On Leap Year Day 2024, Squire Patton Boggs held its inaugural women’s sport symposium, Leap into the Future of Women’s Sport. Bringing together key figures from across the sports industry, the Symposium focussed on what is next for commercialisation, investment and growth, and maternity and parental policies. For a flavour of the talking points, please … Continue Reading
On 19 March 2024, Cricket Australia (“CA”) announced its decision to withdraw from their three-match men’s T20 series against Afghanistan because of the ongoing restrictions on women and girls in the country. This will be the third bilateral series that CA have declined to play against Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August … Continue Reading
As recreational sport returns to local parks and commons, a recent High Court ruling has served as a useful reminder to occupiers of their duty of care owed to visitors. The case considers, amongst other things, the requirement of reasonableness under the Occupiers Liability Act 1957 (the “OLA 1957”) as well as the concept of … Continue Reading
Indian Premier League Over the last decade, the Indian Premier League (“IPL”), a marquee Indian cricket event and an international premier Twenty20 cricket competition, has transformed cricket into more than just a “gentleman’s game.” The IPL, founded and organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (“BCCI”), is a cricketing festival that hosts … Continue Reading
The first over of the 2019 Cricket World Cup will be bowled on Thursday 30 May as England take on South Africa at the Oval. The World Cup is part of an exciting summer of cricket in this country, with a home Ashes series to look forward to in August. It is perhaps a foregone … Continue Reading
Given its escalation all the way to the Bristol Crown Court, even the casual sports fan will have noted the media furore regarding Ben Stokes and the street brawl he engaged in last September. Although Stokes was found not guilty for the offence of affray, he has not escaped all liability for his actions just … Continue Reading
You are a bowler playing in a Somerset Cricket League fixture. The batting team needs five runs to win but giving up two runs will provide the batsman his maiden ton. Do you: Bowl the ball, try to get the batting team out before they make five runs; or Throw the ball to the boundary? … Continue Reading
A controversial question I know, but let’s looks at the facts: Cricket – Yesterday, Scotland beat a full strength England side, the number one ranked side in the World, in a One Day International in Edinburgh. The host team scored a record beating 371 runs before dismissing England for 365 with more than an over … Continue Reading
The International Cricket Council (“ICC”) has recently reported that it is considering a number of radical proposals to address the growing prominence of Twenty20 (“T20”) cricket after criticism that it is diminishing the primacy of internationals, especially test cricket. Short-form tournaments, such as T20s, are growing in popularity with some players opting to compete only … Continue Reading
The immediate as well as long-term risks of concussion are an ever-topical point of discussion within sport, and one that Sports Shorts has considered previously. Player welfare is regularly called into question, with concerns often voiced as to the quality and thoroughness of head injury assessments and concussion protocols. Ever since the death of Australian … Continue Reading
Sports Shorts has previously covered the topics of both Test Match cricket generally and the introduction of Day/Night matches to the international arena. These articles focussed on the difficulties of ensuring Test Match cricket remains relevant and attractive in the modern era of sports consumption and participation where the common theme appears to be less … Continue Reading
For a sport that was first played in the 15th century, cricket continues to evolve at a surprisingly rapid pace. Yesterday afternoon and evening, England played the first day of their maiden day-night test against the West Indies. This was the first ever day-night test match to be played in the United Kingdom. With it brought … Continue Reading
Last month, Sports Shorts wrote about the pay dispute between the Australian cricket governing body, Cricket Australia (CA), and the players. At that time, deadlock prevailed and the Australian players were refusing to play as they were effectively unemployed when the old Memorandum of Understanding (which governed matters such as pay) expired. At the beginning of this … Continue Reading
For the last seven years, the UK government has made it a key priority to reduce the UK’s net migration figure. Measures to that end have included making the ability to employ a non-EEA national exceptionally expensive (currently, for a five year visa, the figure stands at in excess of £7,000 purely for visa fees … Continue Reading
Ahead of the start of the third test between England and South Africa on Thursday, many a column inch has been devoted to the apparent fragility of England’s batting line-up and discussion has inevitably turned to whether personnel changes are necessary. In particular, questions have been asked about whether England should persevere with 25 year-old … Continue Reading
It has been rumbling on for some time, stories here and there in the press suggesting that negotiations regarding pay in a sporting context were going to come to a head and potentially turn into an ugly dispute. It is not unusual to see such stories in sport, particularly given the salaries some sports stars … Continue Reading
On 27 March 2017, the Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Tom Harrison, announced that, from 2020, there will (probably) be a new domestic Twenty20 tournament (in addition to the current Twenty20 Blast) designed to ‘rival the best in the world’. Uniquely, the tournament will be city (as opposed to county) based and … Continue Reading
In recent weeks, salaries in women’s sports have been featuring frequently in the headlines. In the US, female ice hockey players are locked in heated negotiations with USA Hockey (the IOC-recognised governing body of organised amateur ice hockey in the USA) over wages, with the players threatening to boycott the upcoming wold championship if an … Continue Reading
In recent weeks, Sports Shorts has considered a number of forthcoming, or potential, rule changes in football, including the planned introduction of Video Assistant Referees from the third round onwards of the 2017-2018 FA Cup and the possible introduction of sin bins. Without wishing to be outdone by their footballing counterparts, similar changes are afoot … Continue Reading
Concussion is a contentious issue in sport and is a topic that has previously been covered by Sports Shorts here, here and here. Many sports involve physical contact and, in the professional era where sportspeople are stronger, faster and more athletic than at any time before, the risk of serious injury is high. The onus … Continue Reading
When he first became a handball goalkeeper, Maroš Kolpak probably never thought that his name would later become synonymous with a European Court ruling which has been crucial in allowing many sportspersons from countries outside Europe to play their sport within the EU. Not a bad claim to fame! In 1995, the European Court of … Continue Reading
The International Cricket Council (the “ICC”) confirmed on Tuesday 22 November 2016 that Faf du Plessis, the captain of the South Africa cricket team, would be fined 100 per cent of his match fee and given three demerit points for “applying an artificial substance to the ball” during the fourth day’s play in the second … Continue Reading
It will be well known to the readers of this blog that media companies will pay eye watering amounts of money for the rights to broadcast major sporting events. It is reported that the most valuable of these deals are as follows: $5.3 billion per year for the NFL. $2.7 billion per year for the … Continue Reading
“Test cricket is the main course and always will be. The other versions are like starters and desserts.” – Sachin Tendulkar Test match cricket is a true anomaly in World sport. Where else can a sporting contest last 5 days and still result in no winner – something often stated to be the reason the … Continue Reading
