The today program BBC radio 4

[public school boy]

Did any of you hear the gentleman on today's show complaining that England do not have any players in the team that come from West Indian extraction.
One got the impression that he was insinuating that the selectors are in some way racist. I would point out to said gentleman, but I doubt that he reads NSC, that the cricket loving public of our great country would welcome a couple of Black world class pace merchants or Black world class batsmen. The said gentleman also claimed that the MCC is class discriminatory but I can assure him that this is not the case. MCC membership consists of people from all walks of life and does not depend on the colour of your skin, where you live, how you speak, what job you have or how much you earn. Yes there is a dress code for those members who use the pavillion but what is wrong with that.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The fact that not a single state school in Brighton & Hove has a cricket pitch (perhaps a couple with astro) would suggest that there is a 'class issue'. I am sure there are plenty of state schools across the whole of the country who suffer from the same problem.

 

[public school boy]

The fact that not a single state school in Brighton & Hove has a cricket pitch (perhaps a couple with astro) would suggest that there is a 'class issue'. I am sure there are plenty of state schools across the whole of the country who suffer from the same problem.

You cannot blame this on The MCC or The TCCB. There are players playing County and Test cricket who do not hail from the Public School system. Mascalls School in Paddock Wood has cricketing facilities and I believe that it is a state school. Whilst travelling through India I noticed that the local children in villages I visited had constructed cricket pitches in the fields and were using sticks or pieces of wood to use as bats and were happily playing.
Was Harold Larwood a product of private education?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I blame the system and the succession of governments who do not happen to view the benefits of offering a wide range of sports to our children as a key political issue.

 

[The Spanish]

It is in no small part that a passion fir cricket has not been passed on to the younger generations of those descended from west indian immigrants. Its a real shame. Who was the last, Alex Tudor?

 

[Questions]

It is in no small part that a passion fir cricket has not been passed on to the younger generations of those descended from west indian immigrants. Its a real shame. Who was the last, Alex Tudor?[/QUOTE]

I think it was Alex Tudor.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Football, basketball and knife crime have become a lot more popular in recent years.

 

[public school boy]

I blame the system and the succession of governments who do not happen to view the benefits of offering a wide range of sports to our children as a key political issue.

I think it could be suggested that the parents of children who show a passion for cricket should encourage the child.I don't think that our gouvernment passed and present have used sporting facilities as a political weapon.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

It is hardly surprising that the recent generation of kids are generally more unruly, unfit and have a high rate of teenage pregnancy. There is no-one pushing them to run about and there is very little for them to do in the towns/cities.

 

[dougdeep]

I can't see any non-whites in the ladies team either.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I can't see any non-whites in the ladies team either.

Isa Guha?

 

[dougdeep]

Isa Guha?

I expect some of them are.

 

[public school boy]

It is hardly surprising that the recent generation of kids are generally more unruly, unfit and have a high rate of teenage pregnancy. There is no-one pushing them to run about and there is very little for them to do in the towns/cities.

Again I raise the question of parental responsibility. Why should it be the responsibility of local councils and Whitehall for child control. Discipline and encouraging a child to persue it's interests (Legal ones) whether it be in Football, Cricket, Swimming etc should be that of the parent. There are a number of cricketers of Asian origin playing for on on the fringes of playing for England so why are there none of West Indian origin? (other than Dmitri Mascarenas)

 

[Gully]

Whilst travelling through India I noticed that the local children in villages I visited had constructed cricket pitches in the fields and were using sticks or pieces of wood to use as bats and were happily playing.

As kids we used to do precisely that, cricket was a game of choice amongst my peer group at pretty much any time of year, we were lucky enough to have a real bat and ball so our improvisation didn't go quite that far...if you try hard enough there will always be somewhere for a knock around, or even a game of street cricket where you draw up your own rules for scoring runs...anyone got a bat and ball, I really fancy a game!

 

[public school boy]

As kids we used to do precisely that, cricket was a game of choice amongst my peer group at pretty much any time of year, we were lucky enough to have a real bat and ball so our improvisation didn't go quite that far...if you try hard enough there will always be somewhere for a knock around, or even a game of street cricket where you draw up your own rules for scoring runs...anyone got a bat and ball, I really fancy a game!

People in this country seem to show little imagination these days. Unless things are handed to them on a plate they are not interested. May be this is one of the reasons why so many countries beat us at sport and of course there is the anti competitive brigade.

 

[BensGrandad]

As a school boy schools stopped playing football at Easter and removed the goals from their playing fields and started playing cricket until the summer holidays. I asked my nephew if he liked cricket, he is 8 years old, and he said no because we dont play it at school. When I asked what they played in summer he said rounders or outdoor ten pin bowling or as we know it skittles. What a let down for one of our national sports.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

People in this country seem to show little imagination these days. Unless things are handed to them on a plate they are not interested. May be this is one of the reasons why so many countries beat us at sport and of course there is the anti competitive brigade.

Interesting theory. How does the record haul of medals at the olympics fit in with tis?

 

[public school boy]

Interesting theory. How does the record haul of medals at the olympics fit in with tis?

You have a very good point there. May be the sports that this country excells in, Swimming( recently), sailing, cycling, rowing, boxing could be cosidered as specialist sports with individual sponcership, hours of training and determination to reach the top. Why can't our footballers and cricketers achieve the same? Is it something to do with money or are they just not as good as the opposition?

 

[The Spanish]

f***ing hell I would take a Devon Malcolm over Harmison any day of the week.

We have really missed a trick here. Shame.

 

[Jamie]

It has to be said, its amazing how many whispering campaigns are started about asian players who have an alleged "bad attitude". It was the same in the 80's against black players, hence Norman Cowans was not picked as much as he should have. Its also strange that some batsmen can fail, and fail and fail, but then get chance after chance, but others have to score a 100 to keep their place in the side