The cricket world cup is with us again. Two whole months of predictable results interspersed with some fleeting excitement while India are still in with a chance.
India should do very well. While in other nations the number of young players learning the game in schools is in the thousands, we have hundreds of millions of school children playing the game. - However, we have also have one of the world’s worst school physical education curricula that like cricket, is a legacy of our colonial past.
In Australia very few children play cricket. In 2003 there were only126,364 players in all school cricket, and yet their national team always does well. The reason is to be found in the way schools teach cricket.
The Australian Cricket Board has a National Schools Cricket Strategy, aimed at developing an integrated curricula that delivers resources and programmes to schools. Their school children are introduced to an age appropriate cricket syllabus with standardised lesson plans for each age.
In Kindagarten and Primary Schools children play ‘Kanga Cricket’ . It is user-friendly for teachers, and assists children in familiarising themselves with the basic skills of throwing, catching, fielding and batting. As children progress through the Australian school system they move onto a ‘Super 8s’ cricket programme which is also designed to develop skills in a modified games setting. Not until children are 13 or 14 do they usually play a version of the 11-a-side adult game in schools.
At every stage of the child’s schooling, lessons, equipment, size of field, duration of game are all age appropriate, and designed to give every child equal opportunity and equal time to bat, bowl, and field. Most importantly every lesson is designed for maximum fun and maximum learning. Competitive matches are limited and the emphasis is on learning and development for all, regardless of ability. - Even when the child is playing the adult version of the game lessons follow the 4 to 1 ratio. With 4 sessions devoted to teaching and learning skills, techniques, and theory, to every one where a competive game is played.
Most other countries have a cricket syllabus similar to the Australian one. The British have ‘Kwik Cricket’ for Primary schools and ‘Inter Cricket’ for middle schools. Contrast all this with the way cricket is taught in Indian schools where, at best, children are taught on pitches designed for grown men with training methods similar to those given to adults. – and if the child is not talented at a particular age - he is left behind…
Most countries have been quick to break down the class barriers inherent in the game, and have introduced modern PE and sports training, but we have stubbornly refused to do away with the physical education and school sports teaching that were designed to maintain social class and gender differences and produce obedient servants of the Raj. We pay the price in all sports - and not just cricket.
However, in spite of our appalling Physical Education programmes we should do well in this world cup because the number of naturally talented cricketers in Indian outnumbers the other countries by thousands to one, - But imagine what we could do if, like other countries, we introduced modern physical education into schools. We have the talent in abundance – sadly the will is missing.
