Let’s assume for the purpose of this exercise, the board of Cricket Australia (Cricket Australia) has appointed me as Benevolent Dictator (BD) in order to fix the domestic game. Silly them!
The beauty of a BD is that you do what is right for the majority, and the future. With respect to cricket, the BD talks with experts in their various fields, and with the fans, then makes his decisions accordingly.
A BD doesn’t have to organise meaningless committees and sub-committees, who either make no decision at all, or a very stupid recommendation, or simply hand pass suggestions back and forth.
So these are some of the things I would do.
Not that I’m basing my recommendations on past history. When I think back, Australian cricket did some very good things at different times. The problem is they didn’t do all the good things at the same time!
1. Assuming Test cricket remains the ultimate form of the game for both players and fans, then the Sheffield Shield (SS) must be given its pre-eminent position once more.
2. The BD recognises we can’t go back completely to the past. Having Test players appear in ALL SS matches is no longer practical. But we want a season where they can play most matches. ‘Most’ meaning about 7 out of 10.
3. This then returns the SS to its primary core function – a final finishing school whereby up and coming champions of the future, play alongside and against current and past champions, in turn, being exposed by them, learning from them, and being mentored by them.
4. Since we need our leading players for Test duty and majority SS duty, the BD then acknowledges that it is simply impossible to accommodate two shortened forms of the game (the BD is a Benevolent Dictator, but he is not God!). Consequently, one of the shortened forms must go.
5. The BD would prefer to retain 50 overs a side limited overs cricket, but accepts that the younger generation is infatuated with Twenty20 cricket, or the “Big Bash”, as the spin doctors like to call it. So it’s Twenty20 in, and Limited Overs out.
6. The home season would then encompass the Test team playing about 5 (single tour) or 6 Tests (twin tours) series; a full double round of Sheffield Shield between 6 states (10 matches each plus final); and a single round of Twenty20 (5 matches each plus semis and a final).
7. Players not appearing either for the Test team, their state or Twenty20 team (on a spare weekend) can return to grade cricket, which in turn would benefit from having leading players mixing with up and comers.
8. The BD recognises, as mentioned above, we cannot go back completely to the ways of yore. I am referring to the tens of thousands upon thousands who attended every day of a Test or SS match. Today we have many more alternative forms of entertainment to distract us away from cricket.
9. However, the BD realises cricket must be more flexible in the manner it attracts fans. The BD would remind fans that back in the 1977-79 days of WSC, not only was Limited Overs cricket played as day-night fixtures, but also ‘super’ Test matches, as they were called.
10. Consequently, all forms of cricket above grade cricket will be played as day-night fixtures. Test and SS matches will begin of Fridays through to Monday or Sunday respectively. The exception being the Boxing day and New year’s day Tests which would start on slightly different days as required.
11. With the move to day-night fixtures, a whole day can be lopped of both Test and SS matches, but the net loss of overs would be minimal. Test matches would run Friday to Monday day-night of 7.5 hours per day ( a net loss of no hours and no overs). SS matches would be over 3 day-nights each of 7.5 hours (a net loss of only 1.5 hours, or about 22-23 overs).
12. Ticketing would have to be extremely flexible to attract fans for either one, two or three session of a single day-night. Friday afternoon and evening might attract city workers. The weekend afternoon and evening sessions might attract families, or young singles after their day sporting activities. And so on.
13. The ‘nay-sayers’ will say you can’t have day-night matches because they haven’t found a suitable coloured ball as yet. So how long should we wait? 50 years? 100 years?
14. The BD reminds the ‘nay-sayers’ that back in 1944, General Eisenhower gave the ‘go-ahead’ for the Normandy landings by Allied troops in Germany occupied France on the basis of “minimally tolerable weather conditions”. Institute day-night Test and SS matches immediately, and the solution of the appropriately coloured ball will be found in due course.
15. The Australian Cricket Academy (ACricket Australia) will reflect the state of the nation. Players will be taught the basics of both long form and short form cricket, and be expected as professional players to change focus from one form to the other and back again.
16. The BD instructs that the multi-layer of coaches at all levels will cease. One head coach, and perhaps one assistant coach, and that’s it! When and where required, specialists can be called in to advise players either one-on-one or in groups.
17. It is the opinion of the BD that this multi-layering of coaches has totally lost its significance, with coaches placing their own survival ahead of the players needs. Furthermore, in an endeavour to justify their existence and retain their high wage packets, these coaches are sending out either conflicting or totally counter-productive and useless messages.
