhouse.” He would have been both a star and a rich man in today’s world of cricket but, sadly, destitute and ill, he committed suicide in 1914.

When cricket depended financially upon a paying, personally attending public, the concept of democracy may have had validity. People had a stake in the game’s economic welfare. Now that the link of dependency has been broken, the game’s welfare is controlled by wealthy stakeholders, with profit motives, however much they say they love cricket. Strauss’ claim for democratization seems to refer to the broadened appeal that T20 has brought about in sections of populations in established strongholds of cricket and in other countries where it has languished as a minority sport, particularly for women.

In none of these places do the people run the game. They can choose to participate or not. Cricket remains an expensive game to play for people of limited means. Equipment and club membership are expensive, it takes time to play and practice. Anyone who does love the game should welcome its expansion into different formats, different countries and different parts of societies. It is a stretch to suggest that this is a democratic process demanded by people and organized through representative, elected bodies.

The epitome of cricket’s new world is writ large in the UAE. Six wealthy franchisees, five of them Indian corporates, fund a tournament, attract international players and provide an opportunity to local talent, but the matches are played in front of small crowds. The games are screened globally, supported by an impressive publicity machine. Yet, there are no current Indian or Pakistani players. The BCCI does not allow the former, the latter are politically bound.

If and when such approval is given, the tournament and others like it will become so much more appealing to the people within the Indian sub-continent and their diaspora in the Gulf. However, there are some barriers to overcome. The indications are that the Pakistan Cricket Board are minded to allow their players to participate in the 2024 ILT20. Five of the teams are Indian owned and it is unclear if it would be appropriate for them to field Pakistani players. It can be presumed that the American-owned team has no such restriction but would want to maintain a balance to its squad. No Pakistanis are playing in SA20, in which all six franchises are Indian owned.

The current impasse over the 2023 Asia Cricket Cup venue and participation needs to be resolved. Due to be held in Pakistan, the BCCI has said that its team will not travel. In a tit-for-tat, the PCB threatens not to play in the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. The future composition of DP World ILT20 squads are subject to the most recent spilling over of Indian sub-continental geopolitics into cricket. Those in South Africa’s SA20 are subject to Indian corporates. The concept of T20 franchises being the catalyst for cricket’s democratization has a hollow ring when uttered in the confines of Lords. More pertinently, franchises are diffusing control, the game following the money.

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Newcastle United end-of-season awards: winners and losers from historic 2022/23 campaign

Newcastle United end-of-season awards: winners and losers from historic 2022/23 campaign
Updated 06 June 2023

Newcastle United end-of-season awards: winners and losers from historic 2022/23 campaign

Newcastle United end-of-season awards: winners and losers from historic 2022/23 campaign

NEWCASTLE: The wait for silverware goes on at St. James’ Park, but Champions League football has returned.

Having suffered the seemingly endless pain of one relegation battle after the next, this season has proven a welcome distraction for Newcastle United.

Under Eddie Howe, and with PIF at the helm, the days of feeding on scraps at the foot of the Premier League seem long gone. This very much feels like the era of progress and positivity on Tyneside.

The season that was full of highs, with the odd low along the way, but it all ended in success with a top-four finish in the bag and trips to Barcelona and Madrid in the offing, rather than fears of Preston and Barnsley.

Looking back, here’s our take on the highlights, lowlights and the standout performers across the season.

Player of the season
You know it’s been a remarkable campaign when you find it impossible to mention your 18-goal, Premier League fourth top-scorer for the season, Callum Wilson, in your top three players for the season. In fact, he might not even make the top five, such has been the competition at the top.

Honourable mentions must go to the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope, who have all more than proven their value over the course of the season, but in my opinion, it is very difficult to look past the talents of last season’s official POTY, Joelinton. He’s a player who just keeps getting better and better.

Signed as a forward and used in a back-to-goal, central role on arrival, the big Brazilian looked like a fish out of water in the Premier League. It is easy to forget that it must have been hard to settle during the COVID-19 lockdown, not speaking the language, playing in a new country, new environment and being asked to perform a role that you had never played.

