I’m reading a fascinating book—Extraterrestrial—which poses a substantial question that should also be applied to cricket. Author Avi Loeb is a decorated Harvard science professor who poses a tantalising question; “Imagine life on our planet the day after there is irrefutable confirmation of life elsewhere in the universe.” That provocative thought leads to an obvious question—what is the future of cricket? That debate should’ve been held long ago. It’s not too late now, but the list of attendees has grown along with the relative strength of the women’s game and the substantial influence of climate change. Playing styles have changed drastically in a few decades and yet there is still no blueprint for cricket’s future. Much as it did during the World Series Cricket (WSC) insurrection of the 1970s, the administration lurches ahead, driven mainly by knee-jerk reaction.

T20, the headline format
In the 1970s, the WSC insurrection was over pay and conditions, but it was the 50-over game that eventually prospered. Now, T20 is the headline format with Test cricket receiving occasional favourable mentions from players. The England captain Ben Stokes recently announced his retirement from the 50-over game. A reluctant Stokes said it was not possible for him to compete in all three formats and while his retirement was not unexpected, it is nevertheless a concern.