April 23, 2025 • 14 mins
An unexpected broadside has been fired by the editor of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack this week.
He's had a go at the ICC, the BCCI and cricket administration in general.
Former Black Cap Chris Cairns thinks he has some good points, but isn't necessarily right about everything. He spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave on Sportstalk.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zedb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Wisden. The Bible of World Cricket.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Released this week and the editor, Lawrence Booth has taken
quite a few shots and quite a few people in
his opinion piece. In his editorial, he writes the communal
shrug that met the appointment of Jay Shah to the
(00:42):
ICC confirmed US. Sorry, truth. Twenty twenty four was the
year cricket gave up any claim to being probably administered
with checks, balances and governance for the many, not the few.
India already had the monopoly. Now they have hotels on
Park Lane and Mayfair. And he goes on talking about
the World Test Championship format are being designed in the
(01:03):
back of a fag packet, and so on and so forth.
Fairly fiery stuff from a man in a position of
strength to talk to make Chris Kens about it. Chris,
welcome to the program. Chris, are you well? How are
you getting mate?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
You've read the story. I think we've all read this
story in a cricket world, and we're all still stunned
about Wisdom's shot at the ICC, the w c C,
the b c C, I I will summarize it with
this one statement of the World Test Championship format as
if it's been designed on.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
The back of a fag packet. They pulled no punches today, Chris.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Well, that's well.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Lawrence Booth, who's the editor, is he's good for a SoundBite,
so you know, he's he's never one to sort of
mix his punches. And look, he's gone pretty hard's let's
make no bones about it. But yeah, I'd like to
to sort of say what he said and and and
given it those lines, he certainly put wisdom to the
(02:04):
front of the Badgers.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Called the World Test Championship a shamble's masquerading as a
show piece. As you said, he's pulled no punches. He's
come right out and coming from Worsden, the most respected
publication in cricket over a number of years. It does
carry some weight. The question is does it carry any
weight with the powers that be i e. The ic C,
which essentially is the BCCI, because that's the target.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And look it's and it's sort of
a you know, we know there's a handing over of
the baton with the governance of the game and the
power of the game, you know, from England to India.
I do think it's a little bit disingenuous of lines
to go to go as hard as he's done, given
the facts that you know, this competition is. Look, there's
(02:47):
only been two additions, so you know it's it's infancy, well,
it's even it's even younger than that. It's just it's
only just begun. And you know, you had some people
come together to create or try to give. So we say,
test Crecket some life and and they've tried their best.
And there's only there's been two winners in New Zealand
and Australia, and the third edition is about to be
(03:09):
fought for between Australia and South Africa at the Lords
and this summer in England. So I think he's been
too harsh given House, you know, House, how smaller number
we're looking at from tournaments and games, et cetera, et cetera.
But he also does raise some good points.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
What's a favorite point, everything's race because he's firing everywhere.
As he mentioned him, he's had a right go at
who's now running the ICC, which is basically the BCCI.
But he also talks about restructuring and I suppose with
any competition and its junior years, you're going to have
to expand. And that's what he's focusing on. How can
we make World Test Championship more relevant? And I'm presuming
(03:48):
how can we save test cricketing. That's the bigger picture,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Yeah, No, you're exactly right he's and he's gone pretty
hard at that sort of side of things. But even
if we give it like for like you know, the
FIFA World Cup over twenty nineteen thirty over twenty tournaments,
they had thirteen or fourteen teams for quite some time.
They're now at forty eight teams in that global tournament.
But that's been built up and so that what the
(04:12):
Test Championship has tried to create is a format that
is able to be absorbed into the way that we've
currently done things. And we've got five Test series here,
two Tests series over there, are three Tests series over
there there. So they're still figuring it out. But you know,
the thing that Lawrence I think is right about is
the length of time. I mean, I do think two
(04:33):
years is too short. He is right, I think on
that four year cycle. So that's something that you know,
they could review and have a look at and so
that we can get some sort of continuity in the
fact that there are three match Test series. But then
again that needs windows. Some Test nations don't have fans
(04:55):
and attendance, you know, for series that don't have the
top tier or the top name teams. So there are
a lot of things. And then throw in the mix
as well. Done that, you know, how long is Test
cricket going to be around? I mean, this is this
is why Test Cricket Championship was formed. But with the
advent of all the one day leagues, the advent of
the salaries being paid to T twenty players is a
(05:20):
is a future Test or sorry, a future T twenty
international player going to jeopardize a multimillion dollar contract If
he's a bowler, he only bowls four overs, So is
he going to jeopardize that multimillion dollar contract to be
bowling forty or fifty overs in a Test match and
what and not making anywhere near the value? And a
(05:41):
Test matches what he does in the T twenty So
I think I may you may have heard me harp
on about this before, mate, but I we're not We're
not there yet. But I I just as system evitable.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
How important is it that a guy like Jay Shah
the ICC chair he used to be at the BCCI,
actually runs this thing because it's mostly seen as massive
Indian control of cricket because they've got all the The
fact that he's now in that seat, is that kind.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Of curtains Is that it now to India actually have
the whole shooting match?
