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Should Wales Have Its Own
Independent Cricket Team?
Angikaar Choudhury
August, 2015
This dissertation is submitted to the Cardiff School of
Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies, Cardiff University in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of
Master of Arts in Journalism
ii
Declaration
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CANDIDATE‟S FULL FORENAMES: ANGIKAAR
DECLARATION
This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not
concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree.
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degree of ………………………… (Insert MA, MSc, MBA, MScD, LLM etc, as
appropriate)
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This dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where
otherwise stated.
Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A Bibliography
is appended.
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STATEMENT 3 – TO BE COMPLETED WHERE THE SECOND COPY OF THE
DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED IN AN APPROVED ELECTRONIC FORMAT
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STATEMENT 4
I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying
and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside
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iv
Acknowledgements
At the outset, this dissertation is dedicated to my parents who tolerated my lifelong love
for cricket, allowed me to pursue it as a career and have always encouraged me to go
after the game I love.
I would also like to acknowledge the Asian College of Journalism and Cardiff University
for the opportunity to allow me to do such an interesting piece of work. Many thanks to
Mr. Tim Holmes for his wonderful mentoring and his encouraging words, especially
during times when I got despondent during the course of my dissertation.
Thanks must also go to Mr. Michael Hill who was a wonderful source of ideas for this
dissertation. For all the people I spoke to, thank you so much for taking time out of your
busy schedules and giving me valuable information for my research.
Last but not the least, the Art & Social Studies Library in Cardiff which proved a vast
reservoir of information for all my research work.
6
Contents
Declaration ................................................................................................. ii
Acknowledgements.................................................................................... iv
Contents .....................................................................................................6
Section 1......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................8
Chapter 2: Critical Review......................................................................10
Chapter 3: Methodology.........................................................................14
Section 2...................................................................................................16
Pitch.......................................................................................................16
Article 1: The glorious history of the gentleman‟s game in Wales...........18
Article 2: Establishing a Wales team would be correcting a „historical
wrong‟, say supporters of an independent Welsh cricket team...............24
Article 3: Not practically possible, say opponents of a Welsh cricket team
...............................................................................................................32
Article 4: How the ICC is structured and where a hypothetical Wales team
would fit in it ...........................................................................................40
Section 3...................................................................................................48
Conclusion.............................................................................................48
Critical Reflection...................................................................................51
Bibliography ...........................................................................................54
7
Appendices...............................................................................................60
Appendix A: Interview with Sean Rees, Campaign Manager, Plaid Cymru,
Llanelli, conducted on July 4th
, 2015 ......................................................60
Appendix B: Interview with Neil McEvoy, Plaid Cymru Councillor and
prospective Cardiff West candidate, conducted on July 15th
, 2015.........60
Appendix C: Interview with Mark Frost, former Glamorgan player and
director of Cricket Wales and current Glamorgan coach, conducted on
July 16th
, 2015........................................................................................61
Appendix D: Interview with John Derrick, Performance Manager of
Cricket Wales, conducted on July 16th
, 2015..........................................62
Appendix F: Interview with Gareth Griffiths, sports journalist for Media
Wales, conducted on 23rd
August, 2015.................................................64
Appendix G: Interview with Andrew Hignell, chief historian and archivist at
Glamorgan Cricket Club, conducted on 27th
July, 2015..........................64
Appendix H: Email interview with Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Cymru
spokesperson for sport, received on 11th
August, 2015..........................65
Appendix I, Cricket Wales‟ response in October 2011 to petition
demanding Welsh national cricket team.................................................66
Appendix J, Response to the Petitions Committee Call for Evidence on
the Establishment of a Welsh Cricket Team from Simon Jones, Public
Affairs Manager, Sport Wales, Dated: 16/11/2011 .................................69
8
Section 1
Chapter 1: Introduction
In the world of international cricket, Wales‟ position is unique. A part of the United
Kingdom, it is the only country within the UK to not be represented by an international
cricket team of its own. Wales, in international cricket, is represented by the England
cricket team, who are administered by the English and Wales Cricket Board.
The peculiarity of such a position is even more evident when other countries in the
British Isles are considered. Scotland have been represented by their own national
cricket team since 1994 after they became associate members of the International
Cricket Council (1994), the governing body for cricket in the world. Northern Ireland has
an all-Ireland agreement with the Republic of Ireland (which is not a part of the United
Kingdom) and the Ireland national cricket team represents both Northern Ireland and
the Republic of Ireland.
Wales‟ peculiar position stands out, in particular, when a comparison is made with other
sports. Wales is represented on the international football circuit by the Wales national
football team – in fact, the Football Association for Wales (FAW) is the third-oldest
national football association in the world. It is similar for another of Wales‟ other
favourite sports – rugby, where Wales have always had their own team and have been
quite successful in recent years. Strikingly, the Wales national rugby team enjoys a
competitive rivalry with their English counterparts.
Wales has enjoyed a long history in cricket with records of the game spreading from the
mid-eighteenth century (Hignell, 2008). The Cardiff Cricket Club was inaugurated in
1845 while later Glamorgan, the sole Welsh representative of the England and Wales
County Championship, was founded in 1888 and became the 17th
member of the
County Championship in 1921.
Despite the English national cricket team representing Wales, a Welsh team continues
to play in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship. Previously, a Welsh team
9
participated in the 1979 ICC Trophy, defeating Netherlands and Israel. Wales later took
part in the British Isles Championship between 1993 and 2001 and played a series of
„Natwest Challenge‟ 50-over matches between 2002 and 2004, famously defeating
England in 2002.
Various players of Welsh origin have represented England – some of these names
include Robert Croft, the first Welsh cricketer to score 10,000 runs and take 1,000
wickets in first-class cricket, Jeff Jones who played in fifteen Tests in the 1960‟s, Tony
Lewis and more lately Simon Jones who played an integral part in England‟s victory
over Australia in the 2005 Ashes
In recent years, there have been calls for Wales to have their own national cricket team,
distinct from the English team. Most of these calls are based on the criticism that Wales
has not been represented appropriately and adequately on the international stage. On
the other hand, proponents of the status-quo argue that the present arrangement is
beneficial for Welsh cricket and creating an independent Welsh cricket team would lead
to immense financial losses for the current Welsh-cricket set-up.
This dissertation proposes to investigate these demands and arrive at some sort of
consensus about a Welsh national cricket team. By incorporating the point of view of
both the stakeholders of this issue, i.e. those who advocate a Welsh cricket along with
those who strongly oppose such a hypothetical event, this dissertation aspires to
provide a balanced commentary on the issue.
10
Chapter 2: Critical Review
The question about an independent Wales cricket team has cropped up quite a few
times in Welsh cricketing history, but there has never been any serious academic
debate about the practicalities of such an event.
Cricket was “the first organized team game in the country” of Wales (Hignell, 2008).
Cricket predates to the pre-1760‟s – there is evidence that cricket has been played
throughout the centuries with teams representing Wales playing against teams
representing other nations. The growth in popularity of some of Wales‟ other favourite
sports – football and rugby in particular - were an offshoot of the popularity which cricket
enjoyed in earlier times. A separate chapter in the main dissertation examines the
historical context of Welsh cricket to frame the debate for a Welsh national cricket team.
The birth of Glamorgan in 1888 is generally considered an epochal event in the history
of Welsh cricket. Later on in 1921, Glamorgan became a first class county – this proved
to be an important event as the Glamorgan cricket team, despite being named after a
specific county, have traditionally been considered to be the representatives of Welsh
cricket in the international stage.
However, questions of a Welsh cricket team have arisen at different points of history. In
1923, the Welsh Cricket Union was created, with the founder Norman Riches,
envisaging a Welsh cricket team. Since Glamorgan had just managed to gain first-class
county status a year previously, it was felt that such a move might be little hasty and
fool-hardy and hence it was decided that the question of a Welsh cricket team would
remain a long-term goal. (Hignell, 2008)
Later on in 1969, there was a growing tide of Welsh nationalism precipitated in part by
the investiture of Charles, the Prince of Wales. Glamorgan‟s twin victories over the
touring Australians in 1964 and 1968 had also added to the prevailing atmosphere of
Welsh nationalism. This led to the founding of a Welsh Cricket Association to organize a
national amateur team. Ten years later, Wales participated in the ICC Trophy, a limited
over cricket tournament for Associate and Affiliate nations in the International Cricket
11
Council. However, Hignell, chief historian and archivist at the Glamorgan Cricket Club,
advises against looking too closely into Wales‟ participation in this tournament,
commenting that since a lot of countries refused to attend and since the tournament
was taking place in the United Kingdom, it was just easier to allow Wales to field their
own cricket team. 1
However, in recent years, the question of a Welsh cricket team has come up more
often. As early as 2001, Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales and the business
minister at that time, called for a Welsh cricket team after a warm-up match between
England and Wales which Wales won. Arguing for either the England team to be
renamed a „Great Britain‟ team or a Welsh team in its own right, he commented that “it
is something that needs to be addressed given the obvious quality of Welsh cricket”.
(Western Mail, 2002)
Later in 2008, Mohammad Asghar who had recently become an Assembly Member on a
Plaid Cymru ticket gave another call for Wales to have its own cricket team. Speaking
after a one-day international match at Cardiff, Asghar was quoted as saying that, “I think
we should be ambitious for the future of cricket in Wales and I say it‟s now time for us to
establish a full national side that can compete with teams like these two great cricketing
nations.” However, a Welsh Assembly government spokesperson at that point
suggested that though the present government then (a Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition)
would provide additional support for sports bodies wishing to develop national Wales
teams, this would remain a matter for the governing bodies of cricket. (Williamson,
2008)
Jill Evans, a Plaid Cymru Member of European Parliament, came out strongly for a
Welsh cricket team in 2011 in partnership with Jonathan Edwards, Member of
Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, in a long essay published on her official
website and carried by the mainstream Welsh press. Among the various arguments she
made, Evans pointed at the “odd scenario” where Welsh players try to get into another
country‟s team while stating that she believed that Welsh players deserved a chance to
1
Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
12
play on the global stage. Regarding the issue of Glamorgan, she hastened to admit that
Glamorgan had done a “fantastic job of representing us over the years”, but pointed to
the fact that if Glamorgan did represent all of Wales, the logical step would be the
setting up of a Welsh national team. (Evans, 2011)
Jonathan Edwards produced a far more detailed essay on his official website, providing
even more arguments and suggesting possible paths for a Welsh cricket team.
Alongside several other arguments, Edwards suggested a Welsh national side would
greatly boost the development of the game and would serve as a key economic driver.
He suggested two possible avenues for this path along with providing further
commentary on player eligibility and the role of the England and Wales Cricket Board. A
large portion of his arguments are explored in the main dissertation itself. (Edwards,
2011)
It was only in 2013, after years of talk, that finally some action seemed to be taken
towards the establishment of a Welsh national cricket team. In response to a petition,
the Petitions Committee of the National Assembly called for an “intelligent discussion”
over a Welsh cricket team, clarifying that this consultation would gauge the majority
view of the cricket community. However, at that time, David Morgan, a former ICC, ECB
and Glamorgan president, registered his complete opposition to such a move,
suggesting that a move towards a Welsh cricket team would result in the end of
Glamorgan as a professional club along with the end of the SWALEC Stadium, the
home ground on which Glamorgan play all their home games. (Henry, 2013)
Later in the same year, a plenary debate in the National Assembly also called on Wales
to have its own national cricket team and put an end to the existing agreement where
Welsh players could play for England. Plenty of points, both against and for the issue,
were raised during the debate. Among the voices calling for a Wales cricket team,
Bethan Jenkins, the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for sport, made the telling statement
that despite Wales being the second longest cricket playing country in the world, it was
alone in the British Isles by not having its own national side. Mohammad Asghar was
present at the debate and concurred with Jenkins‟ views.
13
Among those opposing such a move, the chief argument came from Mike Hedges, an
Assembly Member from Swansea who provided a similar argument to Morgan and
saying that he believed, “In terms of developing the game, it‟s much better for us to stick
with the ECB.” He was supported by Peter Black, an Assembly Member from the Liberal
Democrat party, who argued that it would take “decades” for Wales to be playing cricket
with the top teams and having Glamorgan in the County Championship had allowed
cricket lovers to witness some great cricket matches over the years. However, the
conclusion of the debate was that all the AMs present agreed that the decision could
only be taken by the concerned sporting body. (Shipton, 2013)
Since then, talk about a Welsh cricket team has intermittently kept coming up. Matthew
Ford, a cricket fan currently based in London, has been running a social media
campaign online for a Welsh cricket team. Very recently, the Economist ran a small
profile on Ford, examining the issue. Though the publication agreed that funding would
be an issue, they quoted Bethan Jenkins as saying that an independent Wales team
would be able to make up the losses from ICC funding. (Economist, 2015)
This dissertation aims to connect all these scattered viewpoints and condense them in
one single work for easy reference in the future. It also aims to extend the various
arguments made by both the sides and examine the viability behind the different claims
to see if the proposal of a Welsh cricket team is actually feasible.
14
Chapter 3: Methodology
For the purpose of this dissertation, I propose to use a mix of both primary and
secondary sources to conduct the research involved.
The primary source will mainly consist of interviews with individuals who are familiar
with the issue and have their own viewpoints on it. For this topic, it would involve
stakeholders of cricket, politicians with viewpoints on the issue as well as members of
the general public who have opinions on the issue. In the interests of fairness, I have
tried to take interviews from both ends of opposing spectrums and tried to
accommodate viewpoints from both ends, i.e. those opposing a Welsh national cricket
team and those advocating one. To that end, interviews have been conducted with
politicians of the Plaid Cymru party who strongly advocate a Welsh national team along
with officials from the Glamorgan Cricket Club, Cricket Wales and Sport Wales who lean
heavily towards the other side of the debate.
The purpose of doing this is to get to the depths of the issue and try and understand the
rationales behind the different viewpoints. These interviews will also allow me to get a
deeper understanding of the issue and understand the larger context of cricket, and
sport in Wales and the United Kingdom. It allows me to to gain a better understanding of
the issues related to my field of work – i.e. Wales‟ relations with England, Wales‟ sense
of identity in the larger United Kingdom and other related issues.
As is often pointed out, the art of the interview is “one of the - if not the – most important
tools” journalists have to obtain and expand on information (Martin, 2014). Interviews
have always been at the heart of the profession of journalism. As someone conducting
a journalistic thesis, it was only natural that I chose to use the tool of interview to gather
information. In this case, the interviews allowed to me develop a quick rapport with the
individual which allowed me to elicit information which might not have been possible to
acquire using other methods.
Other than interviews, I have also used secondary research for the purpose of this
dissertation. As mentioned in the „Critical Review‟, there is a large availability of
15
information available online and in book form which serves as excellent reference for
my research. I have tried to use the information available to add greater context to my
research and have provided the necessary credit whenever required.
16
Section 2
Pitch
To,
Sean Ingle,
Sports Editor,
The Guardian
sean.ingle@theguardian.com
Subject: Pitch for a series of stories covering a Welsh national cricket team
Dear Mr. Ingle,
Good day,
My name is Angikaar Choudhury – for the last two months, I have been based in Cardiff
doing research on the hypothetical possibility of a Welsh national cricket team. I have
just finished my research and the material is quite interesting – I would like to ask you to
consider the possibility of commissioning a series of stories based on this topic.
The overall tenor and theme of these pieces would fit in with The Guardian‟s editorial
ethos – it has, after all, argued for “greater decentralisation” in Britain. But even more
importantly, The Guardian has had a long-standing legacy for providing in-depth
coverage of cricket as well as asking some of the thorniest questions, which other
publications do not raise. A series of pieces exploring a Welsh national team would ask
uncomfortable questions of cricket administration in England and would also explore the
cricketing landscape of Wales.
I propose to structure the work within four pieces: the first piece would examine the
historical context of such a demand, along with exploring the cricketing relations
England and Wales share with each other, the second piece would go into the
arguments put forward by those who advocate a separate Welsh team, the third piece
17
would, conversely, examine the arguments made against a Welsh cricket while the
fourth piece would conduct a sort of reality check on the present way in which cricket is
administered globally and what Wales might hypothetically face if they set out and form
a national cricket team.
I look forward to hearing your comments about this proposal.
Thanking you,
Angikaar Choudhury
18
Article 1: The glorious history of the gentleman’s game in Wales
When Mitchell Starc steamed in to deliver the first ball of the first over of the first 2015
Ashes Test at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, it was moment which called for
introspection. This was only the second time the SWALEC Stadium was hosting an
international Test match – the first Test they hosted was in 2009, an incredibly exciting
match which saw Monty Panesar and James Anderson bat out eleven overs allowing
England to escape with a draw.
Yet it could have been so different. If things had gone a little differently, Cardiff might
never have waited so long to host their first Test match – they could have conceivably
become one of the United Kingdom‟s first Test venues by hosting a Test match in 1905.
In 1904, Joseph Brain, an important figure in Welsh cricket history, tried incredibly hard
to persuade the Marylebone Cricket Club to choose the Cardiff Arms Park as one of the
venues for the 1905 series against Australia. Despite his best efforts, Cardiff and Wales
lost out by a single vote, to Trent Bridge in Nottingham (Hignell, 2008). The rest, as they
say, is history.
When it comes to discussions about cricket in the United Kingdom, for better or for
worse, Wales often forms only a perfunctory part of the discussion. The general
sentiment seems to be that the Welsh are seemingly only obsessed with rugby and
football. A MCC member at Lords itself epitomized this attitude when he told me, “How
can they let Cardiff host a first Ashes Test match? What do they even know about
cricket?”
Cricket – among the oldest sports in Wales
But that is being incredibly unfair to a game which has as much history in Wales as it
does in England. It has been called “the first organized team game” in the country and
predates some of Wales‟ other popular sports – football and rugby (Hignell, 2008). In
fact, Cardiff City FC originated from the Riverside Cricket Club – the members of the
club wanted to continue playing even in the winter and hence decided to form a football
club called Riverside AFC, which went on to become Cardiff City FC. (Hignell, 2008)
19
The earliest recorded cricket match in Wales is recorded in 1783 but it is generally
understood that the game as such goes back even earlier. Games involving bats and
ball which involved games like bando and trap-cat were probable precursors of cricket.
