- Uses cricket as a lens through which to explore the history, development, and exigencies of capitalism.
- Examines the dynamics of the global political economy of cricket.
- Applies a Marxist critique of capitalism to modern sport.
- Demonstrates the importance of sport as both a product of capitalism and an ideological tool within capitalism.
- Offers an accessible and engaging writing style that utilises a narrative approach through the use of case studies and exemplars.
Chris McMillan is a Professional Teaching Fellow in the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is a sociologist with a particular interest in the intersections of cultures of capitalism, sport, cities and public policy. Chris is an active, if ineffective, cricketer and has played recreationally for East Coast Bays Cricket Club in New Zealand as well as Kew Cricket Club in London.
Title: Cricket, Capitalism and Class: From the Village Green to the Cricket Industry (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
Author: McMillan, Chris
ISBN: 9781032261652
Binding:
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publication Date: 2023-10-06
Number of Pages: 246
Weight: 0.6352 kg
'If the cricket ‘Establishment’ co-opted C.L.R. James, and denigrated Mike Marqusee, it will be interesting to see how they react to Chris McMillan, a third Marxist, who has exposed how class and capitalism shapes the global game – for better or worse – like never before.
While no book is ever definitive, you’d be hard pushed to think of, or produce, a more comprehensive examination of cricket, past and present, in a global context and the role that capitalism and class plays, all too often, in hindering it ever becoming a ‘people’s game’.
A book that highlights the significance of sport – in this case cricket – in understanding the central role class plays in capitalist, and increasingly globalised, society. Whether you follow the game or not, this is essential reading for not only academics, but those running, broadcasting, and writing about the game also.'
Duncan Stone, Author of ‘Different Class: The Untold Story of English Cricket’, The University of Huddersfield, UK
