I agree in general but with caveats. While the ship has sunk, individual players have been at the forefront of the most commercially successful and fan focused brand of cricket- T20. It's not so dissimilar from the rise of one day cricket with Kerry Packer's breakaway tournaments in the 1970s. Our issues as you point out are more structural. The funding and investment (social, political etc) in cricket as a driving force for a better society is simply not there. Outside of the one off self sacrificers, good people for any rebuilding job are attracted to proper structure and just enough leadership so their contributions won't be wasted. We can look to how track and field is nurtured in Jamaica for local examples of how to do this with limited support. However I'd suggest that cricket needs a more deliberate tie to social development schemes to overcome some of the barriers of cost and direct corporate interest that currently disincentivise quality engagement at the grassroots
I agree in general but with caveats. While the ship has sunk, individual players have been at the forefront of the most commercially successful and fan focused brand of cricket- T20. It's not so dissimilar from the rise of one day cricket with Kerry Packer's breakaway tournaments in the 1970s. Our issues as you point out are more structural. The funding and investment (social, political etc) in cricket as a driving force for a better society is simply not there. Outside of the one off self sacrificers, good people for any rebuilding job are attracted to proper structure and just enough leadership so their contributions won't be wasted. We can look to how track and field is nurtured in Jamaica for local examples of how to do this with limited support. However I'd suggest that cricket needs a more deliberate tie to social development schemes to overcome some of the barriers of cost and direct corporate interest that currently disincentivise quality engagement at the grassroots