Similar to England, the earliest cricket games in Wales always included wagers
between teams or between their supporters.
It was around the area of Carmarthenshire that the earliest examples of cricket
abounded. “Most of the participants were from the gentry class – individuals who had
moved to England for education, learnt the game over there and brought it back,” points
out Hignell.2
“Cricket games at that time were more a tool for socializing and meeting
individuals from a similar class.” A newspaper cutting from 1785 mentions the existence
of a Swansea Cricket Club. (Hignell, 2008)
1859 marked an important year in Welsh cricket history – it was the first time a Welsh
cricket side defeated an English side in a match (Hignell, 2008). This precipitated the
formation of the South Wales Cricket Club, among the earliest representative teams
from Wales. The years between 1859 to 1877 saw plenty of Welsh sides take on
England in different matches held in both England and Wales. WG Grace, one of
cricket‟s most famous batsmen, even represented South Wales Cricket Club during this
time (Hignell, 2008). An influential figure who played a big role in shaping cricket in
Wales at that time was John Talbot Dillwyn Llewelyn, called “the first grandee of Welsh
cricket” who organized plenty of matches for the club he founded, the Cadoxton Cricket
Club. (Hignell, 2008)
The birth of Glamorgan Cricket Club
The birth of Glamorgan as a cricket club could probably be traced back to 1869 when a
Glamorganshire team was first formed. Around the early 1880‟s, calls sprung up for a
cricket team to represent Wales. The Glamorganshire club had folded up while the
South Wales Cricket Club also decided to fold up after a dreadful season. It was
through the efforts of JTD Llwelyn and JP Jones, a prominent architect from Cardiff, that
the Glamorgan Cricket Club was first established in 1888, in a meeting at the Angel
2
Appendix F, Interview with Andrew Hignell
20
Hotel on July 6th (Glamorgan Cricket Club, n.d.). Though Glamorgan‟s first fixture
ended in defeat to Warwickshire, the creation of Glamorgan was a significant event in
Welsh cricket history which has repercussions till even present-day.
Glamorgan grew from strength to strength, inspiring nationalistic fervour and sentiment
within Wales. They became joint Minor Counties champions in 1900 (Glamorgan Cricket
Club, n.d.). Their crowning glory arrived in 1902 when an Australian team arrived at the
Cardiff Arms Park for the first time to play a combined Glamorgan and Wiltshire team. It
was a match for which the supporters turned out in droves – around 12,000 was the
attendance each day – and though the Australians won the match, it was an indication
of Glamorgan‟s rising clout.
International teams continued visiting the Cardiff Arms Park, the West Indies visited in
1906, the South Africans in 1907 and the Australians in 1909. Efforts to attain first-class
status for Glamorgan started in earnest and they didn‟t have to wait long – in 1921, the
MCC endorsed Glamorgan‟s application for first-class status. Glamorgan had a fairytale
start to first-class life – they defeated a full-strength Sussex side by 23 runs, sparking off
major celebrations. (ESPNCricinfo, n.d.)
In his book, Hignell (2008) points out that the emergence of Glamorgan as a first-class
county was a huge fillip for cricket in Wales and added to talk about the possibility of a
representative Welsh side. A meeting was held in February, 1923 at Shrewsbury
attended by representatives of the newly-formed North Wales Cricket Association along
with representatives from Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and
Breconshire. At this meeting, Norman Riches, one of Glamorgan‟s stalwart captains and
captain of their first ever first-class victory over Sussex, opined that there was enough
talent in Wales for a truly representative national team to be formed. The Welsh Cricket
Union was formed at this meeting.
A distinct feeling around this outcome was that this could be the start of a campaign for
a Welsh Test team. However, Riches was critical of this line of thinking – he reckoned it
would lead to Glamorgan having to drop out of the County Championship, with Wales
having to be alone against England and other Test playing nations. After the hard work
21
put in to become a first-class county, this was not felt to be a desirable option. However,
Riches hoped it could be a much longer-term goal and felt a more short-term goal would
be arranging games against amateur sides.
Wales plays against the world
Hence, during the 1920‟s, Wales played a series of games against different international
teams, playing against teams like Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, West Indies and
South Africa on their respective tours to England. Wales drew against New Zealand in
1927, defeated the West Indies in 1928 and lost narrowly against South Africa in the
same year.
The question of what-ifs is a delicious aspect of history. There is a what-if here also –
had Norman Riches been more convinced about going forward with a Welsh national
team, there might have conceivably been stronger support for a Welsh cricket team,
leading to the birth of one later in the future. What did happen though is that Glamorgan
became far more successful in the next few years and in the words of Hignell3
,
“acquired a larger Welsh identity which led to a fall in calls for a Welsh team.”
Glamorgan‟s success began from 1930 when Maurice Turnbull became the first
Glamorgan cricketer to make his English debut, making his debut against New Zealand
that year. Turnbull was an important figure in Glamorgan cricket at that time who turned
around Glamorgan‟s situation and made them a far stronger team in the late 1920‟s.
Cyril Walters was another celebrated figure in Welsh cricket – becoming the first
Welshman to lead England in a Test in 1934. (Steen, 2009)
The journey towards acquiring a larger Welsh identity also started around this time.
Financial issues led to the merging of Glamorgan with the Monmouthshire club, which
allowed Glamorgan to field a 2nd
XI in the Minor Counties competition. This action was
precipitated by Turnbull and Johnnie Clay‟s belief that it would lead to Glamorgan
acquiring a stronger Welsh identity as their club would have players from many local
clubs, which would lead to greater support (Hignell, 2008). Following on from this,
Glamorgan added places like Newport and Ebbw Vale to their list of first –class venues,
3
Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
22
leading to greater support for Glamorgan. In fact, Hignell points out that Glamorgan
significantly enhanced its identity in the 1930‟s, by playing at grounds all over Wales
rather the „traditional‟ centres of Swansea and Cardiff. Some of the venues Glamorgan
played at included Pontypridd, Cowbridge, Llanelli, Neath and Newport. This enhanced
Glamorgan‟s profile as the county club representing Wales.
Glamorgan’s glory years
Glamorgan‟s glory years though started in definite with the arrival of Wilf Wooler after
the Second World War. His captaincy was one of the primary reasons behind
Glamorgan winning their first ever County Championship in 1948, precipitating massive
celebrations (Collins, n.d.). This triumph has been called a “defining moment” in Welsh
cricket history – even regarded as a “seminal moment” in Welsh sports history with the
triumph of 1948 drawing comparisons with other important Welsh sporting events like
Cardiff City winning the FA Cup in 1927 or the Welsh rugby team securing the Triple
Crown and the Grand Slam. (Hignell, 2008)
This was followed by two decades of sustained success. In 1951, the Glamorgan team
won a thriller against South Africa – a victory which few expected after they failed to
cross 150 in both their innings. Eight years later, Glamorgan defeated the touring
Indians by 51 runs. But the biggest moment of celebration came when the Glamorgan
team defeated Australia in 1964 by 36 runs, again leading to euphoria. As a line from
Hignell‟s book put it, “...as the songs grew louder and louder, it became clear that it
wasn‟t just Glamorgan who had won it, it was Wales too.” (2008)
As if to prove that it wasn‟t a fluke, Glamorgan repeated the victory over Australia, this
time in 1968 at Swansea, where Australia collapsed chasing a target of 364. The usual
celebrations followed but the biggest cheers were reserved for Australian captain Barry
Jarman who began his speech to the crowd with, “What‟s new about being beaten by
Glamorgan”. (Hignell, 2009)
This success was capped off by Glamorgan winning their second Championship title in
1969, helped by a strong bowling attack. As mentioned earlier, 1969 was period of
heady Welsh nationalism with Welsh sentiment rising high due to the investiture of
23
Prince Charles. The Welsh Cricket Association was then formed which subsequently
formed a Welsh team to play teams from England, Scotland, Ireland and the MCC. As
noted earlier, a Wales team even took part in the ICC Trophy of 1979, after Gibraltar
withdrew from the tournament. Wales also enjoyed success in the Triple Crown
matches which led to the formation of a Wales Minor Counties side.
In the recent past, Wales have played a series of Natwest Challenge 50-over matches
with England between 2002 and 2004. They famously defeated England in 2002 which
was considered a great victory for the Welsh team and for Welsh cricket as a whole
(BBC, 2002). International cricket arrived in Cardiff with the 1999 World Cup with
Australia taking on New Zealand in a group game at the Sophia Gardens, the new
stadium that Glamorgan had moved to. From 1999 onwards, the Sophia Gardens has
seen plenty of international cricket with the first Test being held in 2009.
To sum up, it is important to understand that the legacy of cricket in Wales goes back to
many years – it is as old as cricket in England. Over the years, there has been plenty of
sentiment over a Welsh national team but Glamorgan‟s rise and success have allowed
them to represent a Welsh identity. As an indicator of that, the Glamorgan team
rebranded themselves as the “Welsh Dragons” in limited-over competitions from 2011 to
2012. (BBC, 2011)
Glamorgan‟s importance in Welsh cricket history cannot be overlooked. Even advocates
of a Welsh national team insist that Glamorgan‟s position in England‟s County
Championship be maintained, partly due to the historical importance Glamorgan has
always enjoyed. Hence it is imperative that whichever way the argument for a Welsh
cricket team goes, Glamorgan‟s position in Welsh cricket history is a fact that must
always be considered.
24
Article 2: Establishing a Wales team would be correcting a ‘historical
wrong’, say supporters of an independent Welsh cricket team
“It‟s very obvious,” says Andrew Hignell, an archivist at the Glamorgan Cricket Club, as
if explaining something ridiculously simple.4
“Robert Croft put it exactly the right way. He
said, when I play for Glamorgan, I feel I play for Wales. When I play for England, I feel I
play for Britain.”
It all sounds very nice and simple. And according to Hignell, that‟s the most convenient
explanation for any questions about Welsh representation on the international cricket
stage. But a large group of people currently would beg to disagree with Hignell.
A sense of injustice
Neil McEvoy, a councillor from Cardiff with the Plaid Cymru party, is an outspoken
person. He doesn‟t mince words. And like a savage slash through the offside, he‟s quite
clear about what he thinks of Wales‟ current cricket establishment.
“Look, it‟s high time we realize we‟re Wales, not England. Glamorgan is a great county,
but it‟s NOT a Welsh cricket team,” shoots off McEvoy.5
It‟s an interesting scenario. As the advocates of an independent Welsh cricket team
never fail to remind you, they are the only country in the British Isles without a cricket
team of their own. England have one, Scotland have one, so do Ireland. Even Guernsey
and Gibraltar have their own cricket team.
For supporters of a cricket team for Wales, this is a massive anomaly that must be
corrected. And fast.
Jonathan Edwards, the Member of Parliament from Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, has
been a strong supporter of an independent Welsh cricket team. In 2011, he put up an
essay on his official website, titling it, “Towards A National Future for Welsh Cricket”.
4
Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
5
Appendix B, interview with Neil McEvoy
25
Wales has twice as many clubs as Scotland and four to five times as many as Ireland,”
argues Edwards, on his website. “Wales has a cricketing grass roots equivalent to New
Zealand and a total population similar to New Zealand, who is a full member of the ICC
and Test playing nation” (2011). These don‟t seem to be empty claims – an article
published in The Economist in 2015 provided the following statistics: Ireland with a
population of 6.4 million has 6000 club players while Wales with a smaller population of
3 million has 7500 club players. (2015)
To make the point even stronger, it is not as if Wales have never had their own team. A
cursory look at the history of Welsh cricket suggests that Welsh sides have often played
against England sides. A Wales team has played against sides like New Zealand,
South Africa, Ireland and Scotland in the early 1920‟s. In 1923, Norman Riches, the
captain of Glamorgan‟s first inaugural match against Sussex, was behind the initiative to
create a truly representative Welsh team – to that end, the Welsh Cricket Union was
created. (Hignell, 2008)
In 1979, Wales participated in the ICC Trophy. As recently as 2004, Wales and England
played a series of limited-over exhibition matches with Wales winning the first one in
2002. But even more recently, the Wales‟ women‟s cricket team participated in an
international tournament as late as 2005, the European Championships in 2005 where
they finished a respectable third. (CricketArchive, n.d.)
Is Wales sufficiently represented in international cricket?
There is also the accusation that Wales as a cricket nation has not been given its due
by England. Though called the England and Wales Cricket Board, the official acronym,
“ECB”, leaves out the “W”, representing Wales. As Jill Evans, a Member of European
Parliament for Plaid Cymru points out while describing the English team, in an argument
published on her official website, “The team wore the English badge with three lions on
their chest and played under the flag of St George and were, correctly, referred to as
the England team” (2011). The last Welsh player to play for England was back in 2005
when Simon Jones tore through the Australian attack in the 2005 Ashes. (Griffiths,
2015)
26
The England team supposedly represents both England and Wales, but as Jill Evans
points out, “The current arrangements mean that rather than having a team of our own
and picking our 11 best players we must instead try to get players into another country‟s
team” (2011). For the advocates of a Welsh national team, this is a factor that rankles.
The idea of English cricket not giving enough respect to Cardiff was given a boost when
the first 2015 Ashes Test was scheduled to be held in Cardiff. Even after the
announcement, questions abounded about why the first Test of a showcase Ashes was
given to Cardiff, rather than more traditional English Test match centres like Old
Trafford or Edgbaston (Berry, 2015). When the proceedings did get underway, there
were plenty of complaints about the nature of Cardiff‟s pitch, despite the match itself
being an exciting four-day affair that resulted in an England win (Chowdhury, 2015).
According to McEvoy, all of this is proof that “there‟s a massive lack of respect from
England cricket towards Wales.”6
All of these are pretty strong arguments so it leads to the next important question: if
there‟s so much demand for a Wales cricket team, why haven‟t we seen one yet?
The answer lies in a matter much more practical and less emotional: funding. Where
would the money to sustain a Welsh cricket team come from?
Currently, cricket in Wales is managed by Cricket Wales along with Glamorgan. As part
of the County Championship, Glamorgan get funding every year from the ECB, while
Cricket Wales also gets around £400,000 a year (Economist, 2015). As part of the ECB,
Glamorgan also gets international matches allotted to them which contribute to its
revenue. Both Glamorgan and Cricket Wales argue that attempting to form a Welsh
national cricket team would have disastrous consequences – Glamorgan would lose all
its funding from the ECB, no more international matches would take place at Cardiff but
most importantly, all cricket players in Glamorgan would lose the chance of playing Test
cricket.
6
Appendix B: interview with Neil McEvoy
27
But Ford rubbishes those suggestions. “There is international funding available from the
ICC,” pointing to the figures for Ireland.7
“Look, we can‟t just rely on potentially hosting a
few England matches every season for revenue. If we form our own team, we‟ll at least
be guaranteed some games.”
Ford is also confident that Wales will be able to play international teams who are touring
England. “Most teams who come on tours to England play against Ireland or Scotland,”
he says8
. “But if Wales forms its own team, we‟ll be in a far better place. Cardiff is far
closer to England than Ireland or Scotland and with similar conditions, so international
touring teams would rather play here.”
That doesn‟t mean Ford or Edwards are gunning for high-profile cricket to disappear
from the SWALEC Stadium. Two of Edwards‟ arguments in his official argument are: i)
Glamorgan‟s status as a first class county must be maintained and ii) Sophia Gardens
status as Test venue cannot be jeopardised. Edwards argues that it is disingenuous by
those opposed to a Welsh cricket team to assert that Glamorgan‟s status would be
endangered, pointing to David Collier‟s assertion that Glamorgan would be welcome to
continue in the English County System with a Welsh cricket team. Edwards also argues
that the Sophia Gardens should also be able to bid successfully for Test cricket
involving England, pointing out that there are no ICC rules to prevent Test nations
hosting home games at venues outside the country. (2011)
Matthew Ford agrees with Edwards and points out that there‟s always been a precedent
of Welsh clubs participating in English leagues and vice-versa in United Kingdom‟s
sporting history. The best examples are of Swansea and Cardiff City, who continue to
play in the English Football League despite Wales having their own football team9
.
“It would be very spiteful for the ECB to chuck Glamorgan out, if Wales forms its own
team,” says Ford10
. “Especially when you consider that Glamorgan are among the
oldest stakeholders of its County Championship, having being around since the 1920‟s.”
7
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
8
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
9
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
10
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
28
So far so good. But there‟s no getting away from the fact that if Wales does choose to
go it alone, the days of watching high-profile Ashes cricket might be over. In place,
Welsh cricket lovers might have to contend themselves with seeing Wales play off
against teams like Papua New Guinea and Nepal, to name a few.
“But isn‟t that better than watching maybe a couple of England games every summer,”
questions Ford.11
“In any case, people from Wales aren‟t watching cricket...60 percent
of the crowd at the last Ashes Test were from outside Wales.” Ford doesn‟t buy the
argument that games against Associate nations wouldn‟t be exciting, he thinks they‟re
“worthy opponents” and he‟d rather see games against them rather than England
playing Australia.
Correcting a ‘historical wrong’
But as Jenkins points out, creating an international cricket team for Wales is not just
about providing a level of good opposition. It‟s about supposedly correcting a “historical
wrong” (Economist, 2015). It‟s about creating a situation where “Wales can stand on a
world stage alongside the other nations, in the same way as we can do in all other
sports.” (Shipton, 2013)
There are the supposed benefits of a Wales cricket team: it would lead to a greater
profile for Wales, especially in the Indian subcontinent where cricket reigns supreme. “A
Welsh team competing in a cricketing World Cup could be a key economic driver as a
significant boost to brand Wales, “argues Edwards (2011). This argument though
ignores the fact that even if a Welsh cricket team is created now, it would hypothetically
take them at least more than a decade to qualify for a World Cup and play against the
big teams..