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yeah, they kind of do. But given you know, I
don't think there's any other sports around the world where
you know, it's so disproportionate as to the generation of funds,
and India and the Indian market control the vast majority
of that. And I'm not sure Darcy, whether it's seventy
(06:38):
percent of you know, global revenue that goes through crickets
coffers is coming out of India, whether that be in gates, broadcasts, rights,
sponsorship and so merchandise, whatever that is. And you know,
they control the game. He you know, he who has
the gold makes the rules. And that's that's not only
(06:58):
in sport, mate, that's in life. And so it's a
case of not I think be crying.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
That the issue around what India has. It's a case
of saying, well, how do we work with them to
make sure that everybody at the table is looked after
because it's important for India to also have other players,
so sure for international cricket, but also for their IPL
(07:25):
because the Indian fans still want to see great players
from overseas.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I'm interested in the order because there is a shake up.
Things have to change. I think that there's no doubt
and the way that the T twenty franchises have come
in and they're basically cannibalizing cricket globally, so the concept
and I know that Peith Mells from the Cricket Plazers
Association absolutely hot on this that the international calendar has
(07:48):
to be thrown out and it has to be rewritten
so the money makers, which is the T twenty leagues,
take prevalence and then everything else fits in between it.
So I think it's all very well saying how do
we save Test cricket, But I think first and foremost
they've got to look at the structure and how it
all sits in place before they start making these claims
(08:10):
about change. Because the structure is going to be based
around T twenty that is the future, So how do
they work within that and you look at this Saudi
league that's coming up with the money involved in that,
they may well take some power out of India because
of the cash that they've got.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, well exactly, And that's where I think that between
the BCCI the Saudis and you know, the last thing
you want, which I don't think will happen in cricket
is to have a live golf scenario with the PGA.
And also it appears that you know, there's rumblings in
tennis as well, does he around you know what might
happen with a separate league being done. But cricket, with
(08:49):
the dominance of India and the power that they have
and then sort of being in that same region as Saudi,
I think cricket is a little more insulated than other sports.
But you know, those windows of international play and that's
probably where cricket will end up heading is like is
(09:09):
like soccer, and you know where there are windows of
international competition, there are international World Cups, there are other
elements that whether that's your waifer holds with the Champions
League or whether FIFA holds with the ICC World Cup,
sorry with the FIFA World Cups, Football World Cup, and
(09:31):
then you've got the domestic leagues which which dominate. But
any any huge monetary sport is invariably a domestic league,
whether that's the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, you know,
the e p L and now the IPL. So international
sport is never going to match it if it gets
(09:52):
to the stage where you have those massive domestic leagues,
and you know, and that's where cricket appears to be heading.
Whether that's Darcy in two years or five years or
ten years, I don't think anyone's sure yet, but you know,
they need some sensible approach from both players from each country,
the boards of each country to make sure that you
(10:16):
know that the game survives in that country, given how
important or the importance has been placed on domestic T
twenty leagues.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I'm not a massive fan of the BCCI. I think
the champions trophy controls said a lot to me. But
I think we've also got to be very careful about
pushing India into a corner because they are hugely, hugely
powerful and you can't upset them to a degree, but
you must work with them for the general good of cricket.
Now globally, do you think that attitude is held by
(10:47):
all of the cricket boards around that they do have
to work together because I think a few of them,
you look at Lawrence Booth, have got it quite deep
for Indian cricket. They don't want to come to the party.
