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I
was planning a quiet afternoon watching cricket. As often is the case,
my day in the sun did not work out as I had anticipated. My sun hat, chair
and picnic lunch were never liberated from the car.
As
an old white guy, with white beard and white hair, it continues to amaze
me how many younger people want to talk to me about cricket. The questions
are numerous and searching.
I
have found that cricketers are the same everywhere. All they want to do
is get out on the field and play the game they love. So it is strange
that, at first, so many of them seem to be worried about the future of
the game in Canada. No matter what I might suggest to cricketers about
the inherent good health of cricket in Canada, there is this sense of
angst, uneasiness and worry.
It
turns out that the cricketers have concerns about the way the Canadian
Cricket Association is administering their game. It is the players game.
If the players did not have the passion for the game the raison d’ętre
for the Canadian Cricket Association would not exist. To be absolutely
clear, it is fundamental that the institution is the servant. If that
is not the case, and the players have become subservient to the agenda
of the institution which administers the sport, then the root cause of
disaffection is self-apparent.
The
players want answers, which results in this old white guy being bombarded
with questions. The players do not seem to get it that no matter what
the Canadian Cricket Association does, or does not do, cricket will continue
to be played from coast to coast.
Why
is it that the regular Joe Cricketer, most often a first generation
new Canadian, or the progeny of that generation, have bought into the
idea that unless the Canadian team goes to South Africa for the World
Cup the game in Canada will somehow disappear, or fall into disrepute?
If
I could talk with the President of the Canadian Cricket Association,
I might learn something which I could communicate to the cricketers.
Unfortunately the President of the CCA will not talk with me. Instead,
I had a conversation with Ron Fanfair and related this to him. His
only response was laced with ironic laughter as he simply commented,
“Well that’s the story, isn’t it, ... he won’t talk to you”.
The
following are transcriptions of e-mail correspondence exchanged with
the President of the Canadian Cricket Association:
Subject:
Commentary on Junior cricket
Date:
Mon, 06 May 2002 05:22:29 ‑0400
From:
Jon & Sandi <hennessy.harris@sympatico.ca>
To:
"Geoffed01@cs.com" <Geoffed01@cs.com>, manager
<manager@cricamericas.com>
Dear
Geoff:
Thank
you for your responding to the "Commentary".
You
wrote that "Canada intends to
participate in an U‑15 team in Texas and there will be
a Canadian XI (not Team Canada) in the U‑13 if funds can
be realized for these and other events.". What
are the projected costs for each of the two teams?
You
wrote that "We need positive reinforcement
and "good news" to promote the game of cricket in
Canada and in the Americas‑ not the trashy negativism
that has been promoted in some articles in recent weeks and
months.". (What ‘good news’ stories can you
suggest? I am quite prepared to consider writing about them.)
You
wrote that "I am unable to write
about our involvement in the Tournament to meet your deadline
as it would be incomplete info. Later we can probably provide
accurate information. (What is the deadline for advising
the parents of the young cricketers, in order that the parents
can make the appropriate family arrangements?)
You
wrote that "Canadian teams are
selected by Canadian selectors‑ both junior and senior.
(Who are the selectors? What criteria are used to select the
selectors, and who appoints them?)
You
wrote that "Any Dads who have
been involved with junior cricket must surely know the process
and especially the Ontario resident selectors.".
(Would you provide some names of Dads who know the process and
the names of the “Ontario resident selectors”?)
You
wrote "FOR THE RECORD.
There
is normally a levy for these tournaments for players who qualify
and who are deemed capable and warrant selection.".
(Who
pays the levy? How is the amount of the levy determined? To
whom is the levy paid?)
You
wrote that
"Canada at present leads the Americas in cricket development.”.
(How
is this monitored, and which organisation makes that determination?)
You
wrote that "We need reinforcement
to ‘foster and promote’ and to keep and to increase that lead.
You can help us by positives ‑ not negatives for negatives'
sake". (Perhaps you would take a few moments
to indicate which were the “negatives for negatives’ sake”.)
You
wrote "Again thanks for your preview.
If there are any questions, please feel free to call.”.
(I am quite prepared to call and discuss the issues. You should
understand that I would make a record of your comments. There
are many questions, so send me a note and give me a time and date
when it would be convenient to talk for about an hour. If you
would find it more amenable for you to have the discussion over
breakfast, lunch or dinner, just select the place, choose the
date, set the time, and I will pick up the tab. Beyond the issues
about youth cricket I would like to understand in what way the
CCA has advised affiliated Associations and Clubs, about the new
2000 Code of the Laws of Cricket, and in fact a whole host of
other topics. However, I will cede the setting of the agenda to
you. Feel free to invite Robert Weekes to join us.).
Keep
playing with a straight bat,
Regards,
Jon
Harris
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Re:
Commentary on Junior cricket
Date
Mon, 6 May 2002 09:44:06 EDT
From:
Geoffed01@cs.com
To:
hennessy.harris@sympatico.ca, manager@cricamericas.com
Dear
Jon:
Due
to extenuating circumstances, I am not at this time able to respond
to most [of] the questions raised.
I
shall attempt to have some answers for you or to have another
officer respond. Kevin Boller, our PRO, may be of assistance
in much of the material re the working of the CCA. All persons
selected are selected by the Board or its committees. I am not
involved in selection and I am not able to provide names of Dads,
for example.
PLEASE
NOTE: I am not interested in being quoted on your website.
Playing
with a straight bat is great advice.
Regards
& Thanks,
Geoff
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Diary
entry - Jon Harris
Saturday
May 11, 2002
Visit
to Ross Lord Park - watch cricket match CCA Under-23 Selects. I approach
Geoff Edwards and in front of several others suggest to him that “We should
talk. Can you and I go for a walk around the field?”
GE responds: “Can I take a rain check on that?”
JH: “It’s
your call”.
GE
walks away and talks to the group of players and spectators sitting on
the open bleachers. A few minutes later I am approached and told that
GE has instructed that no one should talk with me.
That,
of course, is not the end of the story. Many people did talk with me.
They want to talk. They do not understand why the CCA is run the way it
is. They keep asking questions. I have no answers for them. They want
me to ask the questions. The young aspiring players cannot ask the questions
for fear of being sanctioned. Now that is a whole other story.
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