Even Evans mentions that the profile Wales would gain in the Indian subcontinent would
be a massive economic boost for Wales (2011). McEvoy, on the other hand, points to
other benefits, “A Welsh cricket team would ensure more people take interest in the
game... we might even see a lot of ethnic minorities in Wales take up the sport. “12
Sean
11
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
12
Appendix B, interview with Neil McEvoy
29
Rees, a campaign manager for Plaid Cymru in Llanelli, concurs with McEvoy‟s view,
saying “future exposure could be massive.”13
What then are the prospective ways in which Wales could hypothetically form its own
team then?
The path to a Welsh cricket team
Edwards suggests two possible ways in Wales can go about creating its own cricket
team. The first method, according to him, would be creating a system where the
England and Wales Cricket Board would be allowed to field two separate teams, as they
seemingly represent two nations. Hypothetically, this would mean ECB fielding two
teams: one an England team for all global competitions, while another Welsh team to
play among the associations. Edwards agrees that this would be the simplest solution,
but it would require ICC making special provisions within its rules. Edwards admits that
other ICC members might also have an issue with it. (2011)
The second and the more likely solution would be for Cricket Wales to relinquish all ties
with the ECB and to seek ICC status as a separate nation. The advantage, according to
Edwards, is that it would not require support from either the ECB or the ICC – that is, if
the Welsh government decided to create a Welsh team, the ECB and the ICC would not
be able to prevent it (2011). Matthew Maynard, a renowned former Glamorgan player,
has supported the second method, suggesting that “the Cricket Board of Wales should
take the lead” in forming a Welsh team as the “ECB would struggle to form two
representative sides.” (Henry, 2013)
As pointed out by Edwards, it doesn‟t seem likely that the ICC would change its rule for
Wales so it seems more likely that the second method is much more viable. If Wales
does follow the second method, then various situations come up. The question about
the funding has already been discussed but there‟s a larger question about player
eligibility.
13
Appendix A, interview with Sean Rees
30
Currently, cricketers playing for Glamorgan have the chance to play Test cricket for
England. There‟s a long list of Welsh cricketers who‟ve played for England, ranging from
Maurice Turnbull and Cyril Walters to Robert Croft and Simon Jones more recently. The
advent of a Welsh cricket team however throws up questions: who represents Wales?
And do they still get a chance to represent England?
Edwards has an answer for that puzzle as well in his argument. He refers to ICC‟s rules
that a male player wishing to play for an Associate or an Affiliate nation may not have
played international cricket for any other member in the preceding four years, but there
are no similar regulations for those players who wish to do vice-versa (i.e. playing for a
Full Member team after playing for an Associate or Affiliate nation, similar to Ed Joyce
and Eoin Morgan of Ireland). Taking that rule, Edwards argues that a Welsh player
could hypothetically play for England whenever he wanted but would have to wait for
four more years before choosing to play for Wales. (2011)
The establishment of a Welsh national cricket team, argues Evans, would provide
Welsh players with at least a choice (2011). As she and the other supporters of a Welsh
cricket team argue, players wanting to represent England would have that chance, but
side-by-side, they would also have the chance to play for England. “England may be a
draw for certain Welsh cricket players,” admits Ford14
. “But not for all. They would at
least get a chance to choose between England and Wales, which they don‟t get now.”
Ford has been running his campaign since 2010 and still actively tweets for a Welsh
national cricket team, using his Twitter handle @WelshCricket. He‟s hopeful for the
future. He‟s realistic about the stage the campaign is in: “It‟s a slow process...it started
in earnest in 2011 with the petition...then Plaid Cymru has made it part of their
manifesto. The momentum is slowly increasing and people are now questioning what‟s
happening.”15
He calls it a grassroots campaign but is sure there‟ll be more action later.
As a parting shot, Ford urges cricket administrators to look at football. “There was the
same argument about football...about how some of Wales‟ greatest football players
14
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
15
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
31
could never play at the highest levels because Wales were never good at the sport. But
look at them now, they‟re doing so well. They might even qualify for the World Cup.”16
He urges cricket to take a leaf out of football‟s book.
It‟s a compelling set of arguments, mostly tying into a sense of Welsh identity. The
advocates of a Welsh cricket team have a compelling case when they argue that purely
on the basis of Welsh nationalism, a cricket team is required. But the economics of the
issue often interfere with the matter. Perhaps, as Rees pointed out17
, it‟s high time that
all interested parties in the matter sit down and conduct a proper feasibility study to find
an answer for this, once and for all.
16
Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
17
Appendix A, interview with Sean Rees
32
Article 3: Not practically possible, say opponents of a Welsh cricket
team
A small smile plays around Mark Frost‟s face when he‟s confronted with the question
about a Welsh cricket team. Frost is someone who‟s probably in a better place than
most to give an informed opinion about the subject – he‟s played for both the
Glamorgan and the Wales Minor Counties team, has worked with the Sports Council for
Wales and served as the director of cricket for the Cricket Board of Wales between
1999 to 2004. He‟s a coach with Glamorgan these days as well as being an established
author.
“I think...it‟s a fundamental question of what kind of ambition does Wales have towards
cricket? Because if the ambition is to play at the highest level, then automatically, you
can‟t think about a Welsh independent cricket team,” sums Frost up18
.
To a certain degree, he‟s correct. There have always been intermittent calls for a Welsh
cricket team but both Cricket Wales and Glamorgan Cricket Club have shot it down,
pointing out to the likely negative ramifications of such an event – all Welsh players will
lose their chance of playing at the highest-level.
Glamorgan offers a path to the highest level of international cricket
“A player‟s ambition is to aspire to play at the highest level,” points out Frost19
.
“Someone who‟s playing for Glamorgan can hypothetically aspire to play for England
one day at the Test level. But not only that, they get to hone their skill levels, week in
and week out at the County Championship. Tell me, why should players give up the
chance of playing at the highest level?”
That‟s pretty much exactly what Cricket Wales have also pointed out. In their response
to a 2011 petition for a Welsh cricket team20
, Cricket Wales says, “Welsh cricketers
have the opportunity to play professional cricket week-in-week-out for Glamorgan
18
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
19
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
20
Appendix I, official response from Cricket Wales
33
County Cricket Club and to play Test, One-Day-International and Twenty20 cricket for
England.” It makes a direct comparison to Scotland and Ireland saying most Scottish
and Irish players are semi-professional and play at a lower standard than the standards
at Glamorgan Cricket Club. In the hypothetical scenario that Cricket Wales relinquishes
ties with the England and Wales Cricket Board, it warns that all Welsh players would
join English counties to qualify to play for England and hence it would be very difficult
for Wales to form a strong team.
But even more importantly is the question about the finances.
A question of practicality
“Look at this,” gestures Andrew Hignell, the chief historian and archivist of the
Glamorgan Cricket Club21
. Behind him are indoor cricket nets where a group of
enthusiastic school boys are running in and practising. “Can you imagine what could
happen if Cricket Wales decided to take Associate membership from the ICC? This
would all disappear. What would happen to the SWALEC Stadium?”
Does Hignell have a point? Cricket Wales and Glamorgan think so. According to Cricket
Wales, “The ECB provides Cricket Wales with funding to play the above games and to
undertake many other initiatives that enable the sport to develop in Wales. This funding
is used to strengthen cricket within communities throughout Wales including projects for
seniors, juniors, boys, girls and those with a disability.”22
The implication to what would
happen if this funding is stopped is obvious; cricket would be direly affected in Wales.
“Leave aside all the emotional arguments,” continues Frost23
. “Look at it financially.
Economically, it‟s just not feasible. Any project for a Welsh cricket team would require
massive public funding. Where would the funding come from?” There‟s also the
question of the ramifications of such a move on Glamorgan. “The SWALEC Stadium
could be renovated mainly because of the funding Glamorgan receives from the ECB
and for also the fact that it can stage international games and get revenue, “he points
21
Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
22
Appendix I, official response from Cricket Wales
23
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
34
out. “If Wales forms an independent team, Glamorgan might have to leave the County
Championship. What happens to the SWALEC Stadium then? Where do Welsh
cricketers play cricket?”
These are all uncomfortable questions which at the moment, have no answer as the
entire argument is the realms of hypothesis. An Economist article argued that if Wales
hypothetically form an independent team, they might gain access to bigger funding than
what they receive from the ECB at present (2015). However, as the official response to
the petition showed, most individuals at Glamorgan and Cricket Wales feel it‟s better to
stay with the status-quo.
Frost, however, has found a different way of looking at things. “This topic (of a Welsh
cricket team) is a dormant one. It comes up intermittently, especially during times when
there have been no Welsh players in the English team for a while,” he suggests. As
proof, he points to the period of time when England had a healthy representation of
Welsh players – players of the ilk of Robert Croft and Simon Jones. “You never heard it
then...” he says24
, with some degree of finality referring to calls for a Welsh cricket team.
John Derrick, the performance manager for Cricket Wales is far more direct about it.
“We haven‟t got the setup or infrastructure in Wales to try for a Welsh team, quite
frankly,” he comments.25
“We‟re not good enough to compete at the highest level, I‟m
afraid. We might be able to compete with some of the Associate nations but nothing
beyond that.”
Derrick is also understandably quite upset with comments from advocates of a Welsh
cricket team that there isn‟t enough feeling for cricket in Wales due to the lack of a
national team. “That‟s absolutely rubbish,” he says in an aggrieved tone26
. “I am
associated with many age-group cricket teams and if you go to any of them and
question them about Wales, believe me, they‟d have a lot to say! There‟s a very strong
feeling for Wales in our setup.”
24
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
25
Appendix D, interview with John Derrick
26
Appendix D, interview with John Derrick
35
A players’ view?
What about these players though? Advocates of a Welsh team often say that a Welsh
cricket team would give Welsh players a choice between playing for Wales or England.
But is there much of a sentiment among Welsh players themselves to play for Wales on
the international cricket circuit?
“No, absolutely not”, says Frost27
. “Never in my time when I was playing. It‟s never been
hot topic for Welsh players because they want to play at the highest level and they get
that through Glamorgan. For most Welsh players, playing for Glamorgan is like playing
for Wales while playing for England is like playing for Britain.”
Hignell gives the example of Robert Croft, one of Wales‟ greatest all-rounders and
Wales‟ first cricketer to achieve the notable distinction of scoring 10,000 runs and 1,000
wickets. “Croft always used to say that playing for Glamorgan was like playing for Wales
and playing for England was like playing for Britain,” says Hignell. “That‟s pretty much
how all the players here think“ (White, 2001). Unfortunately, efforts to contact Croft
proved futile.
International cricket at the SWALEC
Another aspect of the argument revolves around the prospect of the disappearance of
international games at the SWALEC Stadium. Since 1999, international games have
been played there – in 2009, the first Test match took place at Cardiff which involved a
thrilling finish where James Anderson and Monty Panesar grimly fought through a last
wicket stand which allowed them to escape with a draw (Brett, 2009). Even more
recently in 2015, Cardiff saw another Ashes Test where, to the delight of a packed
crowd, an unfancied England came out with a comprehensive victory against Australia.
(Griffiths, 2015)
Each day of these Test matches were played to full-capacity crowds, obviously leading
to huge revenues for Glamorgan. Cricket Wales and Glamorgan warn that if Wales
decides to go down the path of forming a Welsh cricket team, there is a high probability
27
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
36
that this will see the end of international cricket being held at SWALEC Stadium and in
extension, in Wales.
“International cricket at the SWALEC Stadium is very important,” argues Derrick.28
“It is
essential that it continues.” That is pretty much what Cricket Wales have argued in their
official response, “the ECB should play home games in the new SWALEC Stadium
since it provides great profile for cricket in Wales and also vital income to Glamorgan
County Cricket Club and the local economy. Everyone involved in cricket in Wales has
the opportunity to be inspired by live cricket of the highest possible standard. Cricket
Wales played an important role in helping Glamorgan Cricket secure a 2015 England
Ashes test match at the SWALEC Stadium, through the joint development of an
ambitious plan for the future of the game in Wales.”
But advocates of a Welsh cricket team think otherwise. They claim most of the
audiences that come in to see international cricket are not from Wales itself and mostly
come from places in England near Cardiff. They also go on to state that people in Wales
don‟t come to watch cricket because there‟s no Wales cricket team.
Does that point have any basis in reality? Not if you ask Derrick. “The cricketing public
in Wales are realistic,” he says29
. “Financially, we have to survive and they realize that.”
Hignell agrees with him and suggests that Glamorgan have acquired a larger Welsh
identity allows people in Wales to get behind them30
.
A more neutral view comes from Gareth Griffiths, a sports journalist for Media Wales
who has covered cricket in Wales for many years. Unlike any of the stakeholders of the
issue, Griffiths can provide a more balanced viewpoint on things. The first thing he
points out is that there needs to be a look at the funding to see if things can work out.
28
Appendix D, interview with John Derrick
29
Appendix D, interview with John Derrick
30
Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
37
He‟s interested to know whether advocates for a Welsh cricket team have a plan in
place on how they intend to fund a Wales cricket team.31
As a journalist, has he seen much of a sentiment among people in Wales for a cricket
team? “No,” he replies.32
“It seems to be more of a populist move. The general
consensus is that Glamorgan is the Welsh representative on the international stage –
and people tend to get behind them.”
Cricket Wales and Glamorgan also enjoy support from Sport Wales, a national
organization in Wales responsible for increasing performance and improving
performance in sport. In a response to the same petition33
, Sport Wales emphasised
right at the beginning that it was a matter for Cricket Wales and they would support any
decision which Cricket Wales would take in this matter.
However, Sport Wales went on to suggest that they supported Cricket Wales and
Glamorgan‟s decision of remaining part of the ECB. On the whole, they made the same
warnings which Cricket Wales had made in its official response, contending that “We
would be concerned if the establishment of an independent Wales team would see
Glamorgan alienated from the County Championship. There is every chance that this
could result in Welsh professionals opting to play for English counties resulting in a dip
in focus and standards in Wales. “
The bigger issue, according to Sport Wales, was with regard to the England and Wales
team being exclusively referred to as „England‟ and the acronym for the England and
Wales Cricket Board being just the ECB, which, they admitted, led to the perception that
Wales is overlooked. Can the issue as such be boiled down to the simple matter of
correcting an acronym?
David Morgan, a former ICC president and former chairman of the ECB and Glamorgan,
was one of the men at the helm when the ECB came into existence. He admits that the
31
Appendix F, interview with Gareth Griffiths
32
Appendix F, interview with Gareth Griffiths
33
Appendix J, official response from Sport Wales
38
acronym is an issue that could be addressed, ““It is the England and Wales cricket
board, that‟s its officially registered company name limited by guarantee. I was very
careful, when I set it up, that Wales appeared in its title.” (Henry, 2013)
The politics of the issue
As a political matter, opinion is divided. Plaid Cymru is the only party which officially
supports a Welsh cricket team and had made it a part of their party manifesto for the
2015 United Kingdom elections (Hughes, 2015). Their spokesperson for sport, Bethan
Jenkins has been quoted as saying that a national cricket team for Wales would ensure
“Wales can stand on a world stage alongside the other nations, in the same way as we
can do in all other sports” (Shipton, 2013). Another supporter of a Wales cricket team is
Mohammad Asghar, who in 2011, said, ““Glamorgan is not Wales - Glamorgan is part of
Wales. Cricket is played in one quarter of the world. Playing international matches
against countries like India and Pakistan would raise Wales‟ profile and deliver huge
economic benefits.” (Shipton, 2013)
However, there is opposition in political circles also. In the same article, Swansea East
Labour AM Mike Hedges was quoted as saying that it was better for Wales to stick to
the ECB as it had much more money than the ICC. An AM from the Liberal Democrats
Peter Black also agreed with him and opined that having Glamorgan in the County
Championship had been of “great value” to cricket in Wales. “It‟s enabled us to have
some great matches over the years, including the one at St Helen‟s in Swansea in the
1960s when Gary Sobers hit six sixes in an over [the first time the feat had been
achieved].,” he suggested. (Shipton, 2013)
“The cons completely outweigh the pros,” sums up Frost34
. And that might certainly be
true. The main bones of contention are issues which no one clear has an answer for.
Both parties in the conflict seem to have approached the issue from different
perspectives. While advocates of a Welsh cricket team argue for the team on emotional
34
Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
39
and nationalistic reasons, Glamorgan and Cricket Wales contend that it is not financially
possible.
Perhaps, it would be wise for both the parties to look at the issue from the lens of the
opposition. Until both the parties are at cross-purposes, what we may see is more of
talk and very less concrete action taking place. It would be much more prudent for both
the interested parties to put on the lens of the opposition, sit down at a table and maybe
have a frank, long discussion about each and every aspect of such a complex issue.
40
Article 4: How the ICC is structured and where a hypothetical Wales
team would fit in it
Through the last three pieces of this series, an attempt has been to understand and
recognize the relevance of the game in the country of Wales. The first piece in the
series attempted to trace the historical context of the game, before finally concluding
that the game as such is very old and is enshrined in the history of sports in the country.
The next two pieces attempted to understand the arguments from both sides of the
sporting divide, analyzing and understanding the arguments that both parties give in
order to justify their respective stands.
While it is hoped that through these pieces, a better understanding of the relevance of
the game in Wales has been arrived at, it is also important to take a look back and
understand the wider context of international cricket. Cricket is an international sport
and played in many countries. By some accounts, it is the second-most popular sport in
the world, in terms of the number of fans following it (BR, 2011). As an international
sport encompassing various nations and different cultures, it is important to look at the
way cricket is administered internationally to develop a better understanding of whether
Wales should have its own cricket team.
Till now, the issue has mostly revolved around the possibility of Wales fielding its own
cricket team without much discussion what this would entail for the future. While
providing historical context and emotional reasons to back the argument up is fine, it is
also essential to know what the future holds if Wales indeed goes about to create its
own cricket team. Where would Wales‟ position be in the international cricketing world, if
they actually take this hypothetical step?
