Giles Clarke is right over cricket's referrals system
I suffered a most chastening experience last week. A right old shock it was. Took me well and truly aback.
It was one of those deeply worrying moments that makes you wonder about your own state of mind. A bolt from the blue that forces you to search your soul and question your own judgment. Nay your very sanity.
I agreed with something Giles Clarke said.
Even now, typing those words, I find it chilling. It’s like waking up one morning after years and years supporting Lincoln City and discovering that you harbour a sudden and overwhelming passion for Grimsby Town. Is it some kind of breakdown? What’s happening to me?
The catalyst for this confusion was the referral system on which, on the radio last week, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board gave his opinion.
Now normally I find it useful to obtain Clarke’s point of view because if you then take the diametrically opposite position you are not far away from where you want to be. But on referrals the old fop hit the nail on the head.
He said the system used during England’s recent Test series in South Africa was “a shambles”. Quite.
Well said G... No, no I can’t bring myself to say it.
No, fair’s fair.
Well said Gi...
No I can’t. Yes, yes. You can. Go on.
Okay. Right. Here goes.
Well said Giles Clarke.
There.
Blimey. Actually that was quite liberating. Just shows.
Anyway, referrals. It’s not just the system used in the recent series that should be trashed, it’s the concept of referrals in cricket per se. It is crass and ill-conceived and, without doubt, will be identified as such sooner or later. Why not save a lot of time and wise up to it now?
Trouble is, that would take a bit of insight and a bit more strength. And that’s a big ask from the ICC, every senior member of which, bar the ECB, has voted in favour of referrals, of course.
Terrible move. This gimmick is another step towards undermining one of the hitherto sacrosanct strands of sport – the authority of match officials. More sinister than that, it is a huge stride forward for the power of television.
Due to the shameless acquisitiveness of Clarke and his cronies (ah - that’s better), cricket is already deep in thrall to television. But the goggle-box has so far been only a medium, albeit an increasingly controlling one.
