Wisden, cricket elitism and football punditry
A cricket match at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. 'A more appropriate name for the award might be the 'Wisden (independent) schools cricketer of the year'.'
A cricket match at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey. 'A more appropriate name for the award might be the 'Wisden (independent) schools cricketer of the year'.' Photograph: Greg Balfour Evans/Alamy
Another year, another Wisden schools cricketer of the year gong awarded to a student from a private school. No pupil from a non-fee-paying school has ever been given the Wisden award since its inception in 2008. Last year, I wrote to Wisden to share my concern that the award and the almanack's inability to identify kids from the state system worthy of such recognition was symptomatic of cricket's exclusivity. I suggested a more appropriate name for the award might be the 'Wisden (independent) schools cricketer of the year'.
And so I was dismayed to read in your article Lawrence Booth, Wisden's editor, bemoaning India's dominance of the men's game (Wisden calls World Test Championship a 'shambles' and makes case for reform, 21 April). In repeating his criticism of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while ignoring precisely the same issue in the UK and how more money corresponds to more opportunities in cricket, the article lacked balance.
Dan Ayliffe
London
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• I was relieved to read Jonathan Liew's article on partisan punditry (Pundits' showy partisanship reflects football's embrace of fan-centric populism, 22 April) and to also hear Jonathan Wilson's similar gripes on the Football Weekly podcast (21 April). I was sure it couldn't just be me who has grown sick of watching the banter brigade dominate football broadcasting.
Despite having to shell out a significant annual fee to watch my team play across three subscriptions, my football-watching experience is being limited to tuning in immediately before kick-off and tuning out as soon as the game finishes to avoid the absolute tirade of banter. Unfortunately, the approach by both Sky and BT appears to be to make content to be clipped up for social media. The concept that someone may be watching a football game for the simple joy of just watching a football game has gone out the window.
Football has a lot to learn from cricket. Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain have spoken recently on their Sky podcast about how less is more when commentators are calling great sporting moments. The beauty and magnitude of the moment can be best captured by the commentator saying the minimum, rather than shouting in your ear
Edward Binks
Leyton, London
• Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
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