Those days, though, seem long gone. And while the shoots of recovery were evident in the latter days of the previous manager, Howe sprinkled some magic on the player in his opening weeks, dropping him into a deeper midfield role, with the switch paying instant dividends. From then, Joelinton has been used as a left forward or to the left side of a central midfield three, bursting forward to score goals and also provide cover to the backline with his physical, commanding style.

This season, playing largely in midfield, Joelinton had his most successful season in front of goal, netting eight — and from his deepest starting slot yet. Bigger than any Arab News player of the year gong, Joelinton received his maiden Brazil call last week, just reward for his outstanding form and growth under Howe.

Most improved player
Sean Longstaff. Always undervalued, never by Howe and his coaches, though.

In the space of a year, Longstaff transformed from a player who appeared to have lost his way under previous boss Steve Bruce and was heading for the Newcastle exit door. The North Shields native — a city suburb on the banks of the Tyne — never wanted to leave his boyhood heroes. However, his breakthrough under Rafa Benitez and big money links to Manchester United seemed a million miles away from the reality of this time last year.

And even after penning a new deal, one which saw his chronic underpayment readjusted, things in the garden weren’t exactly rosy for Longstaff, with Jonjo Shelvey ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, as well as usual suspects Joelinton, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes. But a knock to Shelvey in pre-season in Portugal opened the door to the Geordie, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Makeshift left-back Dan Burn could easily make a case for unsung hero, too.

Young player of the year
Elliot Anderson had a brilliant breakthrough year, and bigger and better things are expected of the youngster next season, but this one is really a two-way shootout.

Sven Botman and Alexander Isak, both signed last summer, enjoyed sensational first seasons at the club, the latter despite a long, frustrating spell on the sidelines.

Isak, signed for a club record fee, broke on the scene with a flawless display on debut at Liverpool and looked set for great things, only for an injury, sustained while away with Sweden, to keep him out until the new year. But after his return, Isak displaced top-scorer Wilson as the club’s central striker and netted 10 goals in total himself. His most memorable contribution probably came on the blue half of Merseyside when he weaved in and out on the left to tee up Jacob Murphy. It was every bit a throwback to Thierry Henry at Arsenal. Rumour has it, Everton’s Michael Keane is still twisting and turning to this day.

Botman, on the other hand, has been Newcastle’s Mr. Consistent, a rock alongside Schar at the heart of the Magpies’ backline. And while he hasn’t put in the flashy shows like Isak, his solidity, in his debut campaign in the joint best defense in the division, means he gets the nod for me.

Underperformer for 2022/23
This one isn’t difficult. Allan Saint-Maximin. He started the campaign like a house on fire, but injury curtailed his blistering start, which saw Kyle Walker turned inside-out in a 3-3 draw with Manchester City as never seen before. It was a flash of the old Maxi. Sadly, flashes are all we get these days.

When fit — and that was rarely this season — Saint-Maximin struggled for gametime even though he showed a willingness to bend to Howe’s more disciplined tactical approach. It has never quite felt like enough, though. And even though more flashes were shown on the final day at Chelsea, you’d have to feel his time on Tyneside may well be up.

The player himself took to Instagram to post this very cryptic message on Monday. It read: “When I joined @nufc in 2019, nobody understood my choice. I always believed in this club, as soon as I step onto the pitch, the fans directly adopted me. Since then there has been highs and lows, when we were in the relegation zone, but I always believed in the team and trusted the project even if it was hard to stay in the PL, I knew that the club deserved much better and we had to prove it. I gave everything on the pitch to keep the team at the highest level. I am grateful that some people remember that.”

It continued: “I am now entering a turning point in my career and I will give everything until the end to achieve my dreams. It’s often said that human beings forget quickly, but me I won’t be able to forget everyone that love me for who I am and believe in me in difficult moments, it’s in these hard situations that we see the real supporters. Thanks to everyone for the support, whatever happens, I will always give everything when I have the chance to step onto the pitch. Thanks, God, for everything.”

It’s fair to say that message has got fans guessing.

Goal of the season
Newcastle had two contenders in the Premier League’s goal of the season competition, and both deserve a special mention.

