*302 Greig and Others v Insole and Others 1977 G. No. 22461977 J ...

[1978] 1 W.L.R. 302 Page 44
[1978] 1 W.L.R. 302 [1978] 3 All E.R. 449 (1978) 122 S.J. 162 [1978] 1 W.L.R. 302 [1978] 3 All E.R. 449 (1978)
122 S.J. 162
(Cite as: [1978] 1 W.L.R. 302)
Australia reckon to make profits from such tours.
As regards tour (ii), the United Kingdom never
reckons to make profits out of its tours to Pakistan
and New Zealand. As regards tour (vii), the West
Indies never reckon to make profits out of their
tours to India. As regards tour (viii), the United
Kingdom never reckons to make profits out of its
tours to Australia. As regards tour (xi), Australia
never reckons to make profits out of its tours to India
and Pakistan. As regards tour (xii), the West Indies
never reckon to make profits out of their tours
to Pakistan and New Zealand.
No New Zealand or Indian players are involved
in the World Series project. Accordingly, I
conclude that the immediate threat to the Testplaying
countries as at July 1977 really amounted
to this, namely that, because of competition from
World Series Cricket, (a) greater losses might be
incurred by Australia on the visit from India in
1977–78 than would otherwise have been incurred
by it because World Series Cricket matches would
be being played in Australia at the same time and
because of the unavailability of most of the present
star Australian players; (b) New Zealand and
Pakistan might make smaller profits from the visits
of the United Kingdom in 1977–78 than they would
otherwise have done because of the unavailability
of perhaps four or five of the present star United
Kingdom players and (in the case of Pakistan) because
of the unavailability of perhaps four of its
present star players; (c) India might make smaller
profits than it would otherwise have done from the
visit of the West Indies in 1978–79 because of the
unavailability of many of the present star West Indian
players; (d) Australia might make smaller
profits than it would otherwise have done from the
visit of the United Kingdom in 1978–79 both because
World Series Cricket matches would be being
played in Australia at the same time and because of
the unavailability of most of the present star Australian
players and four of five of the present star
United Kingdom players; (e) India and Pakistan
might make smaller profits that they would otherwise
have done from the visit of Australia in 1979
— so because of the unavailability of most of the
present star Australian players and (in the case of
Pakistan) of perhaps four of the present star
Pakistan players; (f) New Zealand and Pakistan
might make smaller profits than they would otherwise
have done from *351 the
visit of the West Indies in 1979–80 because of the
unavailability of many of the present star West Indies
players and (in the case of Pakistan) perhaps
four of its own players.
I cannot, however, on the evidence attach a great
deal of weight to any of these risks, except those
run by Australia. There is no evidence from any
representative from Pakistan. As to India, Mr.
Chidambaram expressed apprehensions that the absence
of star players might affect gates when visiting
teams come here. Under cross-examination,
however, he accepted that in general in India there
has been tremendous enthusiasm for the visit of any
international team and the evidence is the same in
relation to Pakistan. Since no players from India itself
have joined World Series Cricket, I do not
think it would be right to assume that it poses any
serious immediate threat to the finances of Indian
cricket over the next three years provided that no
Indian players join it. As regards New Zealand,
though Mr. Hadlee expressed apprehensions that
the absences of star players might affect gates in
New Zealand when visiting teams come there, the
evidence suggests that United Kingdom touring
teams have in the past seldom included all the current
leading English players. By the time that the
West Indies visit New Zealand in 1979–80, other
attractive West Indies players will no doubt have
emerged. New Zealand itself has no players under
contract to World Series Cricket. In all the circumstances
I am not convinced that World Series
Cricket presents any serious immediate threat to the
finances of New Zealand cricket. The same observation
applies a fortiori to the West Indies and the
United Kingdom, neither of whom are due to take
part in any official Test series during the next three
years which is both likely to be substantially profitable
to them and also to clash with World Series
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