Integrity gone out of cricket

Cricket lost its integrity a long time ago when it successfully campaigned to remove the home test matches from the protected sports list. There are certain sporting events that are protected and must be shown on free to air television (BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5) which include The Olympics, World Cup (football), European Championships (football), FA Cup Final, Grand National, The Derby, Wimbledon and others. They are seen as important cultural events that should be accessible to as many people as possible.

The home test matches used to be part of this list. So, if you're my age (40s), when you were growing up you got to see a lot of test matches on TV and probably, as a result, took an interest in cricket. If you were owt like me, it gave you a common interest with your Granddad, and you could both slag off Robin Smith. The ECB, in their wisdom, decided they no longer wanted their sport to be on this list and successfully campaigned for cricket to be removed from it. They thought they could make a lot more money if their games were on SKY, and I've no doubt they have done, but how many kids from households without Sky are interested in cricket these days?

I used to love cricket and watched it all the time. But ever since it has left free to air TV I have lost all interest. I couldn't watch it, so I no longer follow it. I very much doubt I'm the only one. If you restrict the access to your sport you will lose supporters which puts the very future of your sport in doubt, even if you did make a quick buck in the first few years.

 

That middle paragraph Jay. Go and look what Sky do. Sky are helping England improve a lot. Go and do your research on it. Sky are doing big things for the game and the likes of Yorkshire would struggle a lot more without the likes of Sky....

 

Withi on that.

 

Point missed again.

 

I used to be up at all daft hours watching on Sky, Ashes darn under Windies tests etc but since jacking in Sky my interest has gone from not wanting to miss a ball to not having a clue who and when we are playing haif the time. I `m now going the same way with Premiership football.

I quite liked Robin Smith, suppose sumbody had to.

 

Couldn't agree more. That summer in 2005 was magical, and the whole country was talking cricket because it was available to everyone on channel 4. That feeling has all but gone now.

Sky has ruined it for most people, as with football, although I have to admit their coverage and the technology they have introduced is really good. However, people talk about how much they have done for cricket. I help to run a local cricket club voluntarily, and we get NOTHING from SKY at all. We have to make our own money, rely on the players paying to play, and we get some sponsorship and donations. I just don't see how the claim that the Sky money has helped grass roots cricket can be true. We get nowt.

 

Pissheads keep a lot of grassroots cricket going.

 

Not sure what the channels are but they apparently give out a lot of money.
They do focus on the inner city cricket like london birmingham leeds but they are also doing things with Living for sport. They dedicated a test match to it. Very good to see.

 

We've approached them on a couple of occasions. They don't even reply.

 

That's not good. They spotlight cricket clubs too and one of the presenters will go up and play.

Apparently Joe Root's old clubs had a bit of money put in to it but not sure were that came from.

 

Went a long time ago unfortunately. I agree, I think it's cheating, but now the players who'd ask the fielder if they caught it and walk at their say so are few and between. Where there's money, there's cheating and rule bending.

 

Too many clubs in your league are paying piss poor players money !
One club , top of div 1 pay money out to below average players with money people put behind their bar
They could employ a full time coach for the youngsters but chose not to , the ponty league is now pants , your team seem to be one of a few who are trying to nurture kids ( your best one needs to learn how to keep his gob shut) well done for that.

 

It's because of Sky that Yorkshire are struggling. We used to be guaranteed a test match especially in the Ashes. Now though Sky have thrown so much money into the sport that nearly every county ground is test rated so it's harder to get given one.

 

Yorkshire are not struggling
The ground was a dump - major reason why tests were not gained