The Blazers have been usurped by the Blokes in cricket’s corridors of power

Blessed are the Blokes, for they shall inherit the earth. There has been a steady evolution in the governing class of English cricket. For many decades the sport was ruled by the Blazers. The Blazers were faceless. They smelt of crusted port and Chesterfield sofas. They ruled the committee room with an iron liver-spotted fist. Over time they staked out the summer sport as their own private fiefdom.

The Blazers were eventually flushed out by the Marketing Men. The Marketing Men were rainmakers and deal-brokers. They didn’t wear blazers. They wore ties and suits. They knew about revenue streams. They made deals and monetised the product. Over time they staked out the summer sport as their own private fiefdom.

And now we have the start of something else. Shrunken back, sandblasted by confusing cultural forces, English cricket has entered a new managerial age, at least in its visible faces. Tom Harrison is still hanging in there. But around him there is at least the appearance of change.

With the appointment of Rob Key as managing director and Brendon McCullum as Test coach, English cricket is no longer fronted up by blazers or wonks. It is instead being run by … guys. The future is here – and it’s wearing Stan Smiths and tweeting memes. Welcome to the rise of the Blokes.

Keysey, Baz, Morgs, Stokesey. This is the new world order in English cricket. Informal, matey, dressed down, banterish. Dudes. Bros. Dudes with views. The Blokes are in the house, and they’ve junked the standard interview process. They know a guy. A really cool guy. And the clincher, the real key, is they’re not like those other people. That’s the big thing.

Or at least that seems to be the spin. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the new order to date is