STEFAN SZYMANSKI and TIM WIGMORE Crickonomics: The anatomy of modern cricket. Reviewed by Braham Dabscheck

Szymanski and Wigmore examine cricket’s evolution from an elite English pastime to a global phenomenon.

Bat and a ball games are as old as humankind. They are a testament to our creativity. Cricket emerged in Britain in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and its rules were codified by the upper classes during the latter part of the nineteenth century. The game became increasingly popular and spread to various parts of what was then the British Empire. In Crickonomics: The anatomy of modern cricket, Stefan Szymanski and Tim Wigmore observe that:          

For most of its history, cricket administrators have celebrated the exclusivity of the sport – like members of a snooty Victorian members’ club delighting in their elevated company. The snobbery and elitism go a long way towards explaining … cricket’s [appeal] to … a broader audience.

This situation has changed dramatically in the new millennium. Szymanski and Wigmore have set themselves the task of explaining what can only be regarded as a major revolution in cricket as it has spread across the globe.

This is possibly the most engaging and insightful book on the progress of cricket that I have ever read. The authors dip into various aspects of cricket’s rich history to put current developments into context and draw comparisons with developments in other professional sports.

Drawing on Szymanski’s skills as an economist, Crickonomics makes use of statistical methods, or what they refer to as data analytics, to explain several more specific issues. The great strength of this material is how well it is presented, with the different statistical techniques being clearly explained and accessible to those who lack a mathematical background.

While cricket has always been played by enthusiasts in their local communities, its popularity and commercial success has historically been linked to contests between national teams; the regular Ashes clashes between Australia and England signalled the beginning of this trend. Such play was developed on the model of a ‘travelling circus’. A team from one country would tour another and there would be a series of Test Matches. The ‘travelling circus’ enabled spectators in different localities to watch the leading players of the day and helped enhance income for those who organised and operated such contests.

Technology enabled games to be reported in newspapers, heard on radio, watched on television and other streaming media. The problem with the ‘travelling circus’ model was the repetition of the same teams competing, in comparison to, say, a football league where there is more variety with many teams competing against each other and more players to observe and compare (who could also derive income). Technological changes associated with broadcasting also reduced the need for the circus to travel; spectators could now watch all games from the comfort of their homes.

Two interrelated major innovations fundamentally challenged the nineteenth-century ‘travelling circus’ model, and in the process changed the governance and operation of cricket and enhanced its growth across the globe. They are the rise of India as the major force in cricket, and the emergence of league-style domestic and international cricket competitions.

Related to this is the emergence of Twenty20 cricket, a short form of the game played over roughly three hours. This is organised on a league-style basis with a larger number of teams competing against each other. This increase in the number of teams competing and the number of games played has provided more variety and diversity to the game, and has proved popular with spectators and broadcasters. It has also, especially – but not only – in India,  generated substantial increases in revenue. Twenty20 cricket has grown across the globe with an increasing number of star players being able to command substantial incomes. Cricket has been transformed from a low-income sport for a small coterie of players to a higher-paying one for an increasing number of players. Cricket incomes for top players are now approaching those of stars in other professional sports.

As the balance of cricket power has been transferred to India and the subcontinent, away from ‘the snooty Victorians’ in London, there has been a concerted attempt to grow the game internationally, with cricket being taken up by Asian nations:

Economic migrants from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have taken the game to countries such as Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait, Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia [where] late night games in car parks are common. Players from Bangladesh, India or Pakistan have often accounted for half or more of players in their national teams.

Szymanski and Wigmore also point to an unexpected consequence of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan at the end of the 1970s. During that war, many Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan, where they were introduced to the game. Afghan refugees who found their way to Germany formed or joined cricket clubs, connecting with German cricket enthusiasts. A German sports official observed that after seeing migrant communities playing sport he ‘quickly recognised that cricket was a good way to comfort many refugees. Sport speaks all languages.’

A third aspect associated with this cricket revolution has been the growth of women’s cricket. The authors point out that many of the innovations that have occurred in cricket were first tested in women’s cricket, such as Twenty20 and One Day Internationals (played over approximately eight hours). More regular competitions are increasing opportunities – and incomes – for female players.

Szymanski and Wigmore recommend that cricket authorities ring fence grants to local associations specifically for the women’s game, and establish central contracts to encourage women’s participation. In Brazil, authorities have established central contracts for women players over men, believing that in football-mad Brazil women’s cricket is more likely to experience growth than men’s.

A dominant theme of Crickonomics is the importance of opportunities to improve the skills of players: having time to train and play, having access to good training facilities and coaching, and the means to purchase cricket kit. In examining specific issues, such as why, in many cricket nations, the best players – especially batters – come from more privileged backgrounds, the authors continually return to the issue of access to opportunities. Associated with this they also examine racial and other forms of discrimination.

In addition, they consider changes in tactics, especially more aggressive batting (and the replacement of specialist wicketkeepers with wicketkeeper batters) to increase scoring rates and thus provide more time to bowl opposition teams out, especially in Test Matches; concussion and deaths from playing cricket; the impact of weather on scoring rates and the results of games; the operation of the Duckworth–Lewis method of adjusting for rain-affected games and the associated use of data analytics in betting and fantasy leagues; differences in payments between batters and bowlers (with a bias to batters) and the role of the ‘Barmy Army’ (travelling English supporters with a penchant for Test Cricket) and the Bharat Army (Indian supporters who follow One Day Internationals). Szymanski and Wigmore also provide useful bibliographic material for those who may wish to pursue issues in greater detail.

Crickonomics: The anatomy of modern cricket is an insightful and well-informed account of the dramatic changes that have occurred in cricket as it has moved away from its traditional narrow ‘snobbishness’ to a game with broader international appeal. It is a book which should be of interest not only to cricket enthusiasts, but anyone with an interest in sport more broadly.

Stefan Szymanski and Tim Wigmore Crickonomics: The anatomy of modern cricket Bloomsbury Sport 2022 PB 304pp $32.99

Braham Dabscheck is a Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Law School who writes on industrial relations, sport and other things. He played cricket well into his thirties; his expertise being confined to fielding. As a member of the famous Kensington Casuals team, which played in the New South Wales Catholic Cricket Competition, he won an award for the most outfield catches in the 1974/1975 season – they were the days.

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Tags: cricket, evolution of cricket, modern cricket, ODIs, Stefan | Szymanski, Tim | Wigmore, Twenty20 cricket, women's cricket