Letter: Cricket is enjoyed by the Establishment, not by the public

Letter: Cricket is enjoyed by the Establishment, not by the public

Sir: I would encourage the Government to allow cricket to sell TV rights to the likes of BSkyB ("Test cricket may go to satellite TV", 18 August); perhaps then our televisions will be freed from the BBC's countless hours of prime network time devoted to the game.

Contrary to accepted wisdom, cricket in the UK is a sport which is truly enjoyed by only a small minority but which gets far more than its fair share of media coverage. Unlike with football, the nation's lack of interest cricket is clearly apparent from the thousands of empty seats regularly seen around the televised games.

One can almost imagine it as some kind of state religion, with the Establishment trying to expose the public to it in quantities large enough to make them begin to think it is good for them. Let's stop this nonsense and make those who really do like cricket pay to watch it on dedicated channels.

ALISTAIR LENCZNER

London SW4