There's the way of all that to do this.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Yeah, that's a really good question, and this is again
sort of shaky ground and you know, I'd sort of
throw into the mix there as well. Do I see
the Players Association? So I do think that they play
a big role in this as well, because between the
Players Association with their domestic teams. However, we have to
remember that India doesn't have a Players Association and so
(11:23):
that's a huge anomaly in all of the associations and
the representation by the players associations around the world that
India does not have a Players Association nor will it
ever have a Players Association. So that's where again I
think it takes calm and clear heads to be able
to understand, you know, who India is and what they are,
(11:46):
work with them on making sure that the survival of
cricket is outside of India as well, because as I said,
you want to have international players feeding into the IPL,
into the leagues that a lot of the Indian franchises
now seem to be acquiring around the world in these
T twenty in these T twenty leagues, and so it's
(12:09):
they are a hellishly important player in this and that's
where I think, you know, a sort of a diplomatic
approach is the only way forward. Lawrence Booth has obviously
gone quite nuclear with his with his sort of assessment
of where things are at. But you know, it takes
calm and clear heads, I think to get the right
result for cricket, not just Indian cricket, but for cricket globally.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Finally, Christy, are you confident that that Test cricket will
survive all of us upheaven? It still always will have
its place in the game, regardless of the size, the
strength and the generation of money that T twenty brings.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
No, Unfortunately, I've been you know, I've said for quite
some time now that I see Test cricket struggling to
maintain its its role within the game. But again, it's evolution.
I used to love listening to Vinyl records, mane, you know,
and and you know, but ultimately ultimately the fan will determine,
(13:12):
you know, where the resource, where the money, where the
commercial aspect of the game goes. And and so that's why,
you know, that's that's for now. And then the players
themselves do sell, they'll be the ones that decide whether
they want to take up the contract to play test cricket,
put their body under an enormous amount of strain and
(13:33):
jeopardize what could be some quite lucrative you know, T
twenty contracts in the future. So so whether again that's
in five or ten years, I'm not sure. I'm really
not sure on the time span, but I think I
think it's again an inevitable fact that we have to
face that, you know, test cricket could be engraved danger
just purely because of what the fans want, and also
(13:56):
can the players' bodies actually actually survive that are not
jeopardize their lovelihood.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news talks
that'd be from seven pm week or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk zedb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Wisden. The Bible of World Cricket.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Released this week and the editor, Lawrence Booth has taken
quite a few shots and quite a few people in
his opinion piece. In his editorial, he writes the communal
shrug that met the appointment of Jay Shah to the
(00:42):
ICC confirmed US. Sorry, truth. Twenty twenty four was the
year cricket gave up any claim to being probably administered
with checks, balances and governance for the many, not the few.
India already had the monopoly. Now they have hotels on
Park Lane and Mayfair. And he goes on talking about
the World Test Championship format are being designed in the
(01:03):
back of a fag packet, and so on and so forth.
Fairly fiery stuff from a man in a position of
strength to talk to make Chris Kens about it. Chris,
welcome to the program. Chris, are you well? How are
you getting mate?
Speaker 2 (01:20):
You've read the story. I think we've all read this
story in a cricket world, and we're all still stunned
about Wisdom's shot at the ICC, the w c C,
the b c C, I I will summarize it with
this one statement of the World Test Championship format as
if it's been designed on.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
The back of a fag packet. They pulled no punches today, Chris.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Well, that's well.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Lawrence Booth, who's the editor, is he's good for a SoundBite,
so you know, he's he's never one to sort of
mix his punches. And look, he's gone pretty hard's let's
make no bones about it. But yeah, I'd like to
to sort of say what he said and and and
given it those lines, he certainly put wisdom to the
(02:04):
front of the Badgers.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Called the World Test Championship a shamble's masquerading as a
show piece. As you said, he's pulled no punches. He's
come right out and coming from Worsden, the most respected
publication in cricket over a number of years. It does
carry some weight. The question is does it carry any
weight with the powers that be i e. The ic C,
which essentially is the BCCI, because that's the target.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And look it's and it's sort of
a you know, we know there's a handing over of
the baton with the governance of the game and the
power of the game, you know, from England to India.
I do think it's a little bit disingenuous of lines
to go to go as hard as he's done, given
the facts that you know, this competition is. Look, there's
(02:47):
only been two additions, so you know it's it's infancy, well,
it's even it's even younger than that. It's just it's
only just begun. And you know, you had some people
come together to create or try to give. So we say,
test Crecket some life and and they've tried their best.
