Lack of black cricketers.

[Shiv]

No school sits closer to a Test venue than Archbishop Tenison's. Surrey, long the best and most exciting team on the county circuit. To Sobers, Hall and Gibbs, Viv, Curtly and Courtney, it was like playing at home. The silent turnstiles tell their own story: of a culture assimilated and a heritage spurned.



Inside the Hobbs Gates another snapshot of 21st-century Britain. Those combatants qualified to play for England include Mark Ramprakash (Indo-Guyanan father), Nadeem Shahid (Karachi-born), Scott Newman (Indian dad) and Amjad Khan (Asian parents). The sole Afro-Caribbean – a fit Alex Tudor would have made it two – is Michael Carberry, ex-Surrey, now playing for the visitors Kent.



No news there. Among black Britons only Tudor, Ramprakash, Mark Butcher, Monte Lynch and Lonsdale Skinner have operated at all regularly for Surrey. Across the Thames they are supposed to be more cosmopolitan. In the 1980s Middlesex's domination owed much to Roland Butcher, Norman Cowans, the West Indian Wayne Daniel, Wilf Slack and Neil Williams – "The Jackson Five". Paul Weekes alone of the current squad is of Afro-Caribbean stock and the chairman Phil Edmonds was wary, in relieving Owais Shah of the captaincy in June, that the decision might be viewed as racist.

Why is it that there is a lack of black cricketers playing in county cricket now? The numbers have fallen significantly in the last 10 years and there is no reasonable explanation for this.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Shiv

Why is it that there is a lack of black cricketers playing in county cricket now? The numbers have fallen significantly in the last 10 years and there is no reasonable explanation for this.

Probably all off playing football, lots more money involved.

[Richie Benauds Love Child]

Welcome aboard Shiv. Funnily enough, we had anothre bash at this topic a while a go. Check out this thread here http://www.world-a-team.com/showthread.php?t=1080

[Teatime FatCat]

How many of the U19 or acadmey squads are Asian or black - I'll wager that most of the young cricketers of ethnic origin who are going to break through will be Asian.

Kabir Ali
Kadeer Ali
Bilalal Shafyatt
Samit Patel
Rajesh Bopara
Monte Panesar

any others?

[Notts Exile]

Worcestershire signed Nadeem Malik from Notts before the start of last season, he opened te bowling for the England U19 side. Worcs also have an offie who bowls one that goes the other way - Shaftab Kalid. Yorkshire have an asian keeper in Ismael Dawood.

I can't think of any others off the top of my head, but you're right TFC, they do all appear to be of Asian origin rather than West Indian. Perhaps this reflects the downward turn in West Indian cricket fortunes?

Notts are hoping that Samit Patel will make an impact this season, he certainly has the talent. He scored a good 40 off 24 balls albeit in a losing cause against Glamorgan last week - needing 18 from three balls he hit the first two over the boundary but couldn't manage the third!

[Statto]

Sajid Mahmood at Lancs as well.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Notts Exile

Notts are hoping that Samit Patel will make an impact this season, he certainly has the talent. He scored a good 40 off 24 balls albeit in a losing cause against Glamorgan last week - needing 18 from three balls he hit the first two over the boundary but couldn't manage the third!

I saw abit of that match on TV. He bowled some economical overs of left arm spin at the end too, while everyone else was being hit for 6.

[Teatime FatCat]

Yup, I saw him too, he looks pretty useful. Needs a full season to see how he pans out I think.