The structure of the International Cricket Council
First a quick round-up of how cricket is administered. World cricket is run by the
International Cricket Council, which was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket
Conference, with Australia, South Africa and England as its founding members (ICC,
n.d.). In 1989, it was renamed the International Cricket Conference. As its official
41
website puts it, the ICC “is responsible for the administration of men's and women's
cricket including the management of playing conditions and officials for Test Match and
One-Day International (ODI) cricket and the staging of international cricket events for
men, women and juniors.” (ICC, n.d.) The current chairman of the ICC is N. Srinivasan
from India.
There are three categories of membership in the ICC hierarchy. The first are the Full
Members consisting of ten nations who are adjudged as qualified to play Test match
cricket, the highest form of the game. The current Full Member nations in the ICC are
Australia, England, India, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe,
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the most recent entrant to this club, having
gained Full Member status in 2000.
Just underneath the Full Members are the Associate nations. These are nations which
do not qualify for Full Member status but are recognized as countries where cricket is
firmly established and organized. The official ICC website gives a list of over 30 nations
– some of the nations in the list include Ireland, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates, the
United States, Afghanistan and others (ICC, n.d.). Other British territories with Associate
membership include Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, and Jersey. All Associate
nations are eligible to play in the ICC World Cricket League, an international one-day
tournament for national teams without Test status. This league has various divisions
and works on a system of relegation and promotion; it also works as a qualification for
the ICC Cricket World Cup, which takes place every four years.
The World Cup qualifier
Qualification for the World Cup is through the ICC World Cup qualifier, a tournament
which allows the top nations from the ICC World Cricket League to qualify for the World
Cup. For the next World Cup in 2019, the ICC World Cup Qualifier will take place in
2018. The bottom four teams in the official ODI rankings will play against the top four
ranked teams in the 2015-17 ICC World Cricket League. They will be also be joined by
the Division Two finalists of the ICC Cricket World League, the final of which is
42
scheduled to be held in 2018. The top two teams from the tournament will qualify for the
2019 Cricket World Cup, alongside the top eight Full Member states.
The top six Associate teams are eligible for One Day International status, which allows
them to play against the Full Members. As of 12th
August 2015, Ireland and Afghanistan
are on the official ICC Team Rankings table – Ireland are ranked 10th
, above Zimbabwe
a Full-Member nation and Afghanistan are ranked 12th
(ICC, n.d.). The other four
nations with ODI status but not part of the official ODI ranking table are the United Arab
Emirates, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong (ICC, n.d.). However, these
four nations will be able to qualify for promotion to the official ICC ODI rankings table if
they fulfil certain criterion.
Besides these, some Associate nations have official Twenty20 international status. The
nations with official ODI status automatically gain official T20i status. The other
Associate nations with official T20i status are the Netherlands (ranked 13th
) and Oman
(haven‟t played sufficient games yet to gain a ranking). (ICC, n.d.)
Affiliate nations occupy the rung just below the Associate nations – they are countries
recognized by the ICC where cricket is played in accordance with the official Laws of
Cricket. There are over 50 recognized Associate nations currently in international
cricket. In the context of Wales and its ambitions for an independent team, it is
interesting to note some British territories that have been granted Affiliate status: the
Falkland Islands, the Isle of Man, Saint Helena and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup
It is also important to mention the importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, a
tournament for Associate Members to play first-class cricket. Though the
Intercontinental Cup has been played from 2004 onward, it has recently become an
opportunity for Associate Members to gain an opportunity to play proper Test match
cricket. In 2014, the ICC announced changes to the Intercontinental Cup to provide
Associate nations a way to play Test cricket: the winner of the Intercontinental Cup
would play off against the lowest ranked Test side in a Test Challenge (ESPNCricinfo
Staff, 2014). The inaugural Test Challenge is scheduled to be held in 2018 while the
43
latest ICC Intercontinental Cup will be held between 2015 and 2017. The Associate
nations competing in the tournament will be Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, United Arab
Emirates, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands and Namibia (International
Cricket Council, 2015). It is important to note however that this system is still unclear on
how a top Associate nation could gain Full Member status, allowing it access to the
funding and the other advantages that the Full Member nations enjoy.
The reason for giving such a detailed explanation of the structure in world cricket is
simple: this is exactly the sort of structure through which Wales would have to navigate
if they did choose to form their own cricket team. It is essential to look at what this
journey would ascertain, what may the benefits be of navigating through this structure,
what the trade-offs are likely to be and then decide on the best path forward.
Wales’ hypothetical path forward
To start off, the very first question that comes up about a hypothetical Wales national
team is: where would they start? As Jonathan Edwards points out in his argument for a
Welsh cricket team, a Welsh cricket team would probably be given Associate nation
status due to its “strong player base and security” (2011). This would be in line with
what happened with Scotland and Ireland – Ireland became Associate members in 1993
and Scotland in 1994. Scotland‟s case is an interesting example – they severed ties
with the then-governing body for cricket in England, the Test and County Cricket Board
before joining the ICC as an independent Associate nation.
Advocates of a Welsh cricket team point at Ireland‟s example and argue that Wales
could make a similar case for itself. It cannot be doubted that Ireland have put in a very
strong case for themselves after becoming an Associate nation. Their initial years after
becoming an Associate nation were tough – they failed to qualify for the 1999 and 2003
World Cups. However in recent years, Ireland‟s rise to becoming the top Associate
nation has been one of the stories of cricket. In their first ever World Cup, Ireland tied
with Zimbabwe, defeated Pakistan and qualified to the next stage, the Super Eights. In
the Super Eights, they even managed a comprehensive victory against another Full
Member nation, Bangladesh. (Cricbuzz, 2007)
44
Are comparisons with Ireland justified?
Since then, Ireland have gone from strength to strength. They have performed
admirably in Associate cricket, winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup four times. In the
few chances they have got against the Full Members, Ireland have often pulled above
their weight: they defeated England in a famous match in the 2011 World Cup where
Kevin O‟Brien scored the fastest century in a World Cup (Sheringham, 2011). They
excelled again in the 2015 edition, defeating West Indies, Zimbabwe and the UAE
(Press Association, 2015). It is Ireland‟s example that proponents of a Welsh cricket
team point to and hope to replicate.
Yet, it is also important to look at Ireland‟s journey in a different light. Ireland‟s repeated
success at the international level has led to demands from quarters that they be given
Full Member status (BBC, 2015). Despite these demands, Ireland are still not a Full
Member and have to be content with playing the Associate nations and the occasional
World Cup. Recent changes to the Intercontinental Cup have given Ireland a shot at
playing an occasional Test match but as has been mentioned previously: there is still no
clarity about how they are supposed to gain Full Member status, something which they
arguably deserve.
It is something which Wales should take heed of. Ireland have been playing
international cricket for over two decades now and have only started performing
admirably in only the last decade or so. Yet despite this level of performance, there is
no guarantee that Ireland will gain Full Member status and get a chance to regularly
play Test matches. The ascension to Full Member status also would also allow access
to greater funds which would lead to greater development of cricket in the country.
What does it mean for Wales? It basically means that if the cricketing structure of the
ICC remains as it is, Wales would be stuck playing cricket with the Associate nations for
the foreseeable future. Unlike Ireland, this could be a major issue for Wales. Due to its
relationship with the ECB, Wales has traditionally been part of the international cricket
calendar with various international games being played in Cardiff over the years.
45
However with Wales playing only Associate nations, there is a high possibility that
interest levels in cricket among the Welsh public would be limited. No disrespect meant
to any of the Associate nations, but for cricket lovers in Cardiff who are used to seeing
England‟s finest play regularly at the SWALEC Stadium, it would be difficult to get
accustomed to seeing a Wales team play against a Nepal or a Papua New Guinea. This
is one factor which would require serious discussion and deliberation.
It would also not be easy for Wales to become a top Associate cricket nation overnight
and press its case for Full Member status. Currently, Associate cricket is in the pink of
health: Ireland are obviously the standout performers, but teams like Afghanistan,
Scotland, United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Papua New Guinea have performed
admirably. Wales would have to critically analyze its cricketing resources and take a call
on whether they would be able to match up to that level of performance.
Questions remain about funding
The other question veers around the question of funding. As part of the ECB, Cricket
Wales and Glamorgan receives significant funding – in their official response to a
petition demanding a Welsh cricket team, Sport Wales put the figure at around £2
million annually35
. According to Cricket Wales, this funding is used to undertake various
initiatives to develop the sport in Wales. Some of these initiatives include strengthening
the standards of cricket within various communities in Wales, according to Cricket
Wales. Additionally, international games held at the SWALEC Stadium also help
supplement that revenue.
If Wales does choose to form its own team, this source of revenue would most probably
dry up and Wales would have to rely on funding from the International Cricket Council.
Both Sport Wales and Cricket Wales argue that funding from the ICC would be
substantially less than what they receive now and would have a negative impact on the
game in Wales.
However, in a recent Economist piece, the publication quoted Bethan Jenkins, the
spokesperson for sport of Plaid Cymru, the party supporting an independent Welsh
35
Appendix J, official response from Sport Wales
46
cricket, who argued that Ireland‟s funding from the ICC was more than what Glamorgan
and Cricket Wales receives (2015). Jenkins also argues that36
, “If Wales were to stand
alone, it would be able to draw down funding from a number of development pots
created by the International Cricket Council. It would also be able to host One-Day
Internationals and Tests at Sophia Gardens involving other countries, and create
revenue that way.”
However, it is indeed true that funding from the ICC would be limited in the initial years
of Wales‟ hypothetical independent era. Associate-level funding from the ICC is mostly
dependent on performance – if Wales does indeed perform spectacularly in its initial few
years as an independent cricket nation, it will be able to attract funding on the level of
Ireland. However, it is those intermittent years that remain the worry – where would the
funding come from then?
Ireland‟s spectacular success arrived only from the late 2000‟s and they have often
faced funding issues themselves. Some of their best players like Eoin Morgan and Ed
Joyce opted to play for England since they had the chance to play Test-level cricket.
Ireland‟s lack of a first-class structure was also a major issue – it was only in 2011 that
Cricket Ireland announced plans to put a first-class structure in place. (McGlashan,
2011)
Wales would face similar problems. Apart from funding, there are likely to be issues in
the future about Welsh players choosing to play for England to play Test-match cricket.
This, in a way, is slightly exacerbated by the global structure of the current ICC set-up –
as Ireland captain Ed Joyce once commented, cricket seemed to be “the only sport that
has a World Cup that is contracting rather than expanding” (BBC, 2015). The decision
to limit the next World Cup in 2019 to only ten teams additionally has come as quite a
crushing blow to the Associate nations (Gollapudi, 2014). The ICC has still not been
able to formulate a clear path forward for Associate nations to achieve Full Member
status – they are also controversially against the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics
which would allow greater funding for Associate nations. (Isam, 2014)
36
Appendix H, interview with Bethan Jenkins
47
However, the ICC‟s decision to allow for an ICC Test Challenge in 2018 is still a step in
the right direction and it is hoped that more such steps will follow in the future. In the
meantime, any decision on whether Wales should form its own cricket should be taken,
considering the global ramifications. While a question of a national team is obviously
intricately linked with national identity, it is also essential that a pragmatic and practical
approach be followed before any major decision is made.
48
Section 3
Conclusion
As can be understood from a cursory reading of this dissertation, Wales‟ position in
international cricket is certainly unique. But what can also be understood is that there
are perhaps no easy solutions to solve this peculiarity.
That Wales enjoys a long and proud historical tradition of cricket is a fact that cannot be
doubted. The game has been part of Welsh sporting history since ages and is very
much a part of the sporting ethos of the country. There cannot be any doubt whatsoever
about the relevance of the game in Welsh sporting history.
Both advocates of a Welsh cricket team and their naysayers use this cricketing tradition
of Wales to supplement their own arguments. Advocates of a Welsh team point to
historical examples of Welsh teams playing against other sides, sometimes English
sides, to add to their argument that Wales has always had a representative team and it
is a „historical wrong‟ that there is no such representation at present. On the other hand,
the naysayers point to the fact that Glamorgan, the supposed representative of Wales,
has been part of the English first class system for more than hundred years now and
are already the de-facto representative of Wales.
Questions about a national team are often surrounded by nationalistic sentiments. The
demand for a Welsh national team does have an emotional background – as the ones
demanding it argue, it does seem an unfair deal for Wales to be the only nation in the
British Isles not to have its own cricketing team. The arguments provided by them
revolve around correcting this historical anomaly and righting a wrong. Nor can these
arguments be summarily dismissed – every nation in the world has the right to self-
expression and sports teams representing nations occupy a pride of place in every
country‟s sense of self-identity.
On the other hand, arguments opposing this demand acknowledge the sentiment
behind the demand but argue that the sentiment does not have basis in reality.
49
Glamorgan Cricket Club and Cricket Wales point out the financial repercussions of such
an event in Wales and contend that despite the nationalistic validity of such a decision,
there would be severe repercussions on the game in the cricket. As proof, they point to
the high levels of funding which cricket in Wales currently enjoys as part of their
association with the England and Wales Cricket Board and warn that such funding runs
the risk of vanishing if a Wales cricket team comes into existence. The other big factor
is the disappearance of international cricketing events from Cardiff – something which
may also greatly affect the game of cricket in Wales.
Though advocates of a Welsh cricket team dismiss these arguments as a sort of scare-
mongering, there is no denying that these are also cold facts which need to be looked
into. Nationalistic sentiments behind a Welsh team are no doubt important but it is also
essential to look into the practicalities behind such a step. Additionally, there is the
question of looking into the global administration of cricket currently and then taking a
call on whether a Welsh cricket team would ultimately benefit cricket in Wales. To sum
up, it is not an easy problem to solve.
There is also a need to involve two other stakeholders of the issue: the players and the
fans. At the end of the day, they are the main stakeholders: it is the players who are the
ones who will be affected the most by any decision made. Secondly, it is the cricket fans
themselves who have a right to make their voice heard. Their opinions count for much
and if the majority of cricket fans in Wales look upon the issue in a certain way, much
importance should be given to it.
To sum up, it is fool-hardy to believe that the demand for a Welsh cricket team will go
away soon if it is ignored and shoved under the carpet. Intermittent calls for a Welsh
cricket team have proven that it is an issue that keeps cropping up. The current climate
in the United Kingdom, especially the Scotland referendum, proves that the future will
see more nations in the British Isles demanding self-legitimacy. Hence, this is an issue
which certainly needs to be looked into. The problem at the present seems that both
parties have approached the issue from different perspectives – while the supporters of
a Welsh cricket team provide emotional arguments, the naysayers use cold and hard
50
logic. It is perhaps required that both parties approach the issue through each other‟s
lenses. There might be a tangible solution then to a vexing issue.
51
Critical Reflection
As a lifelong lover of the cricket, the chance to do a dissertation on cricket was one
which I jumped at immediately. Additionally, I had the chance of examining the game at
its very birthplace. The decision of examining the possibility of an independent Wales
team interested me – it had always struck me quite odd that there was no separate
Wales team, despite the existence of official English, Irish and Scottish teams. The
reason for doing the dissertation was also influenced by the fact that I would be based
in Cardiff and would hence be able to get a better insight into Welsh cricketing culture. It
has been an illuminating experience and in this section of the dissertation, I propose to
reflect on the experience of doing this piece of academic work.
The two months that I have spent in researching and writing this dissertation have been
quite eventful. I have been fortunate to talk to different people, all of them with some
extremely interesting opinions, attempt to understand the cricketing history of Wales
and perhaps even get a small taste of the political climate within the United Kingdom. It
has mostly been a great ride, but like all journeys, there are bound to be certain issues.
As part of my research, I spoke to various people. To get an idea of the arguments that
advocates of a Welsh national cricket team were making, I spoke to various politicians
from the Plaid Cymru party. Conversely, speaking to officials from Glamorgan Cricket
Club and Cricket Wales allowed me to get their side of the issue, which allowed me to
approach the issue, keeping in mind both sides of the argument.
However, my biggest regret will lie in the fact that I was not able to speak to the players
themselves, especially some of Wales‟ finest cricket players, Matthew Maynard, Robert
Croft and Simon Jones. I did try reaching out to all three of them, at times more than
once and using various mediums, including social media and email, but unfortunately
was unable to get a response. I believe their response would have been very
interesting; as some of Wales‟ biggest players, what had been their outlook while
playing the game? Did they ever think about representing Wales as a cricket team
rather than England? I did get to know from a secondary source about Robert Croft‟s
52
thoughts on the matter, but it would have been far more beneficial to manage to have a
short chat with the players.
Following on from that, the other regret would be I did not get the chance to speak with
current and former players in the current Welsh cricket set-up. As I have mentioned in
the conclusion, the players are the greatest stakeholder in the biggest issue – it is their
cricketing careers and future that will be affected by any decision that is taken. A
conversation with some of these players would have been very insightful and given
another angle to the entire issue.
Sport is nothing without the fans – as any sportsperson worth anything would say, it is
the fans for which any sport is alive. The topic of a Welsh cricket team is connected to
nationality and identity – and hence I am quite sure that plenty of cricket lovers would
have an issue or opinion on that. Unfortunately, another overlook of mine was not
getting the opinion of such cricket fans in Wales. At the end of the day, for any sport, it
is the fan that is important. Were everyday cricketing lovers in Wales happy or sad at
the fact that was no national team to represent their nation? Did they prefer to see
England take on international teams in their country or would they prefer to see their
own country play against some of the lesser known nations? Plenty of advocates of a
Welsh cricket team had told me that members of the general public did not have interest
in cricket because there was no Welsh cricket team. Conversely, individuals from
Glamorgan and Cricket Wales rubbished those comments and said there was plenty of
support for the game in Wales. But, I regret that I did not directly speak to members of
the general public and get their opinions on the issue. For anyone who does further
research on this topic, I would implore them to speak to both players and cricket fans in
Wales to get their insights on the issue.
Finally, another way in which I could have improved my research was getting more time
to approach the issue. This would have involved me coming to Wales earlier and
approaching people earlier. This way I might have been able to get interviews with a
wider variety of people who might have provided even more insights. Unfortunately due
to my work commitments and since I was an international student, that was not
possible, but as mentioned earlier, if anyone else does pursue this line of research, I
53
would implore them to spend at least two to three months talking to people to get a
wider variety of views on board.
