 The decline of amateur cricket in English county cricket and the increasing professionalism of the game led to dull, lifeless cricket as teams were determined to avoid defeat and viewed games as a job rather than entertainment (ironically the keenest cricketer on the tour was Geoff Boycott, a noted stonewaller).There had been a surge in gate receipts after the war, but this fell rapidly in the 1960s as other forms of entertainment became available to the public.Griffith had become Secretary in 1962 and oversaw the official merging of amateur and professional for the 1963 season, which prevented him from managing the MCC tour of Australia in 1962–63, except for one month when he flew out to relieve the Duke of Norfolk.