And there's only there's been two winners in New Zealand
and Australia, and the third edition is about to be
(03:09):
fought for between Australia and South Africa at the Lords
and this summer in England. So I think he's been
too harsh given House, you know, House, how smaller number
we're looking at from tournaments and games, et cetera, et cetera.
But he also does raise some good points.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
What's a favorite point, everything's race because he's firing everywhere.
As he mentioned him, he's had a right go at
who's now running the ICC, which is basically the BCCI.
But he also talks about restructuring and I suppose with
any competition and its junior years, you're going to have
to expand. And that's what he's focusing on. How can
we make World Test Championship more relevant? And I'm presuming
(03:48):
how can we save test cricketing. That's the bigger picture,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Yeah, No, you're exactly right he's and he's gone pretty
hard at that sort of side of things. But even
if we give it like for like you know, the
FIFA World Cup over twenty nineteen thirty over twenty tournaments,
they had thirteen or fourteen teams for quite some time.
They're now at forty eight teams in that global tournament.
But that's been built up and so that what the
(04:12):
Test Championship has tried to create is a format that
is able to be absorbed into the way that we've
currently done things. And we've got five Test series here,
two Tests series over there, are three Tests series over
there there. So they're still figuring it out. But you know,
the thing that Lawrence I think is right about is
the length of time. I mean, I do think two
(04:33):
years is too short. He is right, I think on
that four year cycle. So that's something that you know,
they could review and have a look at and so
that we can get some sort of continuity in the
fact that there are three match Test series. But then
again that needs windows. Some Test nations don't have fans
(04:55):
and attendance, you know, for series that don't have the
top tier or the top name teams. So there are
a lot of things. And then throw in the mix
as well. Done that, you know, how long is Test
cricket going to be around? I mean, this is this
is why Test Cricket Championship was formed. But with the
advent of all the one day leagues, the advent of
the salaries being paid to T twenty players is a
(05:20):
is a future Test or sorry, a future T twenty
international player going to jeopardize a multimillion dollar contract If
he's a bowler, he only bowls four overs, So is
he going to jeopardize that multimillion dollar contract to be
bowling forty or fifty overs in a Test match and
what and not making anywhere near the value? And a
(05:41):
Test matches what he does in the T twenty So
I think I may you may have heard me harp
on about this before, mate, but I we're not We're
not there yet. But I I just as system evitable.
Speaker 5 (05:50):
How important is it that a guy like Jay Shah
the ICC chair he used to be at the BCCI,
actually runs this thing because it's mostly seen as massive
Indian control of cricket because they've got all the The
fact that he's now in that seat, is that kind.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Of curtains Is that it now to India actually have
the whole shooting match?
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Yeah, they kind of do. But given you know, I
don't think there's any other sports around the world where
you know, it's so disproportionate as to the generation of funds,
and India and the Indian market control the vast majority
of that. And I'm not sure Darcy, whether it's seventy
(06:38):
percent of you know, global revenue that goes through crickets
coffers is coming out of India, whether that be in gates, broadcasts, rights,
sponsorship and so merchandise, whatever that is. And you know,
they control the game. He you know, he who has
the gold makes the rules. And that's that's not only
(06:58):
in sport, mate, that's in life. And so it's a
case of not I think be crying.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
That the issue around what India has. It's a case
of saying, well, how do we work with them to
make sure that everybody at the table is looked after
because it's important for India to also have other players,
so sure for international cricket, but also for their IPL
(07:25):
because the Indian fans still want to see great players
from overseas.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
I'm interested in the order because there is a shake up.
Things have to change. I think that there's no doubt
and the way that the T twenty franchises have come
in and they're basically cannibalizing cricket globally, so the concept
and I know that Peith Mells from the Cricket Plazers
Association absolutely hot on this that the international calendar has
(07:48):
to be thrown out and it has to be rewritten
so the money makers, which is the T twenty leagues,
take prevalence and then everything else fits in between it.
