Cannot expect athletes to perform every day, need to balance out calendar, says Greg Barclay
Nov 25, 2020
Dubai [UAE], November 25 : Greg Barclay, the newly elected International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman has said that the cricket calendar needs to be formed in such a manner that athletes' safety and fitness are looked after and they are not burnt out.
Earlier today, Barclay was elected as the new Independent Chairman of the ICC. According to an official statement, Barclay replaced Shashank Manohar who stepped down from the post earlier this year.
Barclay also gave his take on bi-lateral cricket and world events co-existing in trying to make the game more appealing to fans worldwide.
"I think there has been misinterpretation within the media around the place, the fact is that I am really an advocate of bilateral cricket, it is the lifeline of cricket in all countries, all countries need to have the opportunity of playing bilateral cricket. Countries playing each other regularly is exactly what drives the fan engagement and it is what drives the development pathways. It is a vital part of cricket," said Barclay in a video posted on ICC's Online Media Zone.
"ICC runs world-class world events, just look at how successful was the T20 World Cup in Australia this year. They are pinnacle events, all members should look to support that, countries need to work together and one cannot sit in isolation from another. You have to look at the place of domestic leagues, some of them are massive events like the IPL and Big Bash. You also need to look at the congestion of the calendar and the sustainability of players. You also need to look after the safety and fitness of all athletes. We cannot expect athletes to perform day and day out, you need to balance it out. I would like to see all things working together to see an optimum output," he added.
Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer, has been a director of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) since 2012 and is currently NZC's representative on the board of the ICC. He will now step down from his position at NZC to lead the ICC in an independent capacity.
Barclay was a director of ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2015 and is a former board member and chairman of the Northern Districts Cricket Association.
He is also an experienced company director holding board positions with various New Zealand and Australian companies.
