Matthew Fleming: An issue that has been well and truly fudged (16 September 1997)

Tuesday 16 September 1997

An issue that has been well and truly fudged

By Matthew Fleming, chairman of the Professional Cricketers` Association

I FEEL very much like a member of the expectant congregation whose vicar opened his sermon with the line: "If you have a spark of hope, water it."

Lord MacLaurin`s blueprint for the future of English cricket gave all cricketers grounds for hope. The proposed conference system for the County Championship, stalking horse or not, had its merits, 50 per cent of the members of the Professional Cricketers` Association voted in favour of two divisions, the realisation that our national summer game had to evolve had dawned at almost every level, and we had all agreed "no change is not an option". Now this.

Dress up this latest solution as much as you like, but forgive many of my colleagues and I for thinking that this issue has been well and truly fudged.

I know that many cricketers will be baffled by yesterday`s events. Ian MacLaurin was appointed because his qualifications were unrivalled. He has succeeded beyond most people`s wildest dreams in the food sector, one of the toughest places to operate a business. He has a good knowledge of our game, a fervent interest and a desire to see us back on top. Having appointed such a man, why vote against his single most important proposal?

While the PCA might not have agreed with absolutely everything suggested, we could have, and I am confident would have, made it work. We have faith in the man asked to take our game forward. In rejecting Lord MacLaurin`s main idea for the championship the counties send a dangerous message to their members, the wider public and, just as worringly from my point of view, to the players. We have taken our heads out of the sand and are prepared to put them over the parapet for the future of English cricket. We can`t do it on our own.

I am left with an overwhelming feeling of waste. What a missed opportunity this was and what a shame it would be if our sport`s inbred parochialism meant we had taken a step backwards in- stead of a giant stride forwards into the 21st century. Only time will tell.

Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)