Many are looking to the past for inspiration on how best to get through this first in a generation situation. We can look back at the victories and glory of yesteryear, but what about a hypothetical look into the future? Whether the lockdown was extended or not, the ripples from other countries would have spread internationally as many industries look to this moment as a way to start afresh. Here is an imaginative gander through a sporting crystal ball …
Fast-forward five years and the international sport calendar looks very different. Test cricket has become the reserve of a handful of nations, with only England, Australia, India and South Africa keen to preserve the over hundred-year-old tradition. The Ashes is the only series to warrant commercial relevance, and bi-laterals involving the Proteas and India are simple matters on gentlemanly pride.
Cricket’s big spectacles are now an annual World T20 and a handful of domestic tournaments. England, India and Australia consolidated power post-coronavirus, so the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash are the premier domestic T20 draws, while England’s county championship preserves the dual-innings format. The World Cup still holds its prestige, but 50-overs cricket is played exclusively in that extended quadrennial window.
Rugby has followed suit with all domestic leagues running parallel to each other. The season is interspersed with the hemisphere-specific championships, and concludes with several weeks of international tours and fixtures. SANZAAR is no more after being left in financial ruin post the great Covid-19 pandemic, so Australia joined the Polynesian islands, Japan, Argentina and a Hawaii-based USA team to form a Pacific Americas Championship.
New Zealand eventually join too, as geography and finances force them to abandon their initial attempts to preserve their relationship with South Africa. Left in no man’s land after Europe rejects South African inclusion, the Currie Cup regains its pedigree, owing to the nation’s never-say-die attitude. Instead of the home and away fixtures of the Rugby Championship, the Springboks and the All Blacks take turns hosting each other in three-match test series that become the benchmark of rugby excellence.
Individual sports like golf, tennis and athletics as well as motorsport return to normal quickly, but the most unrecognisable by a distance is football. Balance sheets across Europe were decimated and the only clubs to survive were the well-established brands. The European Super League is formed, but sides have a noticeably more domestic feel to them. The bulk of the squads resemble more closely the peoples of their respective regions, returning to the true meaning of European club football.
Sadly, Europe is no longer the destination of choice for the greedy modern mercenaries, as China becomes the only nation capable of maintaining the wages they are accustomed to. The Chinese Super League is booming financially, but is void of passion and spirit. Qatar had their rights to host the 2022 World Cup revoked, so England hosted a rescheduled 2023 event, with Harry Maguire lifting the trophy in Manchester after Wembley was converted into a refugee camp.
In reality, one can hope that such a gloomy outcome is premature and greatly exaggerated, but the coronavirus has the gears of uncertainty turning. Sport will always be played for enjoyment, whether the financial rewards are there or not, but the dedication to the craft that professionalism brings has graced us with some amazing moments. As long as they play, though, there will always be the fans to watch.
