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Striker
You could have a party in the middle of the North Pole tonight but the edges of it are still melting.
The decline at grass roots level will slowly show itself at the top. Probably in terms of a growing reliance on public schoolboys and South Africans in the England side.
I do agree that it's been a great era to watch though. England fantastic at home in particular, a legend in Anderson and the Blast is quality.
Does it really matter the type of school they went to?
Grass roots sport participation is dropping across the board, not just in cricket. It's the way the world has changed. I'm a massive golf fan and it has the same problem. However, the golf governing bodies are attempting to modernise the game and appeal to a wider market in ways which don't alienate a lot of the current playing/watching public and in ways which are fighting against a huge backlash.
Time will tell but IMO, the way in which the ECB are trying to promote the game to wider markets is only going to harm it long term. Are we really going to be able to produce genuine quality test match bowlers who can perform in the majority of conditions when all of our 4 day cricket is going to be played in April, May and September? Not a chance IMO as the medium pacers who can get a bit of movement will be prevailing.
The Hundred may get more kids playing the game, great. But they aren't going to want to play test matches or 50 over games as that isn't what they've seen. I think it has far more worrying consequences to the longer term future of cricket than it does in terms of the potential benefits.
The stupid thing is that there are a load of other ways the ECB could have looked to increase participation without having to resort to this.