18. The board of the Cricket Australia will get back to its basic priority, which is the governance, development and continued well-being of Australian cricket. It will be made clear to broadcasters, sponsors, merchandisers, marketeers and all the other carpet-baggers, that the cricket and the players come first.
19. Whatever gains these other people hope for, can only be acquired once the needs of the players and fans have been satisfied.
20. Women will be given similar top priority to the men, they also having a regular Test program, a SS like comp as well as Twenty20. The Sheffield Shield’s equivalent for women will be called the Shevill Cup (SC) after a remarkable set of four sisters – two sets of twins – three of whom played Test cricket for Australia in the 1930s, and the fourth achieved state level (google them!).
21. So the structure of the season will international Test matches and Twenty20; Sheffield Shield (men) and Shevill Cup (women); Futures League (2nd XI U/23 with exemption of four older players up to 30); various age group comps; grade and suburban (shire) comps; secondary, primary, junior, regional and country schools comps; a Country Cup for state and territory regional (country) players.
Well, if I’ve forgotten anything, I’ll pick it up as we go.
Recommend this story.
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February 2nd 2011 @ 7:20am
formeropenside said | February 2nd 2011 @ 7:20am | Report comment
Sheek – would the New Years Day test actually start on 1 Jan, or would it be 3 Jan as it currently is (which is not exactly a New Years Day test IMHO).
February 2nd 2011 @ 7:40am
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 7:40am | Report comment
FOS,
Generally, & I suppose traditionally for the past 30 odd years or so, I would have the Boxing day test start on 26 December, & New Year’s day test start on 2 January, which is exactly one week later (from Boxing day).
I suppose to avoid confusion, we really mean Xmas day test (starting the day after) & New Year’s day test ( starting the day after).
February 2nd 2011 @ 7:55am
Vinay Verma said | February 2nd 2011 @ 7:55am | Report comment
Sheek, back to back tests do not make for optimum performance. The Sydney Test should not start till the 5th or 6th. There must be at leat 5 days in between Melbourne and Sydney.
Australia will be going against the sub-continent who all prefer the 50 overs format. The IPL is their Twenty20 fix . All three forms can co exist. Just a lot less of the shorter forms and more contextual Test cricket. Almost sounds like consensual,Sheek,
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:32pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Vinay,
I would like to believe all 3 forms can co-exist.
Of course they can in theory & in practice. But can they co-exist & the game, the players & the fans maximise the full benefit from all 3?
That is the question – as Shakespeare might ask!
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:07pm
Vinay Verma said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
Not only can they exist but they should exist. Cricket is lucky it has three viable forms.
February 2nd 2011 @ 8:35pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 8:35pm | Report comment
Vinay,
I know I’m being picky, & you’re being idealistic.
Maybe all 3 forms “should” exist or co-exist, but can the game get the maximum from all 3 forms without losing its edge in any one particular form?
This brings us back to the problems of Sheffield Shield.
It’s the best picture image I can summon at the moment – but one wad of butter can only spread thinly so much across so many slices of bread.
February 2nd 2011 @ 7:54am
Brett McKay said | February 2nd 2011 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Sheek, since you would be in a consulting mood during this reign of your, I’d ask that you give serious consideration to my suggestion for the Futures League from a few weeks ago.
My argument is that U23 with 3 or 4 overage players allowed is doing more damage than was intended, and as a consequence, the states are losing the 23-28yo players that really should be taking over from the 30+yos. So, I’d do a 180-deg flip on the age focus, and instead make it a true 2nd XI open-age comp, but with at least 3 players under 21 or 22. This would then mean the kids coming through a) have to earn their place, and b) have to develop as cricketers against criekcters all all age, and not just another level of their own peer group.
That’s actually the first change I’d make if I was your BD, by the way. Any number of improvements would flow on from that one simple change…
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:29pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Okay…!!!
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:40pm
Brett McKay said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:40pm | Report comment
you know, for a dictator, you’re a bit of a pushover
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:43pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:43pm | Report comment
That’s why I’m benevolent…..
February 2nd 2011 @ 8:25am
Tommy Smith said | February 2nd 2011 @ 8:25am | Report comment
You’ve obviously put a lot of thought into this, sheek, but there are a couple of holes.
- Supertests attracted poor crowds, and weren’t a success. Otherwise they would have been adopted, like a huge number of other WSC innovations.
- re. point 13, impatience is a poor reason to hastily rush into a major shift in the laws of Test cricket.