In conclusion, this project will change the approach I take towards any kind of similar
practice. I would perhaps do more background research to get a better understanding of
the topic before I embark on my information-collection exercises. If given a choice, I
would perhaps try to devote more time in reaching out and talking to potential
interviewees and be more relentless with my approach.
At the end of the day, it has been an illuminating and extremely interesting experience.
My understanding of the game, especially in Wales as well as the United Kingdom has
improved considerably. It has also provided me the opportunity to look into the
background of the cricket, especially the administration, to understand how the game
runs. I firmly believe that this dissertation will greatly enrich my professional career
ahead.
54
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Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury
Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury

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Dissertation- Should Wales have its own independent cricket team- Angikaar Choudhury

  • 1. Should Wales Have Its Own Independent Cricket Team? Angikaar Choudhury August, 2015 This dissertation is submitted to the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media & Cultural Studies, Cardiff University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Journalism
  • 2. ii Declaration CANDIDATE‟S ID NUMBER: 1562622 CANDIDATE‟S SURNAME Please circle appropriate value Mr / Miss / Ms/ Mrs / Rev / Dr / Other please specify ………………….. CANDIDATE‟S FULL FORENAMES: ANGIKAAR DECLARATION This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any degree. Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 1 This dissertation is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ………………………… (Insert MA, MSc, MBA, MScD, LLM etc, as appropriate) Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 2 This dissertation is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A Bibliography is appended. Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 3 – TO BE COMPLETED WHERE THE SECOND COPY OF THE DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED IN AN APPROVED ELECTRONIC FORMAT I confirm that the electronic copy is identical to the bound copy of the dissertation Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date …………………………
  • 3. iii STATEMENT 4 I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date ………………………… STATEMENT 5 - BAR ON ACCESS APPROVED I hereby give consent for my dissertation, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access approved by the Graduate Development Committee. Signed …………………………………………………………. (candidate) Date …………………………
  • 4. iv Acknowledgements At the outset, this dissertation is dedicated to my parents who tolerated my lifelong love for cricket, allowed me to pursue it as a career and have always encouraged me to go after the game I love. I would also like to acknowledge the Asian College of Journalism and Cardiff University for the opportunity to allow me to do such an interesting piece of work. Many thanks to Mr. Tim Holmes for his wonderful mentoring and his encouraging words, especially during times when I got despondent during the course of my dissertation. Thanks must also go to Mr. Michael Hill who was a wonderful source of ideas for this dissertation. For all the people I spoke to, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules and giving me valuable information for my research. Last but not the least, the Art & Social Studies Library in Cardiff which proved a vast reservoir of information for all my research work.
  • 5. 6 Contents Declaration ................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements.................................................................................... iv Contents .....................................................................................................6 Section 1......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Chapter 1: Introduction.............................................................................8 Chapter 2: Critical Review......................................................................10 Chapter 3: Methodology.........................................................................14 Section 2...................................................................................................16 Pitch.......................................................................................................16 Article 1: The glorious history of the gentleman‟s game in Wales...........18 Article 2: Establishing a Wales team would be correcting a „historical wrong‟, say supporters of an independent Welsh cricket team...............24 Article 3: Not practically possible, say opponents of a Welsh cricket team ...............................................................................................................32 Article 4: How the ICC is structured and where a hypothetical Wales team would fit in it ...........................................................................................40 Section 3...................................................................................................48 Conclusion.............................................................................................48 Critical Reflection...................................................................................51 Bibliography ...........................................................................................54
  • 6. 7 Appendices...............................................................................................60 Appendix A: Interview with Sean Rees, Campaign Manager, Plaid Cymru, Llanelli, conducted on July 4th , 2015 ......................................................60 Appendix B: Interview with Neil McEvoy, Plaid Cymru Councillor and prospective Cardiff West candidate, conducted on July 15th , 2015.........60 Appendix C: Interview with Mark Frost, former Glamorgan player and director of Cricket Wales and current Glamorgan coach, conducted on July 16th , 2015........................................................................................61 Appendix D: Interview with John Derrick, Performance Manager of Cricket Wales, conducted on July 16th , 2015..........................................62 Appendix F: Interview with Gareth Griffiths, sports journalist for Media Wales, conducted on 23rd August, 2015.................................................64 Appendix G: Interview with Andrew Hignell, chief historian and archivist at Glamorgan Cricket Club, conducted on 27th July, 2015..........................64 Appendix H: Email interview with Bethan Jenkins, Plaid Cymru spokesperson for sport, received on 11th August, 2015..........................65 Appendix I, Cricket Wales‟ response in October 2011 to petition demanding Welsh national cricket team.................................................66 Appendix J, Response to the Petitions Committee Call for Evidence on the Establishment of a Welsh Cricket Team from Simon Jones, Public Affairs Manager, Sport Wales, Dated: 16/11/2011 .................................69
  • 7. 8 Section 1 Chapter 1: Introduction In the world of international cricket, Wales‟ position is unique. A part of the United Kingdom, it is the only country within the UK to not be represented by an international cricket team of its own. Wales, in international cricket, is represented by the England cricket team, who are administered by the English and Wales Cricket Board. The peculiarity of such a position is even more evident when other countries in the British Isles are considered. Scotland have been represented by their own national cricket team since 1994 after they became associate members of the International Cricket Council (1994), the governing body for cricket in the world. Northern Ireland has an all-Ireland agreement with the Republic of Ireland (which is not a part of the United Kingdom) and the Ireland national cricket team represents both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Wales‟ peculiar position stands out, in particular, when a comparison is made with other sports. Wales is represented on the international football circuit by the Wales national football team – in fact, the Football Association for Wales (FAW) is the third-oldest national football association in the world. It is similar for another of Wales‟ other favourite sports – rugby, where Wales have always had their own team and have been quite successful in recent years. Strikingly, the Wales national rugby team enjoys a competitive rivalry with their English counterparts. Wales has enjoyed a long history in cricket with records of the game spreading from the mid-eighteenth century (Hignell, 2008). The Cardiff Cricket Club was inaugurated in 1845 while later Glamorgan, the sole Welsh representative of the England and Wales County Championship, was founded in 1888 and became the 17th member of the County Championship in 1921. Despite the English national cricket team representing Wales, a Welsh team continues to play in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship. Previously, a Welsh team
  • 8. 9 participated in the 1979 ICC Trophy, defeating Netherlands and Israel. Wales later took part in the British Isles Championship between 1993 and 2001 and played a series of „Natwest Challenge‟ 50-over matches between 2002 and 2004, famously defeating England in 2002. Various players of Welsh origin have represented England – some of these names include Robert Croft, the first Welsh cricketer to score 10,000 runs and take 1,000 wickets in first-class cricket, Jeff Jones who played in fifteen Tests in the 1960‟s, Tony Lewis and more lately Simon Jones who played an integral part in England‟s victory over Australia in the 2005 Ashes In recent years, there have been calls for Wales to have their own national cricket team, distinct from the English team. Most of these calls are based on the criticism that Wales has not been represented appropriately and adequately on the international stage. On the other hand, proponents of the status-quo argue that the present arrangement is beneficial for Welsh cricket and creating an independent Welsh cricket team would lead to immense financial losses for the current Welsh-cricket set-up. This dissertation proposes to investigate these demands and arrive at some sort of consensus about a Welsh national cricket team. By incorporating the point of view of both the stakeholders of this issue, i.e. those who advocate a Welsh cricket along with those who strongly oppose such a hypothetical event, this dissertation aspires to provide a balanced commentary on the issue.
  • 9. 10 Chapter 2: Critical Review The question about an independent Wales cricket team has cropped up quite a few times in Welsh cricketing history, but there has never been any serious academic debate about the practicalities of such an event. Cricket was “the first organized team game in the country” of Wales (Hignell, 2008). Cricket predates to the pre-1760‟s – there is evidence that cricket has been played throughout the centuries with teams representing Wales playing against teams representing other nations. The growth in popularity of some of Wales‟ other favourite sports – football and rugby in particular - were an offshoot of the popularity which cricket enjoyed in earlier times. A separate chapter in the main dissertation examines the historical context of Welsh cricket to frame the debate for a Welsh national cricket team. The birth of Glamorgan in 1888 is generally considered an epochal event in the history of Welsh cricket. Later on in 1921, Glamorgan became a first class county – this proved to be an important event as the Glamorgan cricket team, despite being named after a specific county, have traditionally been considered to be the representatives of Welsh cricket in the international stage. However, questions of a Welsh cricket team have arisen at different points of history. In 1923, the Welsh Cricket Union was created, with the founder Norman Riches, envisaging a Welsh cricket team. Since Glamorgan had just managed to gain first-class county status a year previously, it was felt that such a move might be little hasty and fool-hardy and hence it was decided that the question of a Welsh cricket team would remain a long-term goal. (Hignell, 2008) Later on in 1969, there was a growing tide of Welsh nationalism precipitated in part by the investiture of Charles, the Prince of Wales. Glamorgan‟s twin victories over the touring Australians in 1964 and 1968 had also added to the prevailing atmosphere of Welsh nationalism. This led to the founding of a Welsh Cricket Association to organize a national amateur team. Ten years later, Wales participated in the ICC Trophy, a limited over cricket tournament for Associate and Affiliate nations in the International Cricket
  • 10. 11 Council. However, Hignell, chief historian and archivist at the Glamorgan Cricket Club, advises against looking too closely into Wales‟ participation in this tournament, commenting that since a lot of countries refused to attend and since the tournament was taking place in the United Kingdom, it was just easier to allow Wales to field their own cricket team. 1 However, in recent years, the question of a Welsh cricket team has come up more often. As early as 2001, Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales and the business minister at that time, called for a Welsh cricket team after a warm-up match between England and Wales which Wales won. Arguing for either the England team to be renamed a „Great Britain‟ team or a Welsh team in its own right, he commented that “it is something that needs to be addressed given the obvious quality of Welsh cricket”. (Western Mail, 2002) Later in 2008, Mohammad Asghar who had recently become an Assembly Member on a Plaid Cymru ticket gave another call for Wales to have its own cricket team. Speaking after a one-day international match at Cardiff, Asghar was quoted as saying that, “I think we should be ambitious for the future of cricket in Wales and I say it‟s now time for us to establish a full national side that can compete with teams like these two great cricketing nations.” However, a Welsh Assembly government spokesperson at that point suggested that though the present government then (a Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition) would provide additional support for sports bodies wishing to develop national Wales teams, this would remain a matter for the governing bodies of cricket. (Williamson, 2008) Jill Evans, a Plaid Cymru Member of European Parliament, came out strongly for a Welsh cricket team in 2011 in partnership with Jonathan Edwards, Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, in a long essay published on her official website and carried by the mainstream Welsh press. Among the various arguments she made, Evans pointed at the “odd scenario” where Welsh players try to get into another country‟s team while stating that she believed that Welsh players deserved a chance to 1 Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
  • 11. 12 play on the global stage. Regarding the issue of Glamorgan, she hastened to admit that Glamorgan had done a “fantastic job of representing us over the years”, but pointed to the fact that if Glamorgan did represent all of Wales, the logical step would be the setting up of a Welsh national team. (Evans, 2011) Jonathan Edwards produced a far more detailed essay on his official website, providing even more arguments and suggesting possible paths for a Welsh cricket team. Alongside several other arguments, Edwards suggested a Welsh national side would greatly boost the development of the game and would serve as a key economic driver. He suggested two possible avenues for this path along with providing further commentary on player eligibility and the role of the England and Wales Cricket Board. A large portion of his arguments are explored in the main dissertation itself. (Edwards, 2011) It was only in 2013, after years of talk, that finally some action seemed to be taken towards the establishment of a Welsh national cricket team. In response to a petition, the Petitions Committee of the National Assembly called for an “intelligent discussion” over a Welsh cricket team, clarifying that this consultation would gauge the majority view of the cricket community. However, at that time, David Morgan, a former ICC, ECB and Glamorgan president, registered his complete opposition to such a move, suggesting that a move towards a Welsh cricket team would result in the end of Glamorgan as a professional club along with the end of the SWALEC Stadium, the home ground on which Glamorgan play all their home games. (Henry, 2013) Later in the same year, a plenary debate in the National Assembly also called on Wales to have its own national cricket team and put an end to the existing agreement where Welsh players could play for England. Plenty of points, both against and for the issue, were raised during the debate. Among the voices calling for a Wales cricket team, Bethan Jenkins, the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for sport, made the telling statement that despite Wales being the second longest cricket playing country in the world, it was alone in the British Isles by not having its own national side. Mohammad Asghar was present at the debate and concurred with Jenkins‟ views.
  • 12. 13 Among those opposing such a move, the chief argument came from Mike Hedges, an Assembly Member from Swansea who provided a similar argument to Morgan and saying that he believed, “In terms of developing the game, it‟s much better for us to stick with the ECB.” He was supported by Peter Black, an Assembly Member from the Liberal Democrat party, who argued that it would take “decades” for Wales to be playing cricket with the top teams and having Glamorgan in the County Championship had allowed cricket lovers to witness some great cricket matches over the years. However, the conclusion of the debate was that all the AMs present agreed that the decision could only be taken by the concerned sporting body. (Shipton, 2013) Since then, talk about a Welsh cricket team has intermittently kept coming up. Matthew Ford, a cricket fan currently based in London, has been running a social media campaign online for a Welsh cricket team. Very recently, the Economist ran a small profile on Ford, examining the issue. Though the publication agreed that funding would be an issue, they quoted Bethan Jenkins as saying that an independent Wales team would be able to make up the losses from ICC funding. (Economist, 2015) This dissertation aims to connect all these scattered viewpoints and condense them in one single work for easy reference in the future. It also aims to extend the various arguments made by both the sides and examine the viability behind the different claims to see if the proposal of a Welsh cricket team is actually feasible.
  • 13. 14 Chapter 3: Methodology For the purpose of this dissertation, I propose to use a mix of both primary and secondary sources to conduct the research involved. The primary source will mainly consist of interviews with individuals who are familiar with the issue and have their own viewpoints on it. For this topic, it would involve stakeholders of cricket, politicians with viewpoints on the issue as well as members of the general public who have opinions on the issue. In the interests of fairness, I have tried to take interviews from both ends of opposing spectrums and tried to accommodate viewpoints from both ends, i.e. those opposing a Welsh national cricket team and those advocating one. To that end, interviews have been conducted with politicians of the Plaid Cymru party who strongly advocate a Welsh national team along with officials from the Glamorgan Cricket Club, Cricket Wales and Sport Wales who lean heavily towards the other side of the debate. The purpose of doing this is to get to the depths of the issue and try and understand the rationales behind the different viewpoints. These interviews will also allow me to get a deeper understanding of the issue and understand the larger context of cricket, and sport in Wales and the United Kingdom. It allows me to to gain a better understanding of the issues related to my field of work – i.e. Wales‟ relations with England, Wales‟ sense of identity in the larger United Kingdom and other related issues. As is often pointed out, the art of the interview is “one of the - if not the – most important tools” journalists have to obtain and expand on information (Martin, 2014). Interviews have always been at the heart of the profession of journalism. As someone conducting a journalistic thesis, it was only natural that I chose to use the tool of interview to gather information. In this case, the interviews allowed to me develop a quick rapport with the individual which allowed me to elicit information which might not have been possible to acquire using other methods. Other than interviews, I have also used secondary research for the purpose of this dissertation. As mentioned in the „Critical Review‟, there is a large availability of
  • 14. 15 information available online and in book form which serves as excellent reference for my research. I have tried to use the information available to add greater context to my research and have provided the necessary credit whenever required.
