Jul 17, 2006
Comment is free, The Guardian, July 17 Martin Crowe’s recent lecture at Lord’s – the sixth annual Cowdrey lecture – was formally dedicated to the Spirit of Cricket. As I’m always wary when this term is invoked, I wasn’t entirely shocked to find Crowe – former New Zealand captain, now a Rupert Murdoch employee –… Read more
Jul 4, 2006
Comment is Free, The Guardian, 4 July Now that England are out and the World Cup is nearing its climax, perhaps there’ll be a re-focusing on what is supposed to be the country’s traditional summer pastime. In recent weeks the media has been so preoccupied with the football that when the cricket season’s prime attraction,… Read more
Jun 27, 2006
The Guardian, 27 June [NB. Postscript below] As has been widely noted, this World Cup has witnessed an unprecedented display of England flags. Less noted is the fact that this display is far more extensive than in other countries. There’s no parallel, for example, in Holland and Italy, though both boast fanatical football cultures. We’re… Read more
Jun 6, 2006
A dialogue between Mark Perryman and Mike Marqusee Red Pepper, June 2006 Mark Perryman puts the case for flying the St George cross at the World Cup, while Mike Marqusee explains why he’ll be rooting for anyone but England to win it. Mark Perryman kicks off the discussion: The beginning of June must be a… Read more
May 30, 2006
The Guardian, 30 May The World Cup is an engrossing display of skill, ingenuity, fallibility. It is also a huge economic enterprise. This year’s matches will be televised in 189 countries. The final will be watched by more people than any other sporting contest in history. In an era of media fragmentation, the FIFA spectacle… Read more
Mar 12, 2006
Published in Following On: Cricket and National Identity in the Postcolonial Age, edited by Stephen Wagg (Routledge, 2005) Long before it was a global game, cricket was an imperial game. At least, that was how it was seen by the rulers of the British empire, in Whitehall and at Lord’s. Their subjects sometimes saw it differently,… Read more
Feb 1, 2006
Cricinfo Magazine, February 2006 It’s always a sweet sight. The swing of the bat, the ball scuttling across the earth or arching through the air, human figures moving purposefully, gracefully, at speed, across a vast green lawn. No cricket fan could resist it, even if it’s baseball. The two great modern stick-and-ball games are not… Read more
