It's just not cricket! According to Wisden (the cricketer's almanac), England has lost more than
50,000 recreational cricketers.
(Their editor, Lawrence Booth, blames the ECB for losing touch, and overseeing the decline of the England team, mismanaging the sacking of Kevin Pietersen and failing to effectively promote the sport to a new generation.
The biggest problem they highlighted was the move to pay TV, because then fewer people are able to watch it.)