Young people do like cricket, says ICC chief

ENGLAND’S top op cr i cket a dminist ra t or may f e e l young people no longer care about cricket, but ut the man running the sport’s ort’s gl obal gover ning i ng body is adamant ant youth interest is rising worldwide.

A n d D a v i d Richardson, the chief executive of f the International al Cricket Council, ci l , added that next ext year’s World Cup p in England and Wales ales represents a brilliant iant opportunity to prove rove the doubters wrong. ong.

Colin Graves, the England and Wales Cricket Board chairhairman, sparked cont r ov e r s y wi t h h i s recent comment t that young people “are are just not attracted to cricket”. It appeared he was as trying to justify the proposed pr introduction of a new 100-ball format into the English game in 2020. 202

But many cricket lovers were aghast agha at Graves’s seeming lack lac of faith in his own sport, sport while others were equally equ dismayed by what they saw as a slap in the th face for various youth you cricket init i at i v ve e s, i ncl uding those of the ECB itself.

P h o t o g r a p h s o f young fans f enjoying themselves themselv at various English c county grounds and other games started appearing appearin on Twitter in response respons to Graves’s statement. stateme Richardson, Rich too diplomatic diplo to join in the criticism, was n e v e r t h e l e s s keen ke to defend cricket’s cr appeal to the next generation while speaking in London onWednesday at an event marking a year to the start of the 2019 World Cup.

“That is very much an English viewpoint,” Richardson said, when asked about Graves’s comments.

“Globally we are seeing in our sport, compared to other sports, the average age of the fan is lower than even football and certainly rugby.

“Market by market, it varies widely – in England, I think, there is a bit of a challenge making sure we re-engage with the youth and grow the game from a participation point of view – but elsewhere in the world, it is quite positive.”

No ‘appetite’ for new format

Meanwhile Richardson (pictured in Test match action in 1997, AFP), while noting domestic limited-overs cricket had been played in a variety of formats down the years, was in no hurry to add the 100-ball game to an international schedule already groaning under the weight of Tests, ODIs and Twenty20s.

“Our strategy is clear in that we’ve got three formats of the same game, which is challenging in itself to keep them from cannibalising each other,” he said.

“But what it does do is provide us an opportunity to provide an offering to everybody, every type of cricket fan, from the traditional old Test cricket fan to a youngster who wants something to be happening every ball.

“And the 50-over version, I think, i s that per fect f i t between Test and T20. It provides a perfect day’s entertainment, we’ve seen that around the world – it is very popular elsewhere in the world – and the World Cup has got that prestige which I think will help cement 50-over cricket’s popularity well into the future.

“But certainly there isn’t an appetite to increase and create another format,” the former South Africa wicketkeeper explained.

Asked if the ECB, which successfull y staged both the Champions Trophy and the Women’s World Cup last year, needed help from the ICC in marketing the World Cup, Richardson replied: “We don’t need to hold their hand or do anything [like that]. They are quite capable themselves, I’m sure.

“But the bottom line is that this does present a huge opportunity – and we saw it with the Women’s World Cup – to attract a new audience to get people enthused who weren’t necessarily going to cricket matches season after season.

“I think there is a huge opportunity in having an event in your own country.”