As the saying goes “all good
things must eventually come
to an end!” That truism now
seems to have become applicable to
the publication of Wickets magazine’s
monthly online Issues. This April
Issue will now most likely mark the
commencement of the magazine’s
impending publication cessation. The
July 2023 edition, the final Issue of this
year’s Wickets’ fifth volume, will most
likely be its last to be published!
As a result of decisions made recently
by the “powers that be,” as of this
coming May 15, 2023, I will no longer
be directly involved in Canadian
cricket. My non-involvement will most
unfortunately, also have a negative
economic impact on Wickets. The
financial support that was associated
with my direct involvement and
which was used largely to support the
publication of Wickets’ monthly Issues
will now, by consequence, no longer
be available.
For a variety of reasons, primarily those
surrounding the admittedly limited
effectiveness of its flawed distribution,
Wickets has never quite managed to
maintain advertising support during its
now almost five-year existence. Rather
than enjoying a necessary sustainable
foundation of advertising support,
the magazine’s experience has been that of a
revolving door.
Advertisers attracted by Wickets’
commendable content, very enticing design
layout, as well as its very real potential to
become the most widely read and distributed
cricket magazine ever to be produced in
Canada, if not all of North America, have
abandoned their involvement just as quickly
as it was begun. Even with advertising pricing
having been reduced to almost bottom
line, insignificant profit generating, margins
just three to six Issues has usually been the
association duration of most advertisers
who have ventured to provide their financial
support to Wickets.
Insufficient experienced returns on their
investment has usually been the reason behind
advertisers exiting just as quickly as they had
come on board. Justifiably disappointed as
they would have been by the absolute lack of
any reciprocal support from Wickets’ readers
for their advertised products and services.
The sad reality that has been the backdrop to
such an eventuality is that for all its superior
content induced popularity among readers
who have received copies of its monthly
Issues, the actual numbers of those doing
so have been far too few. There are over
30,000 individuals, males, females and juniors
supposedly officially registered as being active
cricketers within Canada. Yet as Cricket
Canada’s “official,” monthly online magazine, Wickets five
years into its existence is still totally unknown to the greater
majority of such individuals, arguably as many as 80-90% in
actuality.
When Wickets was started back in August 2018, as Cricket
Canada’s Official Monthly Online Magazine, the deal was that
I would provide a publication of the highest possible quality.
The editorial content of which would publicize the activities
and initiatives of the country’s active cricket Leagues. Except
for the Shiv Persaud-led Scarborough Cricket Association, at
no stage of its now almost five-year history has Wickets ever
received significant consistent support from any other League.
My repeated requests for Leagues to provide information on
their respective activities to be used as editorial content in
Wickets monthly Issues has been almost completely ignored.
Even more so my suggestions to the Leagues that they should
seek to leverage Wickets’ availability as a promotional vehicle,
with potential direct exposure to all of their registered players,
as means of attracting increased corporate sponsorship for
their activities.
For all of its popularity among those who have been featured
within its pages and the kudos received in relation to its
commendable content and outstandingly attractive page
designs, the production of Wickets monthly Issues has been
a financially unrewarding, very often frustration-inducing
labour of unrequited love on my part as its Publisher. When
an individual’s services are deemed to be no longer required,
however, and their contributions considered to be of no value,
the only alternative left available is for them to exit gracefully.
As such so it shall be.
Chapter done, Book about to be closed!