Description
Book SynopsisThis book investigates the declining status of cricket within contemporary British society after the high-water mark of England's Ashes victory in 2005. It considers the deep roots of the game within British national life as well as its ever-changing nature, and reflects upon the current significance and relevance of a sport that many still perceive as deeply traditional and conservative in outlook.
Adopting a socio-political approach, the book offers new perspectives on both the contemporary realities of modern cricket and the social, cultural and political condition of modern Britain. Rather than focusing on personality and the detail of match history, the book looks at how the sport has coped with wider societal changes, such as those in Afro-Caribbean and South Asian communities, and how this has demanded adaptation by cricket's governing authorities. The book also considers the international context in which the game continues to develop and how the initiative with new fo
Trade Review
"Ultimately this study, while being a forensic examination of the factors at work that define the various British communities’ relationship with cricket, is a labour of love. Holden wants to know “how [cricket] can capture the nation once more as the chief summer sport and not completely drop off the sporting radar during the winter months”. He believes it can be done through successful national men’s and women’s teams and “[by engaging] as widely as possible in projecting a sport that is accessible, open, safe and free of injustice and discrimination”. Like many lovers of this truly remarkable sport, I sincerely hope he’s right." - Daniel Norcross, cricket broadcaster
Table of Contents
1. Introduction and framework for discussion, 2. The depths of 1999 and the rehabilitation of cricket, 3. Impact of the 2005 Ashes victory, 4. Cricket and identity: some geographical reflections, 5. Cricket and the British Afro-Caribbean community: Losing the heritage, 6. Realizing the power of the South Asian community, 7. Twenty20: cricket’s 21st-century revolution, 8. Comparing the British cricketing experience, 9. The advance of women’s cricket, 10. Concluding remarks
