Is cricket racist?

Just watched it on Channel 4. Seems to me it’s racist and elitist and not just Yorkshire (and that’s not excusing Yorkshire). If you’ve been to public school you are 13 times more likely to play professional cricket. You could get into the House of Lords quicker than you could get an MCC membership. Rich old men’s closed shop.

 

I don’t know? It’s just fcking boring..

 

the fact they all play in white should be a clue

 

Cricket is a mess and definitely almost all of those things it's accused of.

However I will point out that Cricket is a mandatory sport at most public schools and has been for years. It isn't at state schools and many don't even have pitches. Knowing how complicated and challenging it is to play, it's not all that surprising that most of those that go on to play professionally are the ones who played it regularly at school.

I absolutely agree on despising the MCC though. That's an institute that needs to be burned and replaced by something suitable to the real world.

 

Can be, and one of the reasons I stopped playing (well into my 50s)

 

Yes..and aren't forums dumping grounds for garbage in people's head's

 

Why?

 

The original reasons were
White is cooler in the heat, it makes the red ball easier to see and white in the 1800s was seen as pure and as it was played by gentlemen only it was seen as recognising the social ‘positioning’ of the game.
Not sure what any has to do with racism though

 

Possibly a weak attempt at humour..

 

I'd wager that when I used to go and watch club cricket at Shaw Lane in the 60s and 70s there were as many players who worked down the pit as middle/ upper class lads. In fact a damn site more. The same would have been the case across certainly the North of England.
Racism in cricket is probably as ingrained as it is in rugby, tennis, the Met Police, the armed services etc, etc.
As a society in general we have a lot of work still to do to educate it out of the mindset of a lot of sections of society.

 

Tennis is racist ,omg,what examples of this have we got then???

 

Is the Pope Catholic?

Before any smart alec comes back and says "no, he's an Eastern European authodox" or summat. I'm talking about the one in Vatican City.

 

Imagine bringing in some sort of weird equality rules into a sport like boxing.

It would go along the lines of if you are white so considered being in the majority, you are only allowed to punch your non white opponent 50% less than they can punch you.

If it goes to a points decision, the bout will be awarded to the non white participant in the interests of equality,

A bit like a job interview these days.

 

Jiminy?

 

Tennis I wouldn't say is racist. Historically in my opinion it has been discriminatory in favour of the perceived upper class.
Remember my sports teacher at school telling us about his friend that in practice matches used to smash all the pro's all over the court, but he was from a very poor family and just couldn't get anywhere in the sport.

Maybe so historically in cricket it could be the same. I'm guessing here but I think cricket at a high level in more recent times has been far more accessible for the masses than say tennis.

 

Traditionally and probably still applies. Batsmen came from public schools and bowlers (quicker, hard work bowlers) came from the working classes.

 

It's complicated but short answer is its become very elitist and as a result very white, and as a result quite racist - there is no equality of opportunity which for me is the biggest issue. I don't believe in quotas, etc as long as everyone has a fair shout - its not the case. I reckon Australian crickets even worse tbh.

EDIT: Also I suspect Indian cricket is pretty racist as well, most (all?) of the test side come from higher casts, you won't find ant Dalits opening the batting anytime soon, that's for sure, and yes you can argue that the British Raj encouraged and strengthened the cast system in order to divide and conquer, but its still going on now and we left 80 years ago.

 

Still ruled by the elite - friend of mine is an MCC member. He moved in those circles as a child - dad worked at public school, atended Henley Regatta etc - think it helped his grandad being Archbishop of Canterbury- the one who crowned the Queen!

 

I suspect all institutions/organisations have racists in them or are systemically racist. Just as many will be sexist, homophobic etc. Be interesting to go back to the 1970's and see how Arthur Ashe's Wimbledon win was received in the media, in society generally and in tennis circles. Not suggesting anything bad, just would be interesting per se.

 

I'd say it reflects life in general....