Cricket’s expanding global impact showcased by records, rumors, revelations

Despite its low profile in Russia and China, cricket has grown to be a global sport. Sixty years ago, it was restricted to six major international teams, and now, in the past week, a series of events has emphasized its worldwide reach.

Test-match records have been broken in Pakistan, and the women’s T20 World Cup generated upsets at the close of the group stage. Alongside these events, reports are circulating that the Board of Control for Cricket in India is assessing the logistics of holding its forthcoming Indian Premier League auction in Saudi Arabia.

There are also rumors that the ICC Champions Trophy, due to be hosted in Pakistan in February 2025, may be shifted to another country, either partly or entirely. Almost unnoticed, regional qualification pathways for the men’s 2026 T20 World Cup are in progress.

Surely, the highlight of the week was the 454-run fourth-wicket partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook for England against Pakistan. It broke the previous English record which had stood for 67 years.

In 1957, at the end of the third day of the first Test in Birmingham, England were 102 for two in their second innings, 176 runs behind the West Indies, facing defeat. Imprinted on English minds was the memory of the last visit of the West Indies in 1950. Two spinners, Ramadhin and Valentine, were instrumental in the West Indies securing a 3-1 series victory, inducing calypso celebrations.

Ramadhin’s specter remained in 1957. In the first innings he claimed seven for 49, followed by the first two of the second innings. On day four, two of England’s finest, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey, blatantly attempted to nullify Ramadhin’s menace, using their pads as much as their bats. Despite repeated appeals for leg before wicket, not one was upheld by the umpires.

There was no decision review system in those days, no live television, no neutral umpires. Indeed, other than being one of the 65,000 people who attended the match, the only way to keep in touch with it was by radio. May and Cowdrey batted for 190 overs, Ramadhin bowled 98 overs in the innings and was a broken man for the experience.

A consequence of the May/Cowdrey tactic was that it became common practice to play spinners by thrusting the front pad forward in front of the bat. As long as there was a semblance of attempting to play a stroke, umpires did not rule in favor of leg-before-wicket appeals. It took until 1972 for the law to be amended.

Ramadhin did not spin the ball much but could turn it both ways. Crucially, half of his victims were clean-bowled, flummoxed by whether the ball would turn or not. It is staggering to think that not a single one of those balls which hit the pad would not have gone on to hit the stumps. Perhaps the umpires were equally flummoxed.

Notwithstanding this, May and Cowdrey’s feat was one of physical endurance, technical skill and immense concentration under pressure.

Although Brook and Root’s performance may have been on a flat, lifeless pitch against increasingly demoralized bowlers, the same applies to them, given the searing heat. Their partnership yielded 454 runs from 522 balls, typical of England’s current approach to Test cricket and much different to that of May and Cowdrey’s.

The requirement for concentration under pressure has seemed to be in short supply when it comes to catching ability in the current ICC women’s T20 World Cup. England dropped at least five catches, as the West Indies waltzed to victory and progressed to the semifinals.

Pakistan’s players were estimated to have dropped eight catches in their defeat by New Zealand. In the group stage, a total of 88 drops in 20 matches have been recorded. In the 2023 women’s World Cup in South Africa, there were 37 in 20 games. As yet, no one has been able to satisfactorily explain the reasons.

One factor may be the different lighting system at the Dubai International Stadium where, instead of the more common pylon towers, lights are built into the stadium’s round roof. Their lower positioning may make it more difficult to follow the trajectory of a white ball. Some research needs to be undertaken on this before the consequences can be known.

Despite producing the highest percentage of catches taken in the tournament, at 79 percent, India failed to make the semifinals. Their ground fielding, running between the wickets and inconsistent batting being their downfall. One consequence of this may be that the reign of 35-year-old team captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, a veteran of nine T20 World Cups, could be over.

Apart from that decision, the BCCI has other ones to make, including the venue for the auction of players for the 2025 edition of the IPL. In 2024 it was held outside of India for the first time, Dubai being chosen. It is understood that other cities in the Gulf and Asia are being assessed, Riyadh and Jeddah amongst them. A key consideration is the availability of hotel accommodation sufficient to cope with the caravan of people involved. Cities with short supply may miss out.

The BCCI’s secretary, Jay Shah, will take up the post of ICC chair on Dec. 1. There are likely to be many consequences of this switch. It will be no surprise if changes occur to the location of the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to open in Pakistan on Feb. 19, 2025. It will be a blow for the country if its internal and external tensions lead to underuse of the infrastructure upgrades now underway at international stadiums.

One consequence of the ICC’s strategy to expand cricket’s global reach is the establishment of regional qualification pathways for World Cups. Four regions exist — Africa, Americas, Asia/East-Asia Pacific and Europe. Qualification events are already in progress, with the second African group set to open in Kenya on Oct. 19.

There may be no South America team in the Americas group but there was a surprise in the South American Men’s Championship T20I 2024, when Panama beat Brazil in the final on Oct. 13.

All these developments provide further evidence of cricket’s expanding global system.