It all comes down to the money... ?

It a££ ¢ome$ down to the mon€¥

lyrics from the hip-hop track by Terminator X (and featuring Whodini)

It all comes down to the money
Whether it`s rainy or snowy or sunny
Funny, but it all comes down to the money
I`m in it
I`m in it for the cash
I`m in it for the cash

all rights (and apologies) to Terminator X

¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£

¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£¥$£

I wish that the players - the England XI (and the coach!) would man up and tell us straight that money was the deal with Stanford. The West Indies players (sorry, Stanford Superstars) are usually more honest about this sort of thing - perhaps because the region historically - and collectively - has lacked the English embarrassment regarding monetary matters.

In any case, it looks as though even the lucre-loving E(W)CB are having second thoughts about this 'tournament'...

...the ingrates

Now I know why I’m feeling queasy about Stanford...

" Now whoo wants tah git a hold of mah assits furst??? "

This explains why I felt uncomfortable about the Stanford deal.

He's actually gone and proved that what I said in an earlier blog about cricket selling out is kinda true.

Not even the most ambitious soccer WAG would allow herself to be photographed like this with a man like this (willingly)...

I am actually on the side of the ladies here.

I refuse to judge them - some things are more important than money...

...and I am not blaming Sir Allen either. Mr KP said that they didn't set up this situation, they play where they're told for England. I do not blame the players at all.

Nor their unfortunate wives and companions.

Turgid Twenty20 for 20

I’m falling asleep...

sorry Middlesex and T&T,

but this is terminally boring.

The ideal soporific.

Good night (yawn)...

I said I wouldn’t, but...

...here I am watching the Middlesex team vs England in Antigua (thanks to my favourite informal webcaster).

Tonight’s stream is great picture wise, but it keeps starting and stopping. Irritating.

But it’s nice to see a little ‘colour’ in the crowd for a change.

And many of the people look as I do.

But they’re not cold.

As I am.

Cricket on the iPlayer, anyone?

Today’s BBC iPlayer


Wow!!! The Beeb are now supping with a very long spoon.

According to The Guardian today, the BBC and the BSkyB Corporations have come to a deal regarding the iPlayer.

Those who subscribe to the Sky subscription service will now be able to access BBC programming through the proprietary Sky Player, rather than going through the BBC’s iPlayer site. Any room for the cricket next year, chaps (?)

A back-handed compliment if ever there was one.

All sold out in Antigua...

I’m losing track of the game that I love so much. ICL here, EPL there, - and never mind Mr Lalit Modi with his designs of global expansion for the IPL...

...and the dressing down of the WICB by the High Court in London only emphasises the continuing diminution of Caribean cricket, and its loss of independence. The days of pride, self-confidence and world-class teams (and attitude) are long gone. Reduced to a rich man’s plaything. I don’t resent the players for wanting to make a fast buck - the life of the cricketing pro is short indeed, most of the time. Make hay while the sun shines, strike whilst the iron is hot, all that gubbins. But whilst I am not as extreme in the condemnation department as a certain Mr S Hughes or a Mr J Agnew, I feel uneasy as to what this wager will mean for cricket generally in the future. It’s not the format, it’s the money that makes me feel queasy.

This ‘game’ simply feels like a sell-out.