Miguel Almiron’s cracker of a volley, which was stroked in at Fulham as it dropped over his shoulder, is up there with the best the league was graced with in the past 12 months, however, you would have to go a long way to see a better strike than the one produced by Saint-Maximin at Wolves.

The goal meant a lot, it rescued a point for Newcastle in their first real struggle of the season, but the technique in itself was worthy of winning any competition. Hit with such velocity, having dropped from so high, first time, in the 90th minute from 1-0 down, it was the pinnacle of the Frenchman’s ultimately disappointing season.

Result of the season
Spurs. It had to be: 21 minutes of unbridled mayhem, five goals and a team decimated without getting out of second gear.

This was one of the finest, most brutal, Premier League performances I’ve ever seen. Easily the most impressive period of play, in those opening exchanges, ever produced in the Premier League by a team in black and white.

Sitting in the St. James’ Park press box, we were swamped by fans falling off their seats and jumping with joy, time and time again that day. Jacob Murphy’s face told the story of the masses — no one could believe their eyes, particularly those furnished in sky blue. It was a long trip back, no doubt. Final score, Newcastle United 6, Tottenham Hotspur (Harry Kane alone) 1.

Moment of the campaign
In a campaign of many moments, for me, one stands above all. The final whistle at the end of the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal.

Newcastle United dominated their struggling opponents from near minute one to 90, and with just 20 minutes to go, edged themselves in front via Joelinton. The job wasn’t done yet, but still, at the halfway point, playing a side who’d go on to finish bottom of the top-flight last season, it felt the groundwork had been laid.

I was at Wembley — the old pre-development one — as a fan in 2000, the last time Newcastle played there in a cup competition. And as the whistle sounded, for the first time, a wave of realization swept over me that a return was on the cards.

That being said, the win over Brighton, which all but sealed a Champions League spot, was also up there in a close second. The outpouring of emotion that night, on and off the field, was a joy to behold.

The one big regret...
At almost any given time this season, Newcastle would have bettered Manchester United. But in front of 87,306 people on Feb. 28, they barely laid a glove on them. Sadly, for Howe and Newcastle, it was the most meaningful afternoon of the whole campaign.

Losing the Carabao Cup final was not really something alien to the club; they’ve lost final after final before. However, there was something a whole lot different this time around, yet so much remained the same.

This was not the Man United treble-chasing side of 1999, nor was it Arsene Wenger’s pre-Invincible, but near untouchable Gunners of 1998 — the last two teams to beat the Magpies in a showpiece finale. This was the fallible, very beatable Man United, one in transition, moving toward glory of old, but lacking belief that a win was an inevitability. That’s why losing it felt so painful.

The thing to take from this moment, though, and the whole season, is that these times will come again for Newcastle — but next time, they’ll be in a stronger position to grasp the opportunity — and silverware — with both hands.
 


Winds of change blowing through Saudi football as elite clubs ponder privatization

Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal speaking at the press conference on Monday. (Twitter/@GSA_KSA)
Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal speaking at the press conference on Monday. (Twitter/@GSA_KSA)
Updated 06 June 2023

Winds of change blowing through Saudi football as elite clubs ponder privatization

Saudi Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal speaking at the press conference on Monday. (Twitter/@GSA_KSA)
  • Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund has taken 75 percent ownership of four of the Kingdom’s top clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli

RIYADH: A revolution is taking place in Saudi football, on and off the pitch. As some of the world’s best players increasingly look to the possibility of playing in the Roshn Saudi League, the prospect of privatization — and the benefits it could bring — is in the air at the Kingdom’s elite clubs.

On Sunday, it was reported that Karim Benzema, who received the Ballon d’Or last October, had agreed to sign for Al-Ittihad, just days after the Jeddah giants celebrated clinching a first league title since 2009.

The French striker follows in the footsteps of his former Real Madrid teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed for Al-Nassr in December. And the Portuguese star believes the future is bright for the Saudi top flight.

“The league is very good,” Ronaldo said shortly after the season concluded. “But I think we have many, many opportunities to still grow. The league is competitive … but they need to improve a little bit more the infrastructure.