- Single session tickets doesn’t make any sense. If you bought a ticket to the first session, why would you leave? Unless there is a veritable army of stewards checking every spectator’s ticket, the plan falls apart. Imagine at grounds with general admission, like Perth and Adelaide, if every patron just bought a single session ticket, the ground’s capacity would be oversubscribed three times over. So this idea, while a decent one, is wholly impractical and impossible to implement.
I really like the idea of streamlined domestic cricket, and scheduling Tests to accommodate the top drawer players participating in the SS.
February 2nd 2011 @ 11:13am
Russ said | February 2nd 2011 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Single session tickets just need a different system. Make it like a parking garage, you take a ticket when you enter, and you pay for it when you leave. Or buy a single session ticket and don’t get let out if it has expired. Admittedly that could be expensive to implement, and make emptying the ground more difficult when play ends. I’m not sure it would be worth the expense. As an alternative, I’d suggest that at the height of summer, consider starting weekday play at 1pm and finish at 8pm, then sell the evening session at a reduced rate. In the southern states at least, there is plenty of light.
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:38pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
Tommy Smith,
It’s true the super tests didn’t attract the crowds – these were difficult & conflicting times – but it’s significant also the ACB brokered peace with WSC in 1979 because they could see WSC had momentum
Had WSC continued, I have no doubt the super tests would have dramatically increase their viewership.
It’s not about impatience (regarding the coloured ball). Nor can you wait for everything to be perfect. Otherwise, we’ll all die from old age.
Obviously, if you bought a first session ticket, it would be assumed to be all day. A second session ticket would be assumed to be two-thirds of the day. And so on. But don’t take this as gospel, I’m sort of thinking this on the run, so to speak.
February 2nd 2011 @ 7:37pm
Tommy Smith said | February 2nd 2011 @ 7:37pm | Report comment
Good point Russ, and I think a lot of your ideas have legs sheek.
Aussie cricket needs a good shake up and some of these ideas are really pertinent.
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:56pm
soapit said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:56pm | Report comment
it really doesnt need to be that difficult. just make it cheaper as each session passes so if you’ve bought a ticket first thing you’ve paid for the entire day.
February 2nd 2011 @ 8:47am
whiteline said | February 2nd 2011 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Brett, agree 100% with the 2nd XI. Also, we can’t ignore the grade cricket shambles (which it has become). Sheek, that needs addressing in much the same way as your suggestion on the SS.
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:40pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:40pm | Report comment
Whiteline,
I don’t know the grade scene well enough. Can you throw some light on it?
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:25pm
Georgie McHugh said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:25pm | Report comment
WL, What is is grade cricket shambles to which you refer? Is it in each capital city or just some?
February 2nd 2011 @ 9:53am
Lochie said | February 2nd 2011 @ 9:53am | Report comment
I agree with most of the things you said, especially day-night test matches and Sheffield Shield games. I don’t know about scrapping the ODD game though.
Good article, Great read.
Lochie,
Thebatsmen.biz
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:41pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
Thanks Guys, for the feedback. Much appreciated.
A few cheers thumbs up might push the article up the page though…..
February 2nd 2011 @ 2:50pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Guys,
I didn’t specify session times for day-night matches. I would consider the following:
Session 1 – 1300 to 1530 (followed by 30 minutes tea break).
Session 2 – 1600 to 1830 (followed by 30 minutes dinner break).
Session 3 – 1900 to 2130.
Times are primarily for Eastern Australia Summer Time.
For the civvies, that’s a 1pm start & 9.30pm finish! Free-to-air TV stations would have to change their evening news bulletins to 6.30pm!!!
I would consider two drinks breaks each session, 40 minutes apart.
February 2nd 2011 @ 3:18pm
Tom Dimanis said | February 2nd 2011 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
What colour balls do you suggest using for night tests?
TV will hate Test cricket at night, especially if it isn’t the Ashes, it will get in the way of those stupid shows like Border Control, or Bondi Vet, or Crap Patrol.
Aussie cricket needs former champion top-level players at the top of the food chain, not former fringe players. Replace the Andrew Hildiches and Jamie Coxes of the world with the Steve Waughs and Shane Warnes and everything will fix itself. Easier said than done I suppose.
February 2nd 2011 @ 3:50pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Tom,
WSC used white balls from memory (& black sight screens), with the players also wearing white!
I’m open to suggestions – red, maroon, pink, yellow…..
