Cricket: Wisden Almanack laments ‘divide and rule’ ICC

Cricket ‘bible’ honours Tendulkar as the most delivering batsman.

LONDON: International cricket is set for a future of ‘colonial-style divide and rule’, and will be ‘holding its breath’ over the extent of Indian influence, according to the 2014 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack published on Wednesday.

In February, changes to the governance of the International Cricket Council (ICC), handed majority of the powers and revenue to the sport’s ‘big three’ nations — India, Australia and England.

“Here was colonial-style divide and rule,” Lawrence Bob, the English editor of cricket’s ‘bible’, wrote in the 151st edition of British-based Wisden, published every year since 1864.

“Cricket is appallingly administered, and is vulnerable to economic exploitation by the country (India) powerful enough to exploit it and the two countries (Australia and England) prepared to lend their plans credibility.

“As India prepare to take their ‘central leadership responsibility’, international cricket holds its breath,” he added.

Turning to events on the field, Booth said England’s 5-0 thrashing by Australia in the 2013/14 Ashes represented an all-time low.

“No sporting defeat is a disaster but 5-0 against a team that had won none of its previous nine Tests. This is the worst result in England’s history.”

Meanwhile, South Africa fast-bowler Dale Steyn was chosen as Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for 2013, a year in which he took 51 Test wickets in only nine games at an average of 17.

The Five Cricketers of the Year, an honour dating back to 1889 which, by tradition, can only be won once in a player’s career, were India’s Shikhar Dhawan, Australia duo Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris, England batsman Joe Root and England women’s captain Charlotte Edwards.

Meanwhile, India’s great Sachin Tendulkar, who announced his retirement from cricket in November, adorns the cover of the latest Wisden as he is the world’s leading scorer in both Test and One-day cricket.

“Tendulkar played Test matches in front of the most demanding fans in the world for 24 years,” said Wisden.

“If further proof was required of just how astonishing that was, it came at Perth in December, when for a few moments one Cook and one Clarke added up to exactly one Tendulkar: 200 Test caps, 15,921 runs and 51 hundreds.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2014.

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