World Series Cricket changed the game for the better, but the sport is unwilling to recognise it.
Back when Kerry Packer ruled the roost in the Australian media, players were paid next to nothing for slogging it out for five days straight in a Test match.
Packer saw this and wanted to help not only the players but boost the game itself, and so World Series Cricket was born.
Players such as Tony Greig, Ian Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh led the way by helping to recruit players to the Packer game.
When Packer was questioned about whether or not his game would succeed he spoke the truth.
“They will be the best international players playing against each other,” he said.
“If people want to see these players play, they will come.”
Many of the players were hammered by ‘traditionalists’ and were banned from competing in board-sanctioned matches.
When the question ‘Why were they banned?’ is asked, the answer is more political than anything.
They were playing for the rebel brand, yet the rebel brand was the fairer of the two. Packer offered the players proper match payments and allowed them to make a career out of cricket.
If it wasn’t for him they probably would have only just turned completely professional.
But the main thing that really annoys me is that none of the cricket boards recognise the matches played in World Series Cricket, nor do they recognise runs or wickets made or taken in that era.
I don’t understand why the boards can’t make like the NRL did and formally recognise the games played during ‘the war’.
Ian Chappell still quite clearly holds some resentment towards the Australian cricket administration and he demonstrated this when Australia was hammered by Sri Lanka a few weeks ago.
In commentary he said that Australia’s real lowest-ever ODI total was made in World Series Cricket against the West Indies but it’ll never be shown.
My message to the cricket boards would be to wake up and acknowledge the fine service given by those players who dared to ask for an honest wage so they could make a career out of the game they loved.
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