𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷

freedom does not exist, unless you fight for it every day

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

I think I have sent a sequence of tweets that I will most likely delete tomorrow.

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@Neduszn8 Enzo Fernandez

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@OversLife Punter

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@SagarH62 Caddick

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@grok It’s not India you dickhead

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Happy Easter @AdelaideMetroSA - given the suspension of tram services was meant to be over Easter yet none are running today, I am assuming Christ will be resurrected on Saturday?

[Iceland Cricket @icelandcricket]

It's April Fools Day. Our Board have decided that today is the one day of the year when we will sensibly and seriously dissect the global game, with no jokes or japes provided.

As of April 2026, associate cricket nations, currently constituting the 98 ICC members outside the elite dozen full members, stand at a pivotal moment. They are no longer mere participators in global tournaments but genuine disruptors, especially in the T20 format. The recently concluded 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka offered the clearest evidence yet of their progress, but nevertheless exposed some structural weaknesses that must still be addressed.

Netherlands could and should have beaten Pakistan after posting 147. The USA restricted India to 161/9 and took the game deep before falling 29 runs short. Nepal pushed England to a four-run thriller, and debutants Italy secured their first-ever World Cup win, thrashing Nepal by ten wickets. All of this augurs very well for the future.

Yet the T20 World Cup is a biennial highlight, not a sustainable ecosystem. Between such events, associates operate on shoestring budgets. The ICC’s 2024-27 revenue cycle distributes roughly $600 million annually, with $533 million going to the 12 full members and only about $67 million (11-12%) shared among the 98 associates. Many would call this model 'counterproductive'. Associates crave bilateral series against full members for exposure and experience, but these opportunities are still rationed, if they even happen at all. For those nations seeking ICC associate membership status, such as ourselves and Poland, the ICC pot provides zero financial support whatsoever, greatly slowing down our capacity to tick all the relevant boxes.

Despite our concerns, positive steps are evident. The ICC announced a nearly 10% funding uplift for associates in 2026, earmarked for high-performance programs, coaching, and domestic leagues. Regional qualifiers have become more competitive, feeding fresh talent into global events. The status of women’s T20I cricket since 2018 has mirrored men’s growth, with sides such as Uganda and Rwanda emerging in Africa. Franchise leagues increasingly scout associate talent, offering pathways that once led only to migration. Asa Tribe of Jersey is becoming a global star.

The broader picture is thus one of cautious optimism. T20’s global explosion proves that cricket’s appeal transcends traditional power bases. However, without deeper reform, including even more T20 World Cup slots, equitable revenue sharing, and regular high-level fixtures, there is the danger that recent progress risks stalling. Associates need even more investment: better infrastructure, youth pathways, and the chance to host meaningful series against the 'big boy' nations.

For cricket’s long-term health, the associate tier is indispensable. A truly global game cannot thrive on twelve teams alone. The recent T20 World Cup thrilled partly because the underdogs refused to roll over. If @ICC heeds the calls for funding, exposure, and opportunity, the next decade could see more full-member promotions, Olympic qualification breakthroughs, and genuine parity in the shortest format. Associate nations have caught up in T20, and now the global game must decide whether to pull them closer or keep them at arm’s length. The talent is there, but the infrastructure and equity must follow.

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@brisbanesport67 To be fair I only checked Wikipedia…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Says the bloke who was born in New Zealand yet wrote for an Aussie paper!

[Malcolm Conn @malcolmconn]

Nathan McAndrew one of 5 NSW players in the SA #sheffieldshield winning team…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

I know what the problem is Malcolm! Many of them weren’t even born in England.

[Malcolm Conn @malcolmconn]

Anyone who doubts how poor England’s #Ashes preparation was just look at the batting “highlights” from the second innings of the first Test in Perth when England should have set up the Test - Lehmann questions England pathway as Rob Key plans reset https://t.co/5QA954zrSu

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@brisbanesport67 According to all the sources I have checked, yes…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@GrahamMuirhead5 Correction - wrote for an Israeli paper…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@revdanichols Who, me or Malcolm?

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@brisbanesport67 Am I sure about what?

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Mate, you really are miserable aren’t you? I understand. I’d be upset too if we let talent like McAndrew, Sangha, Manenti, Hunt & Thornton slip through our fingers. During NSW’s drought I guess you’ve been too busy watching Manly who haven’t produced a test player since Clark.

[Malcolm Conn @malcolmconn]

And Carey just made it. Born in Loxton he’s 55km from the Victorian border…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@Rainmaker1973 Yeah but chopsticks…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Finally made it through. That is the worst experience I’ve ever had, and I’ve been physically assaulted by a gang of youths had my house burgled and my car stolen, been made redundant and left my phone and wallet in an Uber several times…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Hey @Ticketek_AU - your website, app and marketplace thing are awful. Truly awful. I can’t believe when/if I manage to successfully make it through this mess of complexity that I’ll then be charged for the privilege - do better. Your UX team is asleep at the wheel.

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Look at this @Ticketek_AU … yes… that other customer is me!!! And apparently I’m still not logged in, even though I have had about 100 OTPs issued and entered… fucking shambles. Shit show!

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Hey @Ticketek_AU - your website, app and marketplace thing are awful. Truly awful. I can’t believe when/if I manage to successfully make it through this mess of complexity that I’ll then be charged for the privilege - do better. Your UX team is asleep at the wheel.

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@AmazonHelp

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

Hey @AmazonAustralia if you need a person to give a one-time password to a driver to make a delivery, you might want to put that info in the order confirmation email or send it the day before. I got a code via email only 22 mins before delivery was attempted! Not enough notice!

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@AmazonHelp That link just takes me to your app with FAQs and auto-bot answers. It doesn’t let me “connect” with you at all…

[𝕗𝕒𝕥𝕒𝕝𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕠𝕟 Ⓥ 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🇬🇱 🇮🇷 @fatalberton]

@AmazonHelp Brilliant!