Pragmatism calls for in chalking cricket's future

Considering that cricket's big challenge is to protect history while embracing change, the venue of the World Cricket Connect (WCC) conference was ideal.

- Amrit Mathur

Considering that cricket's big challenge is to protect history while embracing change, the venue of the World Cricket Connect (WCC) conference was ideal. The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) invited cricket's stakeholders to Lord's, the home of cricket which represents tradition, culture and history going back 200 years.

The Long Room set the tone for the meet by embracing change – the dress code was relaxed to allow guests to attend without the mandatory tie and jacket.

The MCC's WCC started with a disclaimer that the stakeholder meet was not a decision-making authority; it only represented views and opinions that can play a role in shaping the future of the game we all love.

The star cast of speakers and panelists participating in the discussions was impressive. Prominent among them were former captains Barry Richards, Mike Atherton, Andrew Strauss, Sourav Ganguly, Kumar Sangakkara, Kane Williamson and Pat Cummins.

Discussions centered around the confusion and complexity arising from cricket having three formats, the rapid expansion of privately owned franchise leagues, the threat/imminent demise of Test cricket and the likely direction of future growth.

Questions asked: Can all three formats co-exist? Should Test cricket be saved? What will spark cricket's future growth? What is the best way to engage with fans?