Introducing the Cricketeers: The ordinary men and women making a big difference at the World Cup

SAM MORSHEAD IN BRISTOL: They come from eclectic backgrounds, they are young and old, they are ethnically diverse. Most importantly, though, they are - to a man and woman - kind-hearted

It’s wet in Bristol and there is no cricket.

Understandably, the mood inside the ground is pretty low. Handfuls of Pakistan and Sri Lanka fans mope around the concourse, shrouded in despondency and disposable kagools. Three sets of eyes peer out from beyond the curtain of a beer tent through the constant drizzle. A young family splash in a growing puddle, which is now large enough to demand its own lifeguard.

Smiles are hard to come by, until you come across a Cricketeer.

Visit a World Cup venue this summer and you won’t be able to miss them, and not just because of their eye-catching high-vis uniforms (for fans of Toy Story, picture the colours of the three-eyed aliens’ romper suits).

The ICC’s voluntary workforce - cheery, chirpy, knowledgeable and several thousand strong - are an integral part of the huge logistical operation that is this summer’s tournament.

They come from eclectic backgrounds, they are young and old, they are ethnically diverse. Most importantly, though, they are - to a man and woman - kind-hearted.  

They have to be. Volunteering at a major sports event is not an excuse for a free day out. The Cricketeers are signed up for eight-hour shifts, mostly spent on their feet, dealing with fee-paying members of the general public. Some of them have taken annual leave from their day jobs to do so, which some might say is the first sign of madness.

They process complaints, they soothe concerns, they are walking, talking, purple-and-yellow information points. And all for minimal reward - a coffee flask here, a World Cup cap there, a free lunch.

Those who take on the roles do so for the love of community. And on a day like today, a snorting gruffball of a day in the West Country, that can make such a huge impact.

^{It was a wet day in Bristol on Friday}

“We can’t do it without them,” Cricket World Cup head of volunteer programmes Mary Cahill tells The Cricketer.

“They bring a whole new level to matchdays and preparations for the event. They are hugely important to the entire tournament.”

Cahill oversaw the process of finding 4,000 Cricketeers in early May last year, with potential recruits asked to fill out an online form. More than 20,000 registered an initial interest, with 10,000 completing the first stage of the assessment.

From there, her team whittled the list down to 6,000 names, and an exhaustive interview process began - in person in the 10 tournament cities or over Skype - which lasted several months.

The wannabe volunteers were asked to take part in group activity sessions as well as one-on-one chats, with the successful ‘candidates’ - for the want of a much, much better word - then invited to a training course before being handed their purple-and-yellow kit.

Notably, those courses were also run by volunteers. Cahill isn’t lying; the World Cup simply would not be able to run without them.

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In Bristol, one of the smaller venues, there are around 170 Cricketeers on duty (when the tournament moves to Lord’s later in the month, more than 300 will be required on any given matchday).

While the rain falls outside at the County Ground - and my, how it falls - a cluster take a breather in their designated break room, a large conference hall on the ground floor of the pavilion.

The weather might be grim, but the grins have certainly not been wiped from their faces and, pushing open the doors, it is impossible not to be struck by a wash of bubbly energy.

Here, The Cricketer meets Philip Mainwaring, a maintenance operative in his 60s, his cheeks blushed with face paint. He explains, in a wonderful West Country lilt, how this is his first ever experience of volunteering.

“It gives you a little bit of belief back in life because everyone has their own story to tell,” he says. “There’s no doom and gloom, everybody is abuzz. Everyone’s so friendly and happy and that’s what we’re trying to bring over to the spectators.”

Philip, who faces a quick turnaround tonight to get to Cardiff in time for another stint at Sophia Gardens tomorrow, lists cricket as his No.1 sport but not all Cricketeers share his passion. Most, however, are drawn to volunteering for the same reason.

“You find out things, you meet different people,” says Sarah Davis, a chirpy business training manager at a nearby training consultancy.

Teaching assistant Caron Barry agrees.

^{Gurminder Singh Sadhar and, top (left to right): Sarah Davis, Caron Barry and Chrissy Webb}

“It can be hard work because you are constantly required to be at the beck and call of all these lovely customers. But what people who don’t volunteer don’t understand is the fun you have in between.

“You get some who are a little bit grumpy, sometimes for valid reasons, but generally they are lovely. They recognise the uniforms and make a beeline to you to have a chat.

“Although it can be tiring, actually the fun element of it gets you going right the way through. I love it.”

Gurminder Singh Sandhar, a GWR train driver who asks to be called G, wants to show his nine-year-old son the merits of helping others.

“I want him to see his daddy as not only going to work but going to give something back to the community as well, so that when he grows up he can see the importance of having a different lifestyle and not just working harder and harder,” he says.

“Do something you love to do.”

Former primary school headteacher Chrissy Webb, meanwhile, enjoyed her first experience of volunteering - the London 2012 Olympics - so much that she brought her retirement forward a year to allow her to do more.

“The Olympics was the lifechanging moment for me,” she says. “I saw that I wanted other things and the following summer I retired early and now I’ve got the time.

“It’s about meeting people from different backgrounds, and that is so refreshing.”

It is abundantly clear that while Cricketeers might be drawn from all walks of life, they are essentially built from the same core characteristics, and they all appreciate the same qualities - camaraderie, frivolity, community and fun.

“Volunteering is a special feeling of being part of a bigger team,” says G.

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“When people say ‘why do you do that?’ it’s a very hard thing to explain,” says Caron. “All you can say is ‘go out and do it and you’ll learn for yourself what you can get from it’.

“Until you do it, don’t diss it. When you have done it, you’ll want to do it again.”

That is no throwaway remark.

Volunteering does seem to be addictive, and Sarah, Caron and Chrissy’s CVs all go to prove it.

Between them they have been Gamesmakers at the London 2012 Olympics, Racemakers at Silverstone and worked at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the World Athletic Championships and numerous other lower-key competitions.

Cahill is made of the same stuff. She got the itch working on the Special Olympics World Games in her native Ireland in 2003 as a volunteer and that experience propelled her to forge a career in the same line of work.

“I had the most experience doing it,” she says. “I met the most wonderful athletes and the most wonderful people, and saw first-hand the impact these volunteers have on these events.”

^{The rain fell for much of the day at the County Ground}

G used to be special constable - a voluntary position with his local force - until last year, while Philip is already on the lookout for his next adventure.

“It’s given me an itch, it really has,” he says.

The Cricketeers are allocated set project groups within the Cricket World Cup organisation structure, with positions varying from supporter presentation (high-fiving fans and setting up games of Kwik Kricket on the concourse) to accreditation, transport and media liaisons. Philip took great delight in the chance to accompany the World Cup trophy on its recent tour.

“My partner loves it and my son is jealous because I get to see all the cricket and maybe the odd personality,” he says. “When I give him the freebies we get given, he loves it. My mug has gone to his work.”

By 3pm, the sight of sun has changed the vibe inside the County Ground, horns are blaring and supporters screaming out for their heroes.

The stands are filling. The bars have queues. Supporters have questions.

The Cricketeers’ days have just begun.

Our coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is brought to you in association with Cricket 19, the official video game of the Ashes. Order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk