ABSTRACT
The narrative of this chapter is one of opportunities in cricket – offered and denied. In particular, it discusses opportunities offered systemically to members of certain groups and denied to those who belong to other groups. In India, this takes the form of the caste to which a person is born; in England, the type of school that one attended is relevant; in South Africa, skin colour plays an important role in determining one’s chances of playing representative cricket. It is very easy to underestimate the importance of opportunities in sculpting sporting success by, instead, ascribing success to a sportsperson’s talent and natural gifts.
