Time for the revolution

14 April 2012

Lord's Tests are the highlight of the English summer, especially so when the West Indies are in town. But it says something faintly rotten about the state of English cricket that, with Mark Butcher injured, there will not be a single black Briton on the field. And, come to that, not too many more in the Compton and Edrich stands.

After reading Tuesday's article in the Standard about the current state of the game I must confess to having felt a bit depressed. Barely half the number of Anglo-Caribbean cricketers are on the county circuit this season compared with that of a decade ago. I can remember England taking five black players to the West Indies as recently as 1990.

Something has to change, and fast, for the sake of cricket and all youngsters. These are my suggestions:

Give Mark Alleyne a prominent role in English cricket and its development

The Gloucestershire player-coach was the first black Briton to rise to club captain, in which capacity Alleyne has won seven trophies in five years, with another C&G Trophy looming. He has the respect of his peers, knows how to communicate well and only wants the best for everyone. There needs to be a sense that black Britons have a significant voice, and exert an influence.

A voice in the national press

The stereotyping of black players in the press may not be as severe or as obvious as it was, but it is hard not to relate such characterisations to the fact that no national newspaper in Britain has ever appointed a black cricket correspondent. Even a columnist (Devon Malcolm or Phil DeFreitas, for example) would be a step in the right direction.

Pay Michael Holding and prominent black players brought up in England to promote the game

With the possible exception of Viv Richards, the former West Indies fast bowler is probably the most respected black cricketer of his generation,

and the most visible, thanks to Sky Sports. The ECB should hire him to spread the word: people would respond to him.

Acknowledge the alienation many Afro-Caribbeans feel towards the game

One step towards addressing the problem would be to admit there is one. Many Afro-Caribbeans do feel alienated. That's one reason why there won't be many at Lord's this weekend.

Alex Tudor to prove the doubters wrong

A lot of disparaging comments have been made about Alex since that match-winning 99 not out on his Test debut against New Zealand five summers ago. He's bowled superbly on occasions, especially when he dismissed both Waugh twins in his first Test against Australia, but he has never been the express pace merchant many expected and that disappointment has prompted some unfair criticism. This week he returned to the Surrey side, hitting the winning runs. Let's hope that's a good omen: black Britons need a cricketer to look up to once Mark Butcher retires - and Tudes is the best bet.

Free county and international tickets for all children at schools on a rota basis

Making the game more attractive to the young means putting it within their reach. Advance booking means few tickets are ever available on the day of a match, but the international game, especially, is the shop window. Black youngsters also tend to be a good deal less well-off than their white counterparts, and with cricket disappearing from state schools, it seems more important than ever to lure them into the grounds.

Allow culture to be expressed at cricket grounds everywhere

It's all very well trying to attract black Britons through the turnstiles but we still need to do something about making them feel at home when they sit down. Rising ticket prices has been one factor in their diminishing presence at The Oval and Lord's but the banning of musical instruments must have had an alienating impact. Tests in the Caribbean are joyous, festive affairs, for women and families as well as men. Let them blow conches, toot horns and bang drums. It's all about having a good time, isn't it?

Relax cricket's conservative image

Less stuffiness, more inclusiveness and fun please. The Twenty20 Cup is a step in the right direction.

Pay people for hard work, dedication and talent

Business rewards the industrious and gifted properly - why should cricket be any different? No wonder so many black teenagers choose football. It's not just that the role models are there and footballers are looked up to because of the game's prominence: their salaries reflect their input. When I started at Worcestershire I could have earned more working at McDonald's.

Dean Headley, the former Worcestershire, Kent and Middlesex fast bowler, won 15 Test caps for England between 1997 and 1999. He is now development director at Kosmedia, whose newspaper, Kent on Sunday, has just won the UK Press Gazette Regional Newspaper of the Year award

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Time for the revolution

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