Restoring Europe's place in cricket's global story: Jarrod Kimber’s take

“Europe has been playing cricket for more than four centuries, why is it then still so often described as an emerging cricket region?”

It is a question that can puzzle historians, players and fans alike. While nations such as England have long been at the heart of the game, much of mainland Europe has remained on the fringes of cricket's global conversation despite a rich and often overlooked history.

Few people understand the why behind that story better than renowned cricket analyst, writer, commentator and film-maker Jarrod Kimber.

Speaking to the European T20 Premier League, Kimber argued that Europe's absence from the chapter of global cricket's rise was not because of a lack of tradition or passion for the sport, but because the game's global structure closed the door on much of the continent at a crucial moment in history.

"A lot of it is just to do with the fact that in the early 1900s, when we invented the ICC, South Africa brought in a rule that you had to be a Commonwealth country, an imperial country. That basically cut out most of Europe," Kimber explained.

According to Kimber, the consequences of that decision were profound. At a time when cricket was already being played across several European nations, the absence of an international pathway meant many countries were effectively excluded from the sport's future before they had the opportunity to become part of it.

"There was cricket on the mainland as well. Obviously, we can go back to Italy. There was cricket in Germany and all these different places at that point. But once you don't have a pathway, where are you supposed to go?" he asked.

The result, Kimber believes, is one of cricket's greatest historical misconceptions.

Today, European cricket is often viewed as a recent success story, fuelled by the rapid rise of nations such as the Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland and Italy. Yet Kimber argues the continent's cricketing roots stretch far deeper than many people realise.

"If you go back in history, you will find that European cricket is actually far stronger than people would know or remember. We lost a lot of good countries at that point by setting up cricket as this weird Commonwealth sport when we didn't need to do that. It was already beyond the Commonwealth," he said.

The ripple effects extended well beyond Europe. Kimber pointed to countries such as the United States and Argentina as other examples of cricketing nations whose development was slowed by the lack of meaningful international opportunities during the game's formative years.

"By not bringing countries like America, Ireland, Argentina and the Netherlands in, you end up in a situation where it feels like there is no cricket culture and yet we know historically there's plenty of proof that there is," Kimber added.

More than a century later, that narrative is finally beginning to change.

Associate nations are enjoying unprecedented success on the international stage. Scotland and the Netherlands have repeatedly challenged Full Member nations at ICC events, Italy recently qualified for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup for the first time, and cricket's inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games promises another significant boost to the sport's global expansion.

Competitions like the European T20 Premier League are also helping rewrite that story by providing professional opportunities for players across Europe while showcasing the depth of talent that has long existed within European cricket.

Kimber's reflections serve as a reminder that Europe's relationship with cricket is not a new one waiting to be written, it is a historic one waiting to be rediscovered. As the game continues to grow across the continent, the conversation is no longer about introducing cricket to Europe. It is about restoring Europe's place in cricket's global story.