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A separate panel will debate the question of whether cricket is ‘cool’ – and Nicholas believes there is work to do in that regard.
“The answer is, currently, it is not cool enough,” he said.
“In its shortest format, certainly in India, maybe with The Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League, and probably with SA20, there is an increasingly younger audience and more examples of kids saying to their parents ‘I want to go to the cricket’ rather than the other way round.
“It’s getting cooler again and I would say India and the IPL has driven that.
“People throw stones at marketing, but good marketing is unbelievably powerful.
“I would say that here (England) with the Hundred, South Africa, India, they do it well.
“I did two weeks of the Pakistan Super League, and one outstanding observation would be that they don’t market as hard or as successfully as some of the other leagues.”
World Cricket Connects, which brings together influential figures from across all aspects of cricket, was Nicholas’ brainchild and is expanding to a two-day event in 2025 after a successful start last year.
A 13-strong World Cricket Connects Advisory Board, chaired by Kumar Sangakkara, has been established since the inaugural forum was held and one of its members, Mel Jones, has had a significant impact in helping Afghanistan’s displaced women’s team find opportunities to play in Australia.
The MCC founded the Global Refugee Cricket Fund earlier this year and its initial focus is supporting the Pitch Our Future campaign – an Australian-led programme that empowers and supports players from the former Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team – after the topic was raised at World Cricket Connects.
“People wanted action, they were horrified by what had happened to Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers,” Nicholas said.
“Once it became obvious there was a way to support it through our foundation, we were very quick to do so.
“One of MCC’s great strengths is that we give back to cricket to an extraordinary level, a level that cuts our surplus every year in half.
“I feel we should always try and help initiatives like that, that’s exactly where MCC can fit. I really feel that was in our wheelhouse.”
World Cricket Connects is an initiative dedicated to bringing together cricket stakeholders from around the world to discuss and shape the future of the sport. Through events, discussions, and collaborations, World Cricket Connects aims to foster innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in cricket.
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