Opinion
The Guardian Weekly 14 January 2022
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WRITE
TO US
English cricket needs to
regain its youthful appeal
In his analysis of the
state of English cricket
(Opinion, 7 January),
Martin Kettle cites
multiple causes, both
social and structural,
referring to “the pathways
to cricket’s renewal and
growth” having been “cut
off , closed and neglected”.
He also alludes to the
stratum of white upper-
middle-class support.
The contrasting place
of cricket in youth culture
in England and Australia
seems relevant here. Until
the 1960s, cricket equalled
soccer in terms of its
heroic fi gures. C ricket has
been edged to the fringes
not only by soccer, but
because playing the game
is seen to be detrimental to
“street cred”.
In Australia, cricket
sits comfortably at the
heart of youth culture.
To bring cricket back to
anything approaching
its former status would
require vision, funding
and a monumental eff ort
that, sadly, one feels to be
far beyond the capability
or ambition of the game’s
current administration.
Martin Allen
Shoreham, England, UK- Building on the work of
Rowland Bowen and CLR
James in looking “beyond
a boundary”, two extra
points come to mind.
First, I think they
would have referred to the
role of the International
Cricket Council, whose
allocation of funding
results in Australia, India
and England receiving
the greatest share and
the largest say over the
allocation of fi xtures –
thus reinforcing divisions
between the wealthier and
poorer nations.
Second, in light of the
racism highlighted in the
Azeem Rafi q case, they
would have regarded
it as essential that the
England and Wales Cricket
Board has transparent
social inclusion criteria
and a way of ensuring
their implementation.
Perhaps the quote from
CLR James, ‘‘What do they
know of cricket who only
cricket know?’’, should
be displayed in dressing
rooms and boardrooms.
Mike Stein
Pudsey, England, UKWomen bear the brunt of
Taliban repression
Remember the Taliban’s
repression of women by
Emma Graham-Harrison
( Opinion, 31 December)
is a timely reminder of
how women are often
lost in times of crisis.
In Afghanistan, for a
short time there was a
reprieve from some of
the oppression that had
existed for women.
It now appears that
draconian aspects
of Taliban rule have
returned after the chaotic
withdrawal by the US andits allies. It is monstrous
that women are being
forsaken and plunged into
abject poverty and their
human rights abandoned.
Judith Morrison
Nunawading, Victoria,
AustraliaBlank looks all round for
the benefi ts of Brexit
A year after Brexit took
full eff ect ( Big story, 31
December), you could just
have the headline “Brexit
benefi ts”, and leave the
rest of the page blank.
Sarah Pegg
Edinburgh, Scotland, UKWe should all show more
compassion to migrants
I agree with the Guardian’s
view (31 December) that
“Compassion for the
stranger is not readily
found in Fortress Europe”.
In fact, when we witness
atrocious behaviour
towards South and Central
American migrants at
the US border, we have
to acknowledge that
compassion is in short
supply around the world.
However, your editorial
fails to place the blame
where it belongs – on
ordinary citizens who
give little thought for
people around the world
who are fl eeing hunger
and repression in their
homelands. Many of us
are woefully ignorant of
the circumstances that
force people to risk their
lives in rickety boats or
overcrowded vehicles.What we are witnessing
in so-called developed
countries is an empathy
gap. We do not see
desperate migrants as us,
struggling for a decent
life, or their very survival.
If we can wake up to the
oneness of all humanity,
we will raise our voices
against politicians who
think fences and police are
the answer.
Michael Craig
Owen Sound, Ontario,
CanadaMars travellers must keep
their feet on the ground
Before booking their
places on Elon Musk’s
Starship visit to Mars
( Science, 31 December),
potential passengers
should remember that
Tesla have, not for the
fi rst time, recalled large
numbers of their cars.
Richard Coulthurst
Stockport , England, UKIn a Spotlight story about
Sinn Féin’s path to power
in Ireland ( 31 December) ,
a quote referred to “the
Progressive Democrats”
when “Social Democrats”
was meant. Also a reference
to Sinn Féin as “founded
in 1905” was unclear : the
republican movement
founded in that year
evolved into a number of
organisations that carried
the name. The party now
led by Mary Lou McDonald
was founded in 1970.CORRECTIONSLetters
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