Peter Oborne the political journalist and keen cricket follower recently remarked that the game can be neatly compartmentalised and isolated from the disturbing and sometimes sordid reality of everyday life. Scyld Berry the departing editor of Wisden Almanack subscribed to the latter in his presentation and the extensive question and answer session at the second In the Zone Sport and Politics Evening held at the Waterloo Gardens Tea House, Cardiff.

The Sunday Telegraphcricket correspondent was addressing the theme From Match-Fixing to the Ashes:The Politics of Cricket. In a grand tour of international cricket in which he drew on his recent experiences covering the Ashes in Australia and attending the knock-out stages of the World Cup, Scyld made a dramatic plea for improved administration of international cricket. At the heart of his concerns was the need for the involvement of former players in the international administration of the game, particularly in view of the growing commercialisation of the sport, and the failure on the part of many of the administrators involved to think beyond the bottom line driven by the next potentially lucrative deal with the broadcasters. The likely consequence of too many meaningless matches particularly in the one day format) will be overkill, growing spectator disinterest coupled with player burn-out.Scyld spoke warmly of the running of the game in New Zealand since 1994, suggesting that this could be useful model to follow at both national and international level

More worryingly were Scyld Berry’s remarks concerning match fixing. He spoke at considerable length on this theme, suggesting that much remains uncovered as a consequence of the limited terms of references for a number of the inquiries that have been conducted and the fact that too many vested interests in the game fear the impact of what may be revealed about their activities if further details were exposed by the media.

With regard to Pakistan’s valuable contribution to the international game, Scyld called for the establishment of a stadium complex in a safe environment which could house the players during international matches thus reducing the security fears that visiting teams understandably possess. This could use the model created at the Mohalii stadium in northern India and would help to sustain domestic interest in the game and build on the remarkable success of the national side in the recent World Cup despite the manifold difficulties that the national side has had to contend with.

In concluding Scyld spoke of his pleasure of awarding Player of the Year awards and adding to Wisden’s Hall of Fame, though this year in choosing four rather than five players to bestow this honour upon, he was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of his editorship.

Despite being in Cardiff as the Maynards returned to the SWALEC Stadium he did not tread into the murky waters of Glamorgan cricket.