Cricket, violence and social conflict: an Eliasian examination
| Date | 30 September 2013 |
| Published date | 30 September 2013 |
| Pages | 211-219 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JACPR-12-2012-0016 |
| Author | Dominic Malcolm |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Aggression, conflict & peace |
Cricket, violence and social conflict:
an Eliasian examination
Dominic Malcolm
Dr Dominic Malcolm is a Senior
Lecturer, based at School of
Sport, Exercise and Health
Sciences, Loughborough
University, Loughborough, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the claims made for the potential of sports such as
cricket to reduce social conflict and engender peace.
Design/methodology/approach – The use of an Eliasian sociological perspective to analyze historical
documentary sources and contemporary media analyses of narratives of the role of violence and its
regulation in cricket.
Findings – Violence and its regulation interweave with the broader development of cricket and remain
central concerns in status conflicts between competing social groups involved in the game. This ranges
from evidence of an increasing internalization of expectations regarding the regulation of violence to the
stratification of social groups according to beliefs about differing uses of and attitudes towards violence.
Originality/value – This paper provides the first long-term analysis of violence trends in relation to cricket,
and provides clarification of some problematic aspects of Elias’ sociological framework.
Keywords Violence, Cricket, Elias
Paper type Research paper
Amidst the recent clamour of international agencies seeking to utilize sport for the promotion
of peace, there has been one major cricket-related story; the emergence of the game in
Afghanistan. Although international fixtures have rarely been played in the country due to a
combination of security fears and an absence of appropriate facilities, the grassroots game
and the profile of the Afghan national cricket team have developed exponentially in recent years.
The Afghan Cricket Federation was formed in 1995, the national side first played in 2001, and in
2010 they qualified for their first international tournament. It is estimated that there are now 500
clubs and 80,000 children playing the game in the country.As in so many other former territories
of the British Empire, the game is reputed to have longstanding roots in the region (believed to
have been played there in the mid-nineteenth century). However, its recent revival is widely
attributed to the refugee camps of Pakistan which housed those displaced by recent armed
conflicts (Albone, 2011).
Praise for the role that cricket plays in contemporary Afghanistan is widespread. According to
the Afghan cricket coach Kabir Khan, “Nothing could have done anything as good in Afghanistan
as cricket. It has brought people together from every language, every area” (Daily Telegraph,
20 September 2012). Sarah Fane, founder of Afghan Connection, has similarly stated that:
Cricket has been a wonderful force for good in the country [y] Afghanistan is a country where there
are no pop stars or fantastic politicians, no one that the people can look up to [y] then along came
these cricketers who have given the country a place in the world it never had. They are all heroes
(Independent, 21 September 2012).
As Derek Pringle (2012) the former England cricketer turned journalist has reflected, “Sport’s
powers of persuasion are well known, but to bring hope in a country as divided and war-torn as
Afghanistan, must rank among its greatest accolades” (Daily Telegraph, 20 September 2012).
DOI 10.1108/JACPR-12-2012-0016 VOL. 5 NO. 4 2013, pp. 211-219, CEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1759-6599
j
JOURNAL OF AGGRESSION, CONFLICT AND PEACE RESEARCH
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PAGE 211
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