  • 15. 16 Section 2 Pitch To, Sean Ingle, Sports Editor, The Guardian sean.ingle@theguardian.com Subject: Pitch for a series of stories covering a Welsh national cricket team Dear Mr. Ingle, Good day, My name is Angikaar Choudhury – for the last two months, I have been based in Cardiff doing research on the hypothetical possibility of a Welsh national cricket team. I have just finished my research and the material is quite interesting – I would like to ask you to consider the possibility of commissioning a series of stories based on this topic. The overall tenor and theme of these pieces would fit in with The Guardian‟s editorial ethos – it has, after all, argued for “greater decentralisation” in Britain. But even more importantly, The Guardian has had a long-standing legacy for providing in-depth coverage of cricket as well as asking some of the thorniest questions, which other publications do not raise. A series of pieces exploring a Welsh national team would ask uncomfortable questions of cricket administration in England and would also explore the cricketing landscape of Wales. I propose to structure the work within four pieces: the first piece would examine the historical context of such a demand, along with exploring the cricketing relations England and Wales share with each other, the second piece would go into the arguments put forward by those who advocate a separate Welsh team, the third piece
  • 16. 17 would, conversely, examine the arguments made against a Welsh cricket while the fourth piece would conduct a sort of reality check on the present way in which cricket is administered globally and what Wales might hypothetically face if they set out and form a national cricket team. I look forward to hearing your comments about this proposal. Thanking you, Angikaar Choudhury
  • 17. 18 Article 1: The glorious history of the gentleman’s game in Wales When Mitchell Starc steamed in to deliver the first ball of the first over of the first 2015 Ashes Test at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, it was moment which called for introspection. This was only the second time the SWALEC Stadium was hosting an international Test match – the first Test they hosted was in 2009, an incredibly exciting match which saw Monty Panesar and James Anderson bat out eleven overs allowing England to escape with a draw. Yet it could have been so different. If things had gone a little differently, Cardiff might never have waited so long to host their first Test match – they could have conceivably become one of the United Kingdom‟s first Test venues by hosting a Test match in 1905. In 1904, Joseph Brain, an important figure in Welsh cricket history, tried incredibly hard to persuade the Marylebone Cricket Club to choose the Cardiff Arms Park as one of the venues for the 1905 series against Australia. Despite his best efforts, Cardiff and Wales lost out by a single vote, to Trent Bridge in Nottingham (Hignell, 2008). The rest, as they say, is history. When it comes to discussions about cricket in the United Kingdom, for better or for worse, Wales often forms only a perfunctory part of the discussion. The general sentiment seems to be that the Welsh are seemingly only obsessed with rugby and football. A MCC member at Lords itself epitomized this attitude when he told me, “How can they let Cardiff host a first Ashes Test match? What do they even know about cricket?” Cricket – among the oldest sports in Wales But that is being incredibly unfair to a game which has as much history in Wales as it does in England. It has been called “the first organized team game” in the country and predates some of Wales‟ other popular sports – football and rugby (Hignell, 2008). In fact, Cardiff City FC originated from the Riverside Cricket Club – the members of the club wanted to continue playing even in the winter and hence decided to form a football club called Riverside AFC, which went on to become Cardiff City FC. (Hignell, 2008)
  • 18. 19 The earliest recorded cricket match in Wales is recorded in 1783 but it is generally understood that the game as such goes back even earlier. Games involving bats and ball which involved games like bando and trap-cat were probable precursors of cricket. Similar to England, the earliest cricket games in Wales always included wagers between teams or between their supporters. It was around the area of Carmarthenshire that the earliest examples of cricket abounded. “Most of the participants were from the gentry class – individuals who had moved to England for education, learnt the game over there and brought it back,” points out Hignell.2 “Cricket games at that time were more a tool for socializing and meeting individuals from a similar class.” A newspaper cutting from 1785 mentions the existence of a Swansea Cricket Club. (Hignell, 2008) 1859 marked an important year in Welsh cricket history – it was the first time a Welsh cricket side defeated an English side in a match (Hignell, 2008). This precipitated the formation of the South Wales Cricket Club, among the earliest representative teams from Wales. The years between 1859 to 1877 saw plenty of Welsh sides take on England in different matches held in both England and Wales. WG Grace, one of cricket‟s most famous batsmen, even represented South Wales Cricket Club during this time (Hignell, 2008). An influential figure who played a big role in shaping cricket in Wales at that time was John Talbot Dillwyn Llewelyn, called “the first grandee of Welsh cricket” who organized plenty of matches for the club he founded, the Cadoxton Cricket Club. (Hignell, 2008) The birth of Glamorgan Cricket Club The birth of Glamorgan as a cricket club could probably be traced back to 1869 when a Glamorganshire team was first formed. Around the early 1880‟s, calls sprung up for a cricket team to represent Wales. The Glamorganshire club had folded up while the South Wales Cricket Club also decided to fold up after a dreadful season. It was through the efforts of JTD Llwelyn and JP Jones, a prominent architect from Cardiff, that the Glamorgan Cricket Club was first established in 1888, in a meeting at the Angel 2 Appendix F, Interview with Andrew Hignell
  • 19. 20 Hotel on July 6th (Glamorgan Cricket Club, n.d.). Though Glamorgan‟s first fixture ended in defeat to Warwickshire, the creation of Glamorgan was a significant event in Welsh cricket history which has repercussions till even present-day. Glamorgan grew from strength to strength, inspiring nationalistic fervour and sentiment within Wales. They became joint Minor Counties champions in 1900 (Glamorgan Cricket Club, n.d.). Their crowning glory arrived in 1902 when an Australian team arrived at the Cardiff Arms Park for the first time to play a combined Glamorgan and Wiltshire team. It was a match for which the supporters turned out in droves – around 12,000 was the attendance each day – and though the Australians won the match, it was an indication of Glamorgan‟s rising clout. International teams continued visiting the Cardiff Arms Park, the West Indies visited in 1906, the South Africans in 1907 and the Australians in 1909. Efforts to attain first-class status for Glamorgan started in earnest and they didn‟t have to wait long – in 1921, the MCC endorsed Glamorgan‟s application for first-class status. Glamorgan had a fairytale start to first-class life – they defeated a full-strength Sussex side by 23 runs, sparking off major celebrations. (ESPNCricinfo, n.d.) In his book, Hignell (2008) points out that the emergence of Glamorgan as a first-class county was a huge fillip for cricket in Wales and added to talk about the possibility of a representative Welsh side. A meeting was held in February, 1923 at Shrewsbury attended by representatives of the newly-formed North Wales Cricket Association along with representatives from Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire and Breconshire. At this meeting, Norman Riches, one of Glamorgan‟s stalwart captains and captain of their first ever first-class victory over Sussex, opined that there was enough talent in Wales for a truly representative national team to be formed. The Welsh Cricket Union was formed at this meeting. A distinct feeling around this outcome was that this could be the start of a campaign for a Welsh Test team. However, Riches was critical of this line of thinking – he reckoned it would lead to Glamorgan having to drop out of the County Championship, with Wales having to be alone against England and other Test playing nations. After the hard work
  • 20. 21 put in to become a first-class county, this was not felt to be a desirable option. However, Riches hoped it could be a much longer-term goal and felt a more short-term goal would be arranging games against amateur sides. Wales plays against the world Hence, during the 1920‟s, Wales played a series of games against different international teams, playing against teams like Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa on their respective tours to England. Wales drew against New Zealand in 1927, defeated the West Indies in 1928 and lost narrowly against South Africa in the same year. The question of what-ifs is a delicious aspect of history. There is a what-if here also – had Norman Riches been more convinced about going forward with a Welsh national team, there might have conceivably been stronger support for a Welsh cricket team, leading to the birth of one later in the future. What did happen though is that Glamorgan became far more successful in the next few years and in the words of Hignell3 , “acquired a larger Welsh identity which led to a fall in calls for a Welsh team.” Glamorgan‟s success began from 1930 when Maurice Turnbull became the first Glamorgan cricketer to make his English debut, making his debut against New Zealand that year. Turnbull was an important figure in Glamorgan cricket at that time who turned around Glamorgan‟s situation and made them a far stronger team in the late 1920‟s. Cyril Walters was another celebrated figure in Welsh cricket – becoming the first Welshman to lead England in a Test in 1934. (Steen, 2009) The journey towards acquiring a larger Welsh identity also started around this time. Financial issues led to the merging of Glamorgan with the Monmouthshire club, which allowed Glamorgan to field a 2nd XI in the Minor Counties competition. This action was precipitated by Turnbull and Johnnie Clay‟s belief that it would lead to Glamorgan acquiring a stronger Welsh identity as their club would have players from many local clubs, which would lead to greater support (Hignell, 2008). Following on from this, Glamorgan added places like Newport and Ebbw Vale to their list of first –class venues, 3 Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
  • 21. 22 leading to greater support for Glamorgan. In fact, Hignell points out that Glamorgan significantly enhanced its identity in the 1930‟s, by playing at grounds all over Wales rather the „traditional‟ centres of Swansea and Cardiff. Some of the venues Glamorgan played at included Pontypridd, Cowbridge, Llanelli, Neath and Newport. This enhanced Glamorgan‟s profile as the county club representing Wales. Glamorgan’s glory years Glamorgan‟s glory years though started in definite with the arrival of Wilf Wooler after the Second World War. His captaincy was one of the primary reasons behind Glamorgan winning their first ever County Championship in 1948, precipitating massive celebrations (Collins, n.d.). This triumph has been called a “defining moment” in Welsh cricket history – even regarded as a “seminal moment” in Welsh sports history with the triumph of 1948 drawing comparisons with other important Welsh sporting events like Cardiff City winning the FA Cup in 1927 or the Welsh rugby team securing the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam. (Hignell, 2008) This was followed by two decades of sustained success. In 1951, the Glamorgan team won a thriller against South Africa – a victory which few expected after they failed to cross 150 in both their innings. Eight years later, Glamorgan defeated the touring Indians by 51 runs. But the biggest moment of celebration came when the Glamorgan team defeated Australia in 1964 by 36 runs, again leading to euphoria. As a line from Hignell‟s book put it, “...as the songs grew louder and louder, it became clear that it wasn‟t just Glamorgan who had won it, it was Wales too.” (2008) As if to prove that it wasn‟t a fluke, Glamorgan repeated the victory over Australia, this time in 1968 at Swansea, where Australia collapsed chasing a target of 364. The usual celebrations followed but the biggest cheers were reserved for Australian captain Barry Jarman who began his speech to the crowd with, “What‟s new about being beaten by Glamorgan”. (Hignell, 2009) This success was capped off by Glamorgan winning their second Championship title in 1969, helped by a strong bowling attack. As mentioned earlier, 1969 was period of heady Welsh nationalism with Welsh sentiment rising high due to the investiture of
  • 22. 23 Prince Charles. The Welsh Cricket Association was then formed which subsequently formed a Welsh team to play teams from England, Scotland, Ireland and the MCC. As noted earlier, a Wales team even took part in the ICC Trophy of 1979, after Gibraltar withdrew from the tournament. Wales also enjoyed success in the Triple Crown matches which led to the formation of a Wales Minor Counties side. In the recent past, Wales have played a series of Natwest Challenge 50-over matches with England between 2002 and 2004. They famously defeated England in 2002 which was considered a great victory for the Welsh team and for Welsh cricket as a whole (BBC, 2002). International cricket arrived in Cardiff with the 1999 World Cup with Australia taking on New Zealand in a group game at the Sophia Gardens, the new stadium that Glamorgan had moved to. From 1999 onwards, the Sophia Gardens has seen plenty of international cricket with the first Test being held in 2009. To sum up, it is important to understand that the legacy of cricket in Wales goes back to many years – it is as old as cricket in England. Over the years, there has been plenty of sentiment over a Welsh national team but Glamorgan‟s rise and success have allowed them to represent a Welsh identity. As an indicator of that, the Glamorgan team rebranded themselves as the “Welsh Dragons” in limited-over competitions from 2011 to 2012. (BBC, 2011) Glamorgan‟s importance in Welsh cricket history cannot be overlooked. Even advocates of a Welsh national team insist that Glamorgan‟s position in England‟s County Championship be maintained, partly due to the historical importance Glamorgan has always enjoyed. Hence it is imperative that whichever way the argument for a Welsh cricket team goes, Glamorgan‟s position in Welsh cricket history is a fact that must always be considered.
  • 23. 24 Article 2: Establishing a Wales team would be correcting a ‘historical wrong’, say supporters of an independent Welsh cricket team “It‟s very obvious,” says Andrew Hignell, an archivist at the Glamorgan Cricket Club, as if explaining something ridiculously simple.4 “Robert Croft put it exactly the right way. He said, when I play for Glamorgan, I feel I play for Wales. When I play for England, I feel I play for Britain.” It all sounds very nice and simple. And according to Hignell, that‟s the most convenient explanation for any questions about Welsh representation on the international cricket stage. But a large group of people currently would beg to disagree with Hignell. A sense of injustice Neil McEvoy, a councillor from Cardiff with the Plaid Cymru party, is an outspoken person. He doesn‟t mince words. And like a savage slash through the offside, he‟s quite clear about what he thinks of Wales‟ current cricket establishment. “Look, it‟s high time we realize we‟re Wales, not England. Glamorgan is a great county, but it‟s NOT a Welsh cricket team,” shoots off McEvoy.5 It‟s an interesting scenario. As the advocates of an independent Welsh cricket team never fail to remind you, they are the only country in the British Isles without a cricket team of their own. England have one, Scotland have one, so do Ireland. Even Guernsey and Gibraltar have their own cricket team. For supporters of a cricket team for Wales, this is a massive anomaly that must be corrected. And fast. Jonathan Edwards, the Member of Parliament from Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, has been a strong supporter of an independent Welsh cricket team. In 2011, he put up an essay on his official website, titling it, “Towards A National Future for Welsh Cricket”. 4 Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell 5 Appendix B, interview with Neil McEvoy
  • 24. 25 Wales has twice as many clubs as Scotland and four to five times as many as Ireland,” argues Edwards, on his website. “Wales has a cricketing grass roots equivalent to New Zealand and a total population similar to New Zealand, who is a full member of the ICC and Test playing nation” (2011). These don‟t seem to be empty claims – an article published in The Economist in 2015 provided the following statistics: Ireland with a population of 6.4 million has 6000 club players while Wales with a smaller population of 3 million has 7500 club players. (2015) To make the point even stronger, it is not as if Wales have never had their own team. A cursory look at the history of Welsh cricket suggests that Welsh sides have often played against England sides. A Wales team has played against sides like New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and Scotland in the early 1920‟s. In 1923, Norman Riches, the captain of Glamorgan‟s first inaugural match against Sussex, was behind the initiative to create a truly representative Welsh team – to that end, the Welsh Cricket Union was created. (Hignell, 2008) In 1979, Wales participated in the ICC Trophy. As recently as 2004, Wales and England played a series of limited-over exhibition matches with Wales winning the first one in 2002. But even more recently, the Wales‟ women‟s cricket team participated in an international tournament as late as 2005, the European Championships in 2005 where they finished a respectable third. (CricketArchive, n.d.) Is Wales sufficiently represented in international cricket? There is also the accusation that Wales as a cricket nation has not been given its due by England. Though called the England and Wales Cricket Board, the official acronym, “ECB”, leaves out the “W”, representing Wales. As Jill Evans, a Member of European Parliament for Plaid Cymru points out while describing the English team, in an argument published on her official website, “The team wore the English badge with three lions on their chest and played under the flag of St George and were, correctly, referred to as the England team” (2011). The last Welsh player to play for England was back in 2005 when Simon Jones tore through the Australian attack in the 2005 Ashes. (Griffiths, 2015)
  • 25. 26 The England team supposedly represents both England and Wales, but as Jill Evans points out, “The current arrangements mean that rather than having a team of our own and picking our 11 best players we must instead try to get players into another country‟s team” (2011). For the advocates of a Welsh national team, this is a factor that rankles. The idea of English cricket not giving enough respect to Cardiff was given a boost when the first 2015 Ashes Test was scheduled to be held in Cardiff. Even after the announcement, questions abounded about why the first Test of a showcase Ashes was given to Cardiff, rather than more traditional English Test match centres like Old Trafford or Edgbaston (Berry, 2015). When the proceedings did get underway, there were plenty of complaints about the nature of Cardiff‟s pitch, despite the match itself being an exciting four-day affair that resulted in an England win (Chowdhury, 2015). According to McEvoy, all of this is proof that “there‟s a massive lack of respect from England cricket towards Wales.”6 All of these are pretty strong arguments so it leads to the next important question: if there‟s so much demand for a Wales cricket team, why haven‟t we seen one yet? The answer lies in a matter much more practical and less emotional: funding. Where would the money to sustain a Welsh cricket team come from? Currently, cricket in Wales is managed by Cricket Wales along with Glamorgan. As part of the County Championship, Glamorgan get funding every year from the ECB, while Cricket Wales also gets around £400,000 a year (Economist, 2015). As part of the ECB, Glamorgan also gets international matches allotted to them which contribute to its revenue. Both Glamorgan and Cricket Wales argue that attempting to form a Welsh national cricket team would have disastrous consequences – Glamorgan would lose all its funding from the ECB, no more international matches would take place at Cardiff but most importantly, all cricket players in Glamorgan would lose the chance of playing Test cricket. 6 Appendix B: interview with Neil McEvoy
  • 26. 27 But Ford rubbishes those suggestions. “There is international funding available from the ICC,” pointing to the figures for Ireland.7 “Look, we can‟t just rely on potentially hosting a few England matches every season for revenue. If we form our own team, we‟ll at least be guaranteed some games.” Ford is also confident that Wales will be able to play international teams who are touring England. “Most teams who come on tours to England play against Ireland or Scotland,” he says8 . “But if Wales forms its own team, we‟ll be in a far better place. Cardiff is far closer to England than Ireland or Scotland and with similar conditions, so international touring teams would rather play here.” That doesn‟t mean Ford or Edwards are gunning for high-profile cricket to disappear from the SWALEC Stadium. Two of Edwards‟ arguments in his official argument are: i) Glamorgan‟s status as a first class county must be maintained and ii) Sophia Gardens status as Test venue cannot be jeopardised. Edwards argues that it is disingenuous by those opposed to a Welsh cricket team to assert that Glamorgan‟s status would be endangered, pointing to David Collier‟s assertion that Glamorgan would be welcome to continue in the English County System with a Welsh cricket team. Edwards also argues that the Sophia Gardens should also be able to bid successfully for Test cricket involving England, pointing out that there are no ICC rules to prevent Test nations hosting home games at venues outside the country. (2011) Matthew Ford agrees with Edwards and points out that there‟s always been a precedent of Welsh clubs participating in English leagues and vice-versa in United Kingdom‟s sporting history. The best examples are of Swansea and Cardiff City, who continue to play in the English Football League despite Wales having their own football team9 . “It would be very spiteful for the ECB to chuck Glamorgan out, if Wales forms its own team,” says Ford10 . “Especially when you consider that Glamorgan are among the oldest stakeholders of its County Championship, having being around since the 1920‟s.” 7 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 8 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 9 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 10 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