“And in my opinion, if they continue to do the work that they want to do here for the next five years, I think the Saudi League can be a top-five league in the world.”

As his comments suggest, such improvement depends on more than simply importing world-class talent — though that certainly helps, and match attendances have increased by 150 percent in the past year alone.

Just as important, however — perhaps even more so — is the ways in which the domestic game is organized and so it was striking on Sunday when plans were announced to help a number of clubs privatize this year.

“The privatization and ownership transfer of clubs aims to accelerate progress in a variety of sports across the Kingdom, further growing participation, providing cutting-edge facilities, increasing competition and nurturing future champions,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.

These plans have not appeared out of the blue. There were previous moves to shift the ownership of clubs from the public to the private sector but progress, never easy and smooth in any such process, was further slowed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the SPA, the current process will focus on three main aspects of development: Firstly to present the prospect of investing in Saudi sport as an appealing prospect; secondly to improve the governance of clubs and help them become more professional and sustainable; and thirdly to improve the infrastructure of clubs off the pitch to make them more competitive on it.

Authorities are targeting a fourfold increase in revenue generated by the Saudi League, from SR450 million a year ($120 million) to SR1.8 billion by 2030. By that time, the market value of the league is expected to increase from SR3 billion to SR8 billion.

In short, it is all about the Saudi game building a sustainable business model for itself.

The first steps were quickly taken. On Monday, it was announced that the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund had taken a 75 percent ownership stake in four clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli.

The fund said the remaining quarter share in each of the clubs would be held by their respective non-profit foundations. This transfer of ownership took place with the aim of attracting further investment, increasing the contribution of the private sector to the sports sector, and creating new jobs.

It remains to be seen what this will mean for Saudi football in the coming months but these are undoubtedly major developments. It is no coincidence that the best leagues in the world are contested by clubs that are privately owned.

Indeed, if the goal of Saudi authorities and the country’s football association is to develop a league that is one of the top 10 in the world by 2030, never mind match Ronaldo’s ambition of a top-five spot, then the teams that play in it will need to be able to attract the very best people, from other industries, to be part of their organizations.

They will have to be flexible, build deeper relationships with key stakeholders, and become even more connected with their local communities. Clubs will need to become proficient at standing on their own two feet and developing business plans, discovering along the way what works for them and what does not. In theory, privately-owned clubs are able to move more quickly and be more flexible than those under public ownership.

As well as watching world-class players take to the pitch in the Kingdom, fans should be able to enjoy doing so in world-class facilities. But it is also hoped the benefits that will come from all of this will be felt more widely throughout a society that has become much more sportier in the past few years.

Participation in sport has increased from 13 percent of the population eight years ago to almost 50 percent in 2022. Football is the most popular sport of all, with more than 80 percent of the population following, playing or watching it. The foundation is clearly there, and great potential.

Thanks to the arrival of some huge international soccer stars, and the prospect of more to follow, there is currently an unprecedented level of interest in Saudi football, both at home and abroad. This means that now the perfect time to develop the Saudi League off the pitch, as well as on it.

There is a long road ahead. There will be a lot of unglamorous and boring behind-the-scenes work to be done — but it is very necessary.

Ronaldo will not remain in Saudi Arabia forever but a league full of privately-owned clubs that are successful off the pitch as well as on it could become a fixture of world football for a long time to come.


Kaku voted Saudi Pro League player of the year by Sofascore

Kaku voted Saudi Pro League player of the year by Sofascore
Updated 05 June 2023

Kaku voted Saudi Pro League player of the year by Sofascore

Kaku voted Saudi Pro League player of the year by Sofascore

RIYADH: Al-Taawoun’s Paraguayan winger Alejandro Romero, nicknamed Kaku, has been voted Saudi Pro League player of the season by Sofascore as part of its SPL XI team of the season.

The team included Al-Ittihad goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe, defenders Ahmed Hegazy and Ahmed Sharahili also from Al-Ittihad and Marwan Saadane from Al-Fateh.

