West Indian Cricket Culture in the 21st Century British Caribbean Context

Machel Hewitt takes an in-depth look at the growing disconnect between the West Indies cricket team and the British Caribbean population

I was born in the parish of St Andrew, Jamaica and only possessed a Jamaican passport until the age of 15/16.

My family moved over to the UK when I was 3 years old and moved back home when I was 16. I then returned for university in the UK two years later. I consider myself Jamaican first and foremost despite having lived the majority of my life in the UK.

That notwithstanding although Jamaica is my home having also grown up in the UK I’ve had first hand experience of the dwindling connection the modern day British Caribbean community feel towards both ‘home’ and more specifically the West Indies cricket team.

Each time the West Indies tour England it is noticeable that the number of fans of Caribbean heritage in attendance continues to drastically fall. If you then extrapolate that to look specifically at those under the age of 40 it is virtually non-existent.

During Black History Month (October 2021) I was invited by the University of Wolverhampton to talk about this precise issue and the myriad of reasons that have contributed to this cultural disconnect.

You can find the video below - please do share with anybody you feel may be interested.

You can find out more about Caribbean Cricket Podcast at www.caribbeancricketpodcast.com

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