  • 27. 28 So far so good. But there‟s no getting away from the fact that if Wales does choose to go it alone, the days of watching high-profile Ashes cricket might be over. In place, Welsh cricket lovers might have to contend themselves with seeing Wales play off against teams like Papua New Guinea and Nepal, to name a few. “But isn‟t that better than watching maybe a couple of England games every summer,” questions Ford.11 “In any case, people from Wales aren‟t watching cricket...60 percent of the crowd at the last Ashes Test were from outside Wales.” Ford doesn‟t buy the argument that games against Associate nations wouldn‟t be exciting, he thinks they‟re “worthy opponents” and he‟d rather see games against them rather than England playing Australia. Correcting a ‘historical wrong’ But as Jenkins points out, creating an international cricket team for Wales is not just about providing a level of good opposition. It‟s about supposedly correcting a “historical wrong” (Economist, 2015). It‟s about creating a situation where “Wales can stand on a world stage alongside the other nations, in the same way as we can do in all other sports.” (Shipton, 2013) There are the supposed benefits of a Wales cricket team: it would lead to a greater profile for Wales, especially in the Indian subcontinent where cricket reigns supreme. “A Welsh team competing in a cricketing World Cup could be a key economic driver as a significant boost to brand Wales, “argues Edwards (2011). This argument though ignores the fact that even if a Welsh cricket team is created now, it would hypothetically take them at least more than a decade to qualify for a World Cup and play against the big teams.. Even Evans mentions that the profile Wales would gain in the Indian subcontinent would be a massive economic boost for Wales (2011). McEvoy, on the other hand, points to other benefits, “A Welsh cricket team would ensure more people take interest in the game... we might even see a lot of ethnic minorities in Wales take up the sport. “12 Sean 11 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 12 Appendix B, interview with Neil McEvoy
  • 28. 29 Rees, a campaign manager for Plaid Cymru in Llanelli, concurs with McEvoy‟s view, saying “future exposure could be massive.”13 What then are the prospective ways in which Wales could hypothetically form its own team then? The path to a Welsh cricket team Edwards suggests two possible ways in Wales can go about creating its own cricket team. The first method, according to him, would be creating a system where the England and Wales Cricket Board would be allowed to field two separate teams, as they seemingly represent two nations. Hypothetically, this would mean ECB fielding two teams: one an England team for all global competitions, while another Welsh team to play among the associations. Edwards agrees that this would be the simplest solution, but it would require ICC making special provisions within its rules. Edwards admits that other ICC members might also have an issue with it. (2011) The second and the more likely solution would be for Cricket Wales to relinquish all ties with the ECB and to seek ICC status as a separate nation. The advantage, according to Edwards, is that it would not require support from either the ECB or the ICC – that is, if the Welsh government decided to create a Welsh team, the ECB and the ICC would not be able to prevent it (2011). Matthew Maynard, a renowned former Glamorgan player, has supported the second method, suggesting that “the Cricket Board of Wales should take the lead” in forming a Welsh team as the “ECB would struggle to form two representative sides.” (Henry, 2013) As pointed out by Edwards, it doesn‟t seem likely that the ICC would change its rule for Wales so it seems more likely that the second method is much more viable. If Wales does follow the second method, then various situations come up. The question about the funding has already been discussed but there‟s a larger question about player eligibility. 13 Appendix A, interview with Sean Rees
  • 29. 30 Currently, cricketers playing for Glamorgan have the chance to play Test cricket for England. There‟s a long list of Welsh cricketers who‟ve played for England, ranging from Maurice Turnbull and Cyril Walters to Robert Croft and Simon Jones more recently. The advent of a Welsh cricket team however throws up questions: who represents Wales? And do they still get a chance to represent England? Edwards has an answer for that puzzle as well in his argument. He refers to ICC‟s rules that a male player wishing to play for an Associate or an Affiliate nation may not have played international cricket for any other member in the preceding four years, but there are no similar regulations for those players who wish to do vice-versa (i.e. playing for a Full Member team after playing for an Associate or Affiliate nation, similar to Ed Joyce and Eoin Morgan of Ireland). Taking that rule, Edwards argues that a Welsh player could hypothetically play for England whenever he wanted but would have to wait for four more years before choosing to play for Wales. (2011) The establishment of a Welsh national cricket team, argues Evans, would provide Welsh players with at least a choice (2011). As she and the other supporters of a Welsh cricket team argue, players wanting to represent England would have that chance, but side-by-side, they would also have the chance to play for England. “England may be a draw for certain Welsh cricket players,” admits Ford14 . “But not for all. They would at least get a chance to choose between England and Wales, which they don‟t get now.” Ford has been running his campaign since 2010 and still actively tweets for a Welsh national cricket team, using his Twitter handle @WelshCricket. He‟s hopeful for the future. He‟s realistic about the stage the campaign is in: “It‟s a slow process...it started in earnest in 2011 with the petition...then Plaid Cymru has made it part of their manifesto. The momentum is slowly increasing and people are now questioning what‟s happening.”15 He calls it a grassroots campaign but is sure there‟ll be more action later. As a parting shot, Ford urges cricket administrators to look at football. “There was the same argument about football...about how some of Wales‟ greatest football players 14 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 15 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford
  • 30. 31 could never play at the highest levels because Wales were never good at the sport. But look at them now, they‟re doing so well. They might even qualify for the World Cup.”16 He urges cricket to take a leaf out of football‟s book. It‟s a compelling set of arguments, mostly tying into a sense of Welsh identity. The advocates of a Welsh cricket team have a compelling case when they argue that purely on the basis of Welsh nationalism, a cricket team is required. But the economics of the issue often interfere with the matter. Perhaps, as Rees pointed out17 , it‟s high time that all interested parties in the matter sit down and conduct a proper feasibility study to find an answer for this, once and for all. 16 Appendix E, interview with Matthew Ford 17 Appendix A, interview with Sean Rees
  • 31. 32 Article 3: Not practically possible, say opponents of a Welsh cricket team A small smile plays around Mark Frost‟s face when he‟s confronted with the question about a Welsh cricket team. Frost is someone who‟s probably in a better place than most to give an informed opinion about the subject – he‟s played for both the Glamorgan and the Wales Minor Counties team, has worked with the Sports Council for Wales and served as the director of cricket for the Cricket Board of Wales between 1999 to 2004. He‟s a coach with Glamorgan these days as well as being an established author. “I think...it‟s a fundamental question of what kind of ambition does Wales have towards cricket? Because if the ambition is to play at the highest level, then automatically, you can‟t think about a Welsh independent cricket team,” sums Frost up18 . To a certain degree, he‟s correct. There have always been intermittent calls for a Welsh cricket team but both Cricket Wales and Glamorgan Cricket Club have shot it down, pointing out to the likely negative ramifications of such an event – all Welsh players will lose their chance of playing at the highest-level. Glamorgan offers a path to the highest level of international cricket “A player‟s ambition is to aspire to play at the highest level,” points out Frost19 . “Someone who‟s playing for Glamorgan can hypothetically aspire to play for England one day at the Test level. But not only that, they get to hone their skill levels, week in and week out at the County Championship. Tell me, why should players give up the chance of playing at the highest level?” That‟s pretty much exactly what Cricket Wales have also pointed out. In their response to a 2011 petition for a Welsh cricket team20 , Cricket Wales says, “Welsh cricketers have the opportunity to play professional cricket week-in-week-out for Glamorgan 18 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost 19 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost 20 Appendix I, official response from Cricket Wales
  • 32. 33 County Cricket Club and to play Test, One-Day-International and Twenty20 cricket for England.” It makes a direct comparison to Scotland and Ireland saying most Scottish and Irish players are semi-professional and play at a lower standard than the standards at Glamorgan Cricket Club. In the hypothetical scenario that Cricket Wales relinquishes ties with the England and Wales Cricket Board, it warns that all Welsh players would join English counties to qualify to play for England and hence it would be very difficult for Wales to form a strong team. But even more importantly is the question about the finances. A question of practicality “Look at this,” gestures Andrew Hignell, the chief historian and archivist of the Glamorgan Cricket Club21 . Behind him are indoor cricket nets where a group of enthusiastic school boys are running in and practising. “Can you imagine what could happen if Cricket Wales decided to take Associate membership from the ICC? This would all disappear. What would happen to the SWALEC Stadium?” Does Hignell have a point? Cricket Wales and Glamorgan think so. According to Cricket Wales, “The ECB provides Cricket Wales with funding to play the above games and to undertake many other initiatives that enable the sport to develop in Wales. This funding is used to strengthen cricket within communities throughout Wales including projects for seniors, juniors, boys, girls and those with a disability.”22 The implication to what would happen if this funding is stopped is obvious; cricket would be direly affected in Wales. “Leave aside all the emotional arguments,” continues Frost23 . “Look at it financially. Economically, it‟s just not feasible. Any project for a Welsh cricket team would require massive public funding. Where would the funding come from?” There‟s also the question of the ramifications of such a move on Glamorgan. “The SWALEC Stadium could be renovated mainly because of the funding Glamorgan receives from the ECB and for also the fact that it can stage international games and get revenue, “he points 21 Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell 22 Appendix I, official response from Cricket Wales 23 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
  • 33. 34 out. “If Wales forms an independent team, Glamorgan might have to leave the County Championship. What happens to the SWALEC Stadium then? Where do Welsh cricketers play cricket?” These are all uncomfortable questions which at the moment, have no answer as the entire argument is the realms of hypothesis. An Economist article argued that if Wales hypothetically form an independent team, they might gain access to bigger funding than what they receive from the ECB at present (2015). However, as the official response to the petition showed, most individuals at Glamorgan and Cricket Wales feel it‟s better to stay with the status-quo. Frost, however, has found a different way of looking at things. “This topic (of a Welsh cricket team) is a dormant one. It comes up intermittently, especially during times when there have been no Welsh players in the English team for a while,” he suggests. As proof, he points to the period of time when England had a healthy representation of Welsh players – players of the ilk of Robert Croft and Simon Jones. “You never heard it then...” he says24 , with some degree of finality referring to calls for a Welsh cricket team. John Derrick, the performance manager for Cricket Wales is far more direct about it. “We haven‟t got the setup or infrastructure in Wales to try for a Welsh team, quite frankly,” he comments.25 “We‟re not good enough to compete at the highest level, I‟m afraid. We might be able to compete with some of the Associate nations but nothing beyond that.” Derrick is also understandably quite upset with comments from advocates of a Welsh cricket team that there isn‟t enough feeling for cricket in Wales due to the lack of a national team. “That‟s absolutely rubbish,” he says in an aggrieved tone26 . “I am associated with many age-group cricket teams and if you go to any of them and question them about Wales, believe me, they‟d have a lot to say! There‟s a very strong feeling for Wales in our setup.” 24 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost 25 Appendix D, interview with John Derrick 26 Appendix D, interview with John Derrick
  • 34. 35 A players’ view? What about these players though? Advocates of a Welsh team often say that a Welsh cricket team would give Welsh players a choice between playing for Wales or England. But is there much of a sentiment among Welsh players themselves to play for Wales on the international cricket circuit? “No, absolutely not”, says Frost27 . “Never in my time when I was playing. It‟s never been hot topic for Welsh players because they want to play at the highest level and they get that through Glamorgan. For most Welsh players, playing for Glamorgan is like playing for Wales while playing for England is like playing for Britain.” Hignell gives the example of Robert Croft, one of Wales‟ greatest all-rounders and Wales‟ first cricketer to achieve the notable distinction of scoring 10,000 runs and 1,000 wickets. “Croft always used to say that playing for Glamorgan was like playing for Wales and playing for England was like playing for Britain,” says Hignell. “That‟s pretty much how all the players here think“ (White, 2001). Unfortunately, efforts to contact Croft proved futile. International cricket at the SWALEC Another aspect of the argument revolves around the prospect of the disappearance of international games at the SWALEC Stadium. Since 1999, international games have been played there – in 2009, the first Test match took place at Cardiff which involved a thrilling finish where James Anderson and Monty Panesar grimly fought through a last wicket stand which allowed them to escape with a draw (Brett, 2009). Even more recently in 2015, Cardiff saw another Ashes Test where, to the delight of a packed crowd, an unfancied England came out with a comprehensive victory against Australia. (Griffiths, 2015) Each day of these Test matches were played to full-capacity crowds, obviously leading to huge revenues for Glamorgan. Cricket Wales and Glamorgan warn that if Wales decides to go down the path of forming a Welsh cricket team, there is a high probability 27 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
  • 35. 36 that this will see the end of international cricket being held at SWALEC Stadium and in extension, in Wales. “International cricket at the SWALEC Stadium is very important,” argues Derrick.28 “It is essential that it continues.” That is pretty much what Cricket Wales have argued in their official response, “the ECB should play home games in the new SWALEC Stadium since it provides great profile for cricket in Wales and also vital income to Glamorgan County Cricket Club and the local economy. Everyone involved in cricket in Wales has the opportunity to be inspired by live cricket of the highest possible standard. Cricket Wales played an important role in helping Glamorgan Cricket secure a 2015 England Ashes test match at the SWALEC Stadium, through the joint development of an ambitious plan for the future of the game in Wales.” But advocates of a Welsh cricket team think otherwise. They claim most of the audiences that come in to see international cricket are not from Wales itself and mostly come from places in England near Cardiff. They also go on to state that people in Wales don‟t come to watch cricket because there‟s no Wales cricket team. Does that point have any basis in reality? Not if you ask Derrick. “The cricketing public in Wales are realistic,” he says29 . “Financially, we have to survive and they realize that.” Hignell agrees with him and suggests that Glamorgan have acquired a larger Welsh identity allows people in Wales to get behind them30 . A more neutral view comes from Gareth Griffiths, a sports journalist for Media Wales who has covered cricket in Wales for many years. Unlike any of the stakeholders of the issue, Griffiths can provide a more balanced viewpoint on things. The first thing he points out is that there needs to be a look at the funding to see if things can work out. 28 Appendix D, interview with John Derrick 29 Appendix D, interview with John Derrick 30 Appendix F, interview with Andrew Hignell
  • 36. 37 He‟s interested to know whether advocates for a Welsh cricket team have a plan in place on how they intend to fund a Wales cricket team.31 As a journalist, has he seen much of a sentiment among people in Wales for a cricket team? “No,” he replies.32 “It seems to be more of a populist move. The general consensus is that Glamorgan is the Welsh representative on the international stage – and people tend to get behind them.” Cricket Wales and Glamorgan also enjoy support from Sport Wales, a national organization in Wales responsible for increasing performance and improving performance in sport. In a response to the same petition33 , Sport Wales emphasised right at the beginning that it was a matter for Cricket Wales and they would support any decision which Cricket Wales would take in this matter. However, Sport Wales went on to suggest that they supported Cricket Wales and Glamorgan‟s decision of remaining part of the ECB. On the whole, they made the same warnings which Cricket Wales had made in its official response, contending that “We would be concerned if the establishment of an independent Wales team would see Glamorgan alienated from the County Championship. There is every chance that this could result in Welsh professionals opting to play for English counties resulting in a dip in focus and standards in Wales. “ The bigger issue, according to Sport Wales, was with regard to the England and Wales team being exclusively referred to as „England‟ and the acronym for the England and Wales Cricket Board being just the ECB, which, they admitted, led to the perception that Wales is overlooked. Can the issue as such be boiled down to the simple matter of correcting an acronym? David Morgan, a former ICC president and former chairman of the ECB and Glamorgan, was one of the men at the helm when the ECB came into existence. He admits that the 31 Appendix F, interview with Gareth Griffiths 32 Appendix F, interview with Gareth Griffiths 33 Appendix J, official response from Sport Wales
  • 37. 38 acronym is an issue that could be addressed, ““It is the England and Wales cricket board, that‟s its officially registered company name limited by guarantee. I was very careful, when I set it up, that Wales appeared in its title.” (Henry, 2013) The politics of the issue As a political matter, opinion is divided. Plaid Cymru is the only party which officially supports a Welsh cricket team and had made it a part of their party manifesto for the 2015 United Kingdom elections (Hughes, 2015). Their spokesperson for sport, Bethan Jenkins has been quoted as saying that a national cricket team for Wales would ensure “Wales can stand on a world stage alongside the other nations, in the same way as we can do in all other sports” (Shipton, 2013). Another supporter of a Wales cricket team is Mohammad Asghar, who in 2011, said, ““Glamorgan is not Wales - Glamorgan is part of Wales. Cricket is played in one quarter of the world. Playing international matches against countries like India and Pakistan would raise Wales‟ profile and deliver huge economic benefits.” (Shipton, 2013) However, there is opposition in political circles also. In the same article, Swansea East Labour AM Mike Hedges was quoted as saying that it was better for Wales to stick to the ECB as it had much more money than the ICC. An AM from the Liberal Democrats Peter Black also agreed with him and opined that having Glamorgan in the County Championship had been of “great value” to cricket in Wales. “It‟s enabled us to have some great matches over the years, including the one at St Helen‟s in Swansea in the 1960s when Gary Sobers hit six sixes in an over [the first time the feat had been achieved].,” he suggested. (Shipton, 2013) “The cons completely outweigh the pros,” sums up Frost34 . And that might certainly be true. The main bones of contention are issues which no one clear has an answer for. Both parties in the conflict seem to have approached the issue from different perspectives. While advocates of a Welsh cricket team argue for the team on emotional 34 Appendix C, interview with Mark Frost
  • 38. 39 and nationalistic reasons, Glamorgan and Cricket Wales contend that it is not financially possible. Perhaps, it would be wise for both the parties to look at the issue from the lens of the opposition. Until both the parties are at cross-purposes, what we may see is more of talk and very less concrete action taking place. It would be much more prudent for both the interested parties to put on the lens of the opposition, sit down at a table and maybe have a frank, long discussion about each and every aspect of such a complex issue.
