Cricket and the Liberalist World-View

Abstract

A philosophical study of the link between sport and culture, this essay investigates the extent to which the structure of cricket can be seen as a product of the liberalist world-view. Nineteenth-century Britain was the cradle of both cricket and liberalism. It should not be surprising if this aspect of British culture has influenced the evolution of cricket to the extent that the modern game embodies the ideological frame of mind of its birthplace. Dealing explicitly with the constitutive, rule-bound aspects of cricket, three formal aspects in particular are discussed: first, the toss as a necessary condition of equality of opportunity in cricket matches, secondly the role of the umpire as a bounded authority within the game and thirdly, the interplay of individual and collective interest. With regard to the history of cricket it is argued that an evolution from Lockean to Smithean liberalism can be noted. In the naivety of nineteenth-century (Lockean) liberalism, in which the game was founded, cricket players were trusted to act in accordance with the spirit of the gentlemen's game. It soon became clear, however, that when afforded too much freedom by the Laws, the (Hobbesian) wolf inside many players easily gains the upper hand. In the modern and professional era of the game, it is now widely acknowledged that (in accordance with Smithean liberalism) cricket players have to be groomed into gentlemen within a sound social environment governed by explicit laws and disciplinary institutions.