So I think it's all very well saying how do
we save Test cricket, But I think first and foremost
they've got to look at the structure and how it
all sits in place before they start making these claims
(08:10):
about change. Because the structure is going to be based
around T twenty that is the future, So how do
they work within that and you look at this Saudi
league that's coming up with the money involved in that,
they may well take some power out of India because
of the cash that they've got.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Yeah, well exactly, And that's where I think that between
the BCCI the Saudis and you know, the last thing
you want, which I don't think will happen in cricket
is to have a live golf scenario with the PGA.
And also it appears that you know, there's rumblings in
tennis as well, does he around you know what might
happen with a separate league being done. But cricket, with
(08:49):
the dominance of India and the power that they have
and then sort of being in that same region as Saudi,
I think cricket is a little more insulated than other sports.
But you know, those windows of international play and that's
probably where cricket will end up heading is like is
(09:09):
like soccer, and you know where there are windows of
international competition, there are international World Cups, there are other
elements that whether that's your waifer holds with the Champions
League or whether FIFA holds with the ICC World Cup,
sorry with the FIFA World Cups, Football World Cup, and
(09:31):
then you've got the domestic leagues which which dominate. But
any any huge monetary sport is invariably a domestic league,
whether that's the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, you know,
the e p L and now the IPL. So international
sport is never going to match it if it gets
(09:52):
to the stage where you have those massive domestic leagues,
and you know, and that's where cricket appears to be heading.
Whether that's Darcy in two years or five years or
ten years, I don't think anyone's sure yet, but you know,
they need some sensible approach from both players from each country,
the boards of each country to make sure that you
(10:16):
know that the game survives in that country, given how
important or the importance has been placed on domestic T
twenty leagues.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I'm not a massive fan of the BCCI. I think
the champions trophy controls said a lot to me. But
I think we've also got to be very careful about
pushing India into a corner because they are hugely, hugely
powerful and you can't upset them to a degree, but
you must work with them for the general good of cricket.
Now globally, do you think that attitude is held by
(10:47):
all of the cricket boards around that they do have
to work together because I think a few of them,
you look at Lawrence Booth, have got it quite deep
for Indian cricket. They don't want to come to the party.
There's the way of all that to do this.
Speaker 4 (11:01):
Yeah, that's a really good question, and this is again
sort of shaky ground and you know, I'd sort of
throw into the mix there as well. Do I see
the Players Association? So I do think that they play
a big role in this as well, because between the
Players Association with their domestic teams. However, we have to
remember that India doesn't have a Players Association and so
(11:23):
that's a huge anomaly in all of the associations and
the representation by the players associations around the world that
India does not have a Players Association nor will it
ever have a Players Association. So that's where again I
think it takes calm and clear heads to be able
to understand, you know, who India is and what they are,
(11:46):
work with them on making sure that the survival of
cricket is outside of India as well, because as I said,
you want to have international players feeding into the IPL,
into the leagues that a lot of the Indian franchises
now seem to be acquiring around the world in these
T twenty in these T twenty leagues, and so it's
(12:09):
they are a hellishly important player in this and that's
where I think, you know, a sort of a diplomatic
approach is the only way forward. Lawrence Booth has obviously
gone quite nuclear with his with his sort of assessment
of where things are at. But you know, it takes
calm and clear heads, I think to get the right
result for cricket, not just Indian cricket, but for cricket globally.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Finally, Christy, are you confident that that Test cricket will
survive all of us upheaven? It still always will have
its place in the game, regardless of the size, the
strength and the generation of money that T twenty brings.
Speaker 4 (12:47):
No, Unfortunately, I've been you know, I've said for quite
some time now that I see Test cricket struggling to
maintain its its role within the game. But again, it's evolution.
I used to love listening to Vinyl records, mane, you know,
and and you know, but ultimately ultimately the fan will determine,
(13:12):
you know, where the resource, where the money, where the
commercial aspect of the game goes. And and so that's why,
you know, that's that's for now. And then the players
themselves do sell, they'll be the ones that decide whether
they want to take up the contract to play test cricket,
put their body under an enormous amount of strain and
(13:33):
jeopardize what could be some quite lucrative you know, T
twenty contracts in the future. So so whether again that's
in five or ten years, I'm not sure. I'm really
not sure on the time span, but I think I
think it's again an inevitable fact that we have to
face that, you know, test cricket could be engraved danger
just purely because of what the fans want, and also
(13:56):
can the players' bodies actually actually survive that are not
jeopardize their lovelihood.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to news talks
that'd be from seven pm week or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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