Cricket, migration and diasporic communities

Abstract

Ever since different communities began processes of global migration, sport has been an integral feature in how we conceptualise and experience the notion of being part of a diaspora. Sport provides diasporic communities with a powerful means of creating transnational ties, but also shapes ideas of their ethnic and racial identities. In spite of this, theories of diaspora have been applied sparingly to sporting discourses. Due mainly to its central role in spreading dominant white racial narratives within the British Empire, and the various ways different ethnic groups have ‘played’ with the meanings and associations of the sport in the (post-)colonial period, cricket is an interesting focus for academic research. Despite W.G. Grace’s claim that cricket advances civilisation by promoting a common bond, binding together peoples of vastly different backgrounds, to this day cricket operates strict symbolic boundaries; defining those who do, and equally, do not, belong. C.L.R. James’ now famous metaphor of looking ‘beyond the boundary’ captures the belief that, to fully understand the significance of cricket, and the sport’s roles in changing and shaping society, one must consider the wider social and political contexts within which the game is played. The collection of articles in this special issue does just that. Cricket acts as the point of departure in each, but the way in which ideas of power, representation and inequality are ‘played out’ is unique in each.

Keywords:

• colonial
• cricket
• diaspora
• empire
• Englishness
• migration

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the editorial board at Identities for supporting the idea for this special issue. Thanks in particular to Claire Alexander for taking a ‘risk’ on such a niche topic. Special thanks must go to Amanda Eastell-Bleakley for getting the special issue to press. Additionally, I would like to express my gratitude to the external reviewers for providing such thoughtful feedback.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thomas Fletcher

THOMAS FLETCHER is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University.