  • 39. 40 Article 4: How the ICC is structured and where a hypothetical Wales team would fit in it Through the last three pieces of this series, an attempt has been to understand and recognize the relevance of the game in the country of Wales. The first piece in the series attempted to trace the historical context of the game, before finally concluding that the game as such is very old and is enshrined in the history of sports in the country. The next two pieces attempted to understand the arguments from both sides of the sporting divide, analyzing and understanding the arguments that both parties give in order to justify their respective stands. While it is hoped that through these pieces, a better understanding of the relevance of the game in Wales has been arrived at, it is also important to take a look back and understand the wider context of international cricket. Cricket is an international sport and played in many countries. By some accounts, it is the second-most popular sport in the world, in terms of the number of fans following it (BR, 2011). As an international sport encompassing various nations and different cultures, it is important to look at the way cricket is administered internationally to develop a better understanding of whether Wales should have its own cricket team. Till now, the issue has mostly revolved around the possibility of Wales fielding its own cricket team without much discussion what this would entail for the future. While providing historical context and emotional reasons to back the argument up is fine, it is also essential to know what the future holds if Wales indeed goes about to create its own cricket team. Where would Wales‟ position be in the international cricketing world, if they actually take this hypothetical step? The structure of the International Cricket Council First a quick round-up of how cricket is administered. World cricket is run by the International Cricket Council, which was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference, with Australia, South Africa and England as its founding members (ICC, n.d.). In 1989, it was renamed the International Cricket Conference. As its official
  • 40. 41 website puts it, the ICC “is responsible for the administration of men's and women's cricket including the management of playing conditions and officials for Test Match and One-Day International (ODI) cricket and the staging of international cricket events for men, women and juniors.” (ICC, n.d.) The current chairman of the ICC is N. Srinivasan from India. There are three categories of membership in the ICC hierarchy. The first are the Full Members consisting of ten nations who are adjudged as qualified to play Test match cricket, the highest form of the game. The current Full Member nations in the ICC are Australia, England, India, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the most recent entrant to this club, having gained Full Member status in 2000. Just underneath the Full Members are the Associate nations. These are nations which do not qualify for Full Member status but are recognized as countries where cricket is firmly established and organized. The official ICC website gives a list of over 30 nations – some of the nations in the list include Ireland, Scotland, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Afghanistan and others (ICC, n.d.). Other British territories with Associate membership include Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, and Jersey. All Associate nations are eligible to play in the ICC World Cricket League, an international one-day tournament for national teams without Test status. This league has various divisions and works on a system of relegation and promotion; it also works as a qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup, which takes place every four years. The World Cup qualifier Qualification for the World Cup is through the ICC World Cup qualifier, a tournament which allows the top nations from the ICC World Cricket League to qualify for the World Cup. For the next World Cup in 2019, the ICC World Cup Qualifier will take place in 2018. The bottom four teams in the official ODI rankings will play against the top four ranked teams in the 2015-17 ICC World Cricket League. They will be also be joined by the Division Two finalists of the ICC Cricket World League, the final of which is
  • 41. 42 scheduled to be held in 2018. The top two teams from the tournament will qualify for the 2019 Cricket World Cup, alongside the top eight Full Member states. The top six Associate teams are eligible for One Day International status, which allows them to play against the Full Members. As of 12th August 2015, Ireland and Afghanistan are on the official ICC Team Rankings table – Ireland are ranked 10th , above Zimbabwe a Full-Member nation and Afghanistan are ranked 12th (ICC, n.d.). The other four nations with ODI status but not part of the official ODI ranking table are the United Arab Emirates, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong (ICC, n.d.). However, these four nations will be able to qualify for promotion to the official ICC ODI rankings table if they fulfil certain criterion. Besides these, some Associate nations have official Twenty20 international status. The nations with official ODI status automatically gain official T20i status. The other Associate nations with official T20i status are the Netherlands (ranked 13th ) and Oman (haven‟t played sufficient games yet to gain a ranking). (ICC, n.d.) Affiliate nations occupy the rung just below the Associate nations – they are countries recognized by the ICC where cricket is played in accordance with the official Laws of Cricket. There are over 50 recognized Associate nations currently in international cricket. In the context of Wales and its ambitions for an independent team, it is interesting to note some British territories that have been granted Affiliate status: the Falkland Islands, the Isle of Man, Saint Helena and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup It is also important to mention the importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, a tournament for Associate Members to play first-class cricket. Though the Intercontinental Cup has been played from 2004 onward, it has recently become an opportunity for Associate Members to gain an opportunity to play proper Test match cricket. In 2014, the ICC announced changes to the Intercontinental Cup to provide Associate nations a way to play Test cricket: the winner of the Intercontinental Cup would play off against the lowest ranked Test side in a Test Challenge (ESPNCricinfo Staff, 2014). The inaugural Test Challenge is scheduled to be held in 2018 while the
  • 42. 43 latest ICC Intercontinental Cup will be held between 2015 and 2017. The Associate nations competing in the tournament will be Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, the Netherlands and Namibia (International Cricket Council, 2015). It is important to note however that this system is still unclear on how a top Associate nation could gain Full Member status, allowing it access to the funding and the other advantages that the Full Member nations enjoy. The reason for giving such a detailed explanation of the structure in world cricket is simple: this is exactly the sort of structure through which Wales would have to navigate if they did choose to form their own cricket team. It is essential to look at what this journey would ascertain, what may the benefits be of navigating through this structure, what the trade-offs are likely to be and then decide on the best path forward. Wales’ hypothetical path forward To start off, the very first question that comes up about a hypothetical Wales national team is: where would they start? As Jonathan Edwards points out in his argument for a Welsh cricket team, a Welsh cricket team would probably be given Associate nation status due to its “strong player base and security” (2011). This would be in line with what happened with Scotland and Ireland – Ireland became Associate members in 1993 and Scotland in 1994. Scotland‟s case is an interesting example – they severed ties with the then-governing body for cricket in England, the Test and County Cricket Board before joining the ICC as an independent Associate nation. Advocates of a Welsh cricket team point at Ireland‟s example and argue that Wales could make a similar case for itself. It cannot be doubted that Ireland have put in a very strong case for themselves after becoming an Associate nation. Their initial years after becoming an Associate nation were tough – they failed to qualify for the 1999 and 2003 World Cups. However in recent years, Ireland‟s rise to becoming the top Associate nation has been one of the stories of cricket. In their first ever World Cup, Ireland tied with Zimbabwe, defeated Pakistan and qualified to the next stage, the Super Eights. In the Super Eights, they even managed a comprehensive victory against another Full Member nation, Bangladesh. (Cricbuzz, 2007)
  • 43. 44 Are comparisons with Ireland justified? Since then, Ireland have gone from strength to strength. They have performed admirably in Associate cricket, winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup four times. In the few chances they have got against the Full Members, Ireland have often pulled above their weight: they defeated England in a famous match in the 2011 World Cup where Kevin O‟Brien scored the fastest century in a World Cup (Sheringham, 2011). They excelled again in the 2015 edition, defeating West Indies, Zimbabwe and the UAE (Press Association, 2015). It is Ireland‟s example that proponents of a Welsh cricket team point to and hope to replicate. Yet, it is also important to look at Ireland‟s journey in a different light. Ireland‟s repeated success at the international level has led to demands from quarters that they be given Full Member status (BBC, 2015). Despite these demands, Ireland are still not a Full Member and have to be content with playing the Associate nations and the occasional World Cup. Recent changes to the Intercontinental Cup have given Ireland a shot at playing an occasional Test match but as has been mentioned previously: there is still no clarity about how they are supposed to gain Full Member status, something which they arguably deserve. It is something which Wales should take heed of. Ireland have been playing international cricket for over two decades now and have only started performing admirably in only the last decade or so. Yet despite this level of performance, there is no guarantee that Ireland will gain Full Member status and get a chance to regularly play Test matches. The ascension to Full Member status also would also allow access to greater funds which would lead to greater development of cricket in the country. What does it mean for Wales? It basically means that if the cricketing structure of the ICC remains as it is, Wales would be stuck playing cricket with the Associate nations for the foreseeable future. Unlike Ireland, this could be a major issue for Wales. Due to its relationship with the ECB, Wales has traditionally been part of the international cricket calendar with various international games being played in Cardiff over the years.
  • 44. 45 However with Wales playing only Associate nations, there is a high possibility that interest levels in cricket among the Welsh public would be limited. No disrespect meant to any of the Associate nations, but for cricket lovers in Cardiff who are used to seeing England‟s finest play regularly at the SWALEC Stadium, it would be difficult to get accustomed to seeing a Wales team play against a Nepal or a Papua New Guinea. This is one factor which would require serious discussion and deliberation. It would also not be easy for Wales to become a top Associate cricket nation overnight and press its case for Full Member status. Currently, Associate cricket is in the pink of health: Ireland are obviously the standout performers, but teams like Afghanistan, Scotland, United Arab Emirates, Nepal and Papua New Guinea have performed admirably. Wales would have to critically analyze its cricketing resources and take a call on whether they would be able to match up to that level of performance. Questions remain about funding The other question veers around the question of funding. As part of the ECB, Cricket Wales and Glamorgan receives significant funding – in their official response to a petition demanding a Welsh cricket team, Sport Wales put the figure at around £2 million annually35 . According to Cricket Wales, this funding is used to undertake various initiatives to develop the sport in Wales. Some of these initiatives include strengthening the standards of cricket within various communities in Wales, according to Cricket Wales. Additionally, international games held at the SWALEC Stadium also help supplement that revenue. If Wales does choose to form its own team, this source of revenue would most probably dry up and Wales would have to rely on funding from the International Cricket Council. Both Sport Wales and Cricket Wales argue that funding from the ICC would be substantially less than what they receive now and would have a negative impact on the game in Wales. However, in a recent Economist piece, the publication quoted Bethan Jenkins, the spokesperson for sport of Plaid Cymru, the party supporting an independent Welsh 35 Appendix J, official response from Sport Wales
  • 45. 46 cricket, who argued that Ireland‟s funding from the ICC was more than what Glamorgan and Cricket Wales receives (2015). Jenkins also argues that36 , “If Wales were to stand alone, it would be able to draw down funding from a number of development pots created by the International Cricket Council. It would also be able to host One-Day Internationals and Tests at Sophia Gardens involving other countries, and create revenue that way.” However, it is indeed true that funding from the ICC would be limited in the initial years of Wales‟ hypothetical independent era. Associate-level funding from the ICC is mostly dependent on performance – if Wales does indeed perform spectacularly in its initial few years as an independent cricket nation, it will be able to attract funding on the level of Ireland. However, it is those intermittent years that remain the worry – where would the funding come from then? Ireland‟s spectacular success arrived only from the late 2000‟s and they have often faced funding issues themselves. Some of their best players like Eoin Morgan and Ed Joyce opted to play for England since they had the chance to play Test-level cricket. Ireland‟s lack of a first-class structure was also a major issue – it was only in 2011 that Cricket Ireland announced plans to put a first-class structure in place. (McGlashan, 2011) Wales would face similar problems. Apart from funding, there are likely to be issues in the future about Welsh players choosing to play for England to play Test-match cricket. This, in a way, is slightly exacerbated by the global structure of the current ICC set-up – as Ireland captain Ed Joyce once commented, cricket seemed to be “the only sport that has a World Cup that is contracting rather than expanding” (BBC, 2015). The decision to limit the next World Cup in 2019 to only ten teams additionally has come as quite a crushing blow to the Associate nations (Gollapudi, 2014). The ICC has still not been able to formulate a clear path forward for Associate nations to achieve Full Member status – they are also controversially against the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics which would allow greater funding for Associate nations. (Isam, 2014) 36 Appendix H, interview with Bethan Jenkins
  • 46. 47 However, the ICC‟s decision to allow for an ICC Test Challenge in 2018 is still a step in the right direction and it is hoped that more such steps will follow in the future. In the meantime, any decision on whether Wales should form its own cricket should be taken, considering the global ramifications. While a question of a national team is obviously intricately linked with national identity, it is also essential that a pragmatic and practical approach be followed before any major decision is made.
  • 47. 48 Section 3 Conclusion As can be understood from a cursory reading of this dissertation, Wales‟ position in international cricket is certainly unique. But what can also be understood is that there are perhaps no easy solutions to solve this peculiarity. That Wales enjoys a long and proud historical tradition of cricket is a fact that cannot be doubted. The game has been part of Welsh sporting history since ages and is very much a part of the sporting ethos of the country. There cannot be any doubt whatsoever about the relevance of the game in Welsh sporting history. Both advocates of a Welsh cricket team and their naysayers use this cricketing tradition of Wales to supplement their own arguments. Advocates of a Welsh team point to historical examples of Welsh teams playing against other sides, sometimes English sides, to add to their argument that Wales has always had a representative team and it is a „historical wrong‟ that there is no such representation at present. On the other hand, the naysayers point to the fact that Glamorgan, the supposed representative of Wales, has been part of the English first class system for more than hundred years now and are already the de-facto representative of Wales. Questions about a national team are often surrounded by nationalistic sentiments. The demand for a Welsh national team does have an emotional background – as the ones demanding it argue, it does seem an unfair deal for Wales to be the only nation in the British Isles not to have its own cricketing team. The arguments provided by them revolve around correcting this historical anomaly and righting a wrong. Nor can these arguments be summarily dismissed – every nation in the world has the right to self- expression and sports teams representing nations occupy a pride of place in every country‟s sense of self-identity. On the other hand, arguments opposing this demand acknowledge the sentiment behind the demand but argue that the sentiment does not have basis in reality.
  • 48. 49 Glamorgan Cricket Club and Cricket Wales point out the financial repercussions of such an event in Wales and contend that despite the nationalistic validity of such a decision, there would be severe repercussions on the game in the cricket. As proof, they point to the high levels of funding which cricket in Wales currently enjoys as part of their association with the England and Wales Cricket Board and warn that such funding runs the risk of vanishing if a Wales cricket team comes into existence. The other big factor is the disappearance of international cricketing events from Cardiff – something which may also greatly affect the game of cricket in Wales. Though advocates of a Welsh cricket team dismiss these arguments as a sort of scare- mongering, there is no denying that these are also cold facts which need to be looked into. Nationalistic sentiments behind a Welsh team are no doubt important but it is also essential to look into the practicalities behind such a step. Additionally, there is the question of looking into the global administration of cricket currently and then taking a call on whether a Welsh cricket team would ultimately benefit cricket in Wales. To sum up, it is not an easy problem to solve. There is also a need to involve two other stakeholders of the issue: the players and the fans. At the end of the day, they are the main stakeholders: it is the players who are the ones who will be affected the most by any decision made. Secondly, it is the cricket fans themselves who have a right to make their voice heard. Their opinions count for much and if the majority of cricket fans in Wales look upon the issue in a certain way, much importance should be given to it. To sum up, it is fool-hardy to believe that the demand for a Welsh cricket team will go away soon if it is ignored and shoved under the carpet. Intermittent calls for a Welsh cricket team have proven that it is an issue that keeps cropping up. The current climate in the United Kingdom, especially the Scotland referendum, proves that the future will see more nations in the British Isles demanding self-legitimacy. Hence, this is an issue which certainly needs to be looked into. The problem at the present seems that both parties have approached the issue from different perspectives – while the supporters of a Welsh cricket team provide emotional arguments, the naysayers use cold and hard
  • 49. 50 logic. It is perhaps required that both parties approach the issue through each other‟s lenses. There might be a tangible solution then to a vexing issue.
  • 50. 51 Critical Reflection As a lifelong lover of the cricket, the chance to do a dissertation on cricket was one which I jumped at immediately. Additionally, I had the chance of examining the game at its very birthplace. The decision of examining the possibility of an independent Wales team interested me – it had always struck me quite odd that there was no separate Wales team, despite the existence of official English, Irish and Scottish teams. The reason for doing the dissertation was also influenced by the fact that I would be based in Cardiff and would hence be able to get a better insight into Welsh cricketing culture. It has been an illuminating experience and in this section of the dissertation, I propose to reflect on the experience of doing this piece of academic work. The two months that I have spent in researching and writing this dissertation have been quite eventful. I have been fortunate to talk to different people, all of them with some extremely interesting opinions, attempt to understand the cricketing history of Wales and perhaps even get a small taste of the political climate within the United Kingdom. It has mostly been a great ride, but like all journeys, there are bound to be certain issues. As part of my research, I spoke to various people. To get an idea of the arguments that advocates of a Welsh national cricket team were making, I spoke to various politicians from the Plaid Cymru party. Conversely, speaking to officials from Glamorgan Cricket Club and Cricket Wales allowed me to get their side of the issue, which allowed me to approach the issue, keeping in mind both sides of the argument. However, my biggest regret will lie in the fact that I was not able to speak to the players themselves, especially some of Wales‟ finest cricket players, Matthew Maynard, Robert Croft and Simon Jones. I did try reaching out to all three of them, at times more than once and using various mediums, including social media and email, but unfortunately was unable to get a response. I believe their response would have been very interesting; as some of Wales‟ biggest players, what had been their outlook while playing the game? Did they ever think about representing Wales as a cricket team rather than England? I did get to know from a secondary source about Robert Croft‟s
  • 51. 52 thoughts on the matter, but it would have been far more beneficial to manage to have a short chat with the players. Following on from that, the other regret would be I did not get the chance to speak with current and former players in the current Welsh cricket set-up. As I have mentioned in the conclusion, the players are the greatest stakeholder in the biggest issue – it is their cricketing careers and future that will be affected by any decision that is taken. A conversation with some of these players would have been very insightful and given another angle to the entire issue. Sport is nothing without the fans – as any sportsperson worth anything would say, it is the fans for which any sport is alive. The topic of a Welsh cricket team is connected to nationality and identity – and hence I am quite sure that plenty of cricket lovers would have an issue or opinion on that. Unfortunately, another overlook of mine was not getting the opinion of such cricket fans in Wales. At the end of the day, for any sport, it is the fan that is important. Were everyday cricketing lovers in Wales happy or sad at the fact that was no national team to represent their nation? Did they prefer to see England take on international teams in their country or would they prefer to see their own country play against some of the lesser known nations? Plenty of advocates of a Welsh cricket team had told me that members of the general public did not have interest in cricket because there was no Welsh cricket team. Conversely, individuals from Glamorgan and Cricket Wales rubbished those comments and said there was plenty of support for the game in Wales. But, I regret that I did not directly speak to members of the general public and get their opinions on the issue. For anyone who does further research on this topic, I would implore them to speak to both players and cricket fans in Wales to get their insights on the issue. Finally, another way in which I could have improved my research was getting more time to approach the issue. This would have involved me coming to Wales earlier and approaching people earlier. This way I might have been able to get interviews with a wider variety of people who might have provided even more insights. Unfortunately due to my work commitments and since I was an international student, that was not possible, but as mentioned earlier, if anyone else does pursue this line of research, I
  • 52. 53 would implore them to spend at least two to three months talking to people to get a wider variety of views on board. In conclusion, this project will change the approach I take towards any kind of similar practice. I would perhaps do more background research to get a better understanding of the topic before I embark on my information-collection exercises. If given a choice, I would perhaps try to devote more time in reaching out and talking to potential interviewees and be more relentless with my approach. At the end of the day, it has been an illuminating and extremely interesting experience. My understanding of the game, especially in Wales as well as the United Kingdom has improved considerably. It has also provided me the opportunity to look into the background of the cricket, especially the administration, to understand how the game runs. I firmly believe that this dissertation will greatly enrich my professional career ahead.
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