In a five-man midfield, Al-Wehda’s Faisal Fajir, Ever Banega from Al-Shabab, Talisca from Al-Nassr, Igor Coronado from Al-Ittihad and Knowledge Musana from Al-Tai joined Kaku.

Up front was golden boot winner Abderrazak Hamadallah who bagged 21 goals this season.

The XI included five players from Al-Ittihad, who won the league with 72 points, finished with the best defensive record with only 13 goals conceded and a goalkeeper with 18 clean sheets.


LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge

LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge
Updated 05 June 2023

LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge

LIV Golf stars ready for ‘world class’ Valderrama challenge
  • Local hero and former Masters champion Sergio Garcia competing alongside compatriots Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig

SOTOGRANDE, Spain: LIV Golf is preparing for its first stop of the season in continental Europe with the LIV Golf Valderrama set to take place at the Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, Spain, from June 30 to July 2. 

General admission tickets and hospitality packages are now available for Spanish fans to see local hero and former Masters champion Sergio Garcia competing alongside compatriots Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig, marking the young Spanish stars’ professional debuts in their home country.

Some of the biggest names in golf will be challenging for the title, including five-time major winner and 2023 PGA Champion Brooks Koepka, reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and two-time major champions Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson.

Garcia, the captain of Fireballs GC, has won three professional titles at Valderrama – site of LIV Golf’s eighth event of 2023 for the league’s 48 players and 12 teams.

The field features 13 major champions including Bryson Dechambeau, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson, Louis Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, and Charl Schwartzel, as well as rising stars including Abraham Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch.   

Mickelson competed in the 1997 Ryder Cup and 1999 WGC American Express Championship at Valderrama.

Unlike the World Golf Hall of Famer, many of LIV Golf’s international stars – notably those from the US – will be teeing it up in Spain for first time.

The venue will be familiar territory for a number of the field’s European players, including former world number one Lee Westwood who competed in the 1997 Ryder Cup and won the Volvo Masters in that same year, Ian Poulter, who won there in 2004, and McDowell, who also won at Valderrama in 2010.

“We are thrilled to bring LIV Golf to Real Club Valderrama, a world class course with a storied history,” said Greg Norman, Commissioner and CEO of LIV Golf. “We are a global league, and this event will showcase the game’s top talent for a country rich with tradition and passion for the sport. It will be another exciting milestone for LIV, and we look forward to creating a memorable experience for players and fans alike.”


Ons Jabeur defeats Bernarda Pera in straight sets to reach French Open quarterfinals

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur celebrates after winning against US Bernarda Pera.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur celebrates after winning against US Bernarda Pera.
Updated 05 June 2023

Ons Jabeur defeats Bernarda Pera in straight sets to reach French Open quarterfinals

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur celebrates after winning against US Bernarda Pera.
  • Jabeur, the runner-up at Wimbledon last year, advanced to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time in her career

PARIS: Bernarda Pera could not win a single game on her serve Monday as she was eliminated in straight sets in the fourth round of the French Open.
Facing seventh-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, the unseeded American was broken eight times on Court Philippe Chatrier and lost 6-3, 6-1. Jabeur won 15 of 16 points on Pera’s second serve.
Jabeur, the runner-up at Wimbledon last year, advanced to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.
Jabeur also struggled with her serve but managed to save eight of the 12 break points she faced.
“She put a lot of pressure on my service,” Jabeur said. “I’m pleased that I was able to win my service games when I needed to. ... Hopefully, I’ll return well and serve better in my next match.”
Pera looked frustrated and tried to shorten rallies, but the strategy did not work. She ended up making 33 unforced errors in total.
Later Monday, No. 1-seeded Iga Swiatek will face Lesia Tsurenko at Court Suzanne Lenglen, while No. 6 Coco Gauff takes on Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. A year ago, Swiatek defeated Gauff in the final at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament and they would meet in the quarterfinals this week if they both win their fourth-round match.
In the men’s bracket, No. 4 Casper Ruud is up against Nicolas Jarry, No. 6 Holger Rune takes on No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo, No. 27 Yoshihito plays Tomas Martin Etcheverry, and No. 22 Alexander Zverev faces No. 28 Grigor Dimitrov in the night session.