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:05pm
Vinay Verma said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
Use the red ball in the day and the white ball at night. No need to find another ball. I know people will say but what about spinners? Well spinners can bowl with a harder ball. In fact as a spinner I liked a ball that was around 20 overs old.
February 3rd 2011 @ 1:51am
Param said | February 3rd 2011 @ 1:51am | Report comment
The problem with the white ball is it gets dirty pretty quick and can be hard to pick. Also what about the dew ? Obviously that’s a major problem. The white ball can sometimes also swing extravagantly under te lights in some places like Durban , dambula , etc making it pretty difficult to bat
February 3rd 2011 @ 6:04am
Vinay Verma said | February 3rd 2011 @ 6:04am | Report comment
Param to that I would say it only balances out the unfair advantage batsmen have with their bats,dead pitches and short boundaries. A part of the problem at the moment is that batsmen are unable to play in conditions other than benign.
February 3rd 2011 @ 6:33am
sheek said | February 3rd 2011 @ 6:33am | Report comment
Vinay – & hooray to that! Not to mention the batsmen wear helmets, poor diddums…..
February 5th 2011 @ 1:48am
param said | February 5th 2011 @ 1:48am | Report comment
thats true, but surely it would disadvantage the spinners as well? because of the dew, it can be very difficult to grip the ball.
February 2nd 2011 @ 3:08pm
Whiteline said | February 2nd 2011 @ 3:08pm | Report comment
The grade competitions around Australia used to be where you learned to ‘play cricket’. The reason being was that experienced players (aged 25 to 40) where involved in first grade clubs and competition was tough. As a young player, you learned to play with and against men.
Why has it changed?
Lifestyles have changed and older players are often seen in Suburban clubs because there is more flexibility, shorter playing committments (ie/ no Sundays) and less practice and match day demands – there is also generally more opportunity to be paid for your services (that matters to some). Cricket Australia and the respective states has done nothing to address this. This has been a topic of conversation (within CA and the states) for over 15 years!!!
In line with the reduced depth is the amount of grade teams in certain cities. Whilst not proclaiming to know what is ideal, Sydney has 20 clubs, Perth has 16 and I think Adelaide has 13. You don’t need to be a mathematical genius to know that all things being equal, the Sydney competition will be a lot stronger than Perth or Adelaide.
WA has struggled on the domestic scene for a dozen years. Outside of the 15 or 16 players who make up the Warriors, the standard of player drops away markedly. This has been the case since the mid 90′s. The reason WA was so successful in the mid to late 90′s was because Langer, Gilchrist, Martyn, Julien, Angel, Moody et al were not regular representatives for Australia. Once they were selected or retired the whole structure collapsed…it hasn’t recovered.
Drilling down further, the playing conditions and guidelines for players aged 11 to 15 vary markedly among the states. In some states kids are scoring centuries before their teenage years and in others they have to retire after facing 20 balls!!! – No Cricket Australia direction on this one…..
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:03pm
sheek said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
Whiteline,
If Sheffield Shield is said to underpin test cricket, then grade cricket underpins SS.
I have excellent Cricketer Annuals from the 70s. It provides the following:
1. Full pen-portraits & scoresheets of touring team & test matches, plus description of each tour match & test.
2. Full scoresheets of every Sheffield Shield match, plus description of each.
3. Full batting & bowling figures for season – tests, tours, shield, all first class cricket.
5. Scoresheets & brief match description of one day matches & colts matches.
6. Coverage & info on women’s & schools cricket.
7. A comprehensive pen-portrait of each player who appeared in 1st class or OD matches for the season from each of the 6 states – NSW, Qld, SA, Vic, WA & Tas. It contained DOB, type of player, career stats, etc.
8. A brief pen-portrait of all ACB officials, state administrators & umpires.
9. Several articles on pertinent issues of the day.
And best saved until last…..
10. A complete run-down of every grade club in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Newcastle, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, NWT, & how each club performed, the best players, leading batsmen & bowlers, brief details of finals & state players of the year.
Many former test & state cricketers continued to participate in grade cricket long after their test & state duties were over.
I guess what I’m saying in support of you, is that grade cricket was viewed as a big deal back then…..
February 2nd 2011 @ 4:33pm
Whiteline said | February 2nd 2011 @ 4:33pm | Report comment
Thanks Sheek, what a rundown!!
It was still a reasonable deal in the early nineties. Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh etc used to turn out for their grade clubs as often as they could. These days the players are not encouraged by CA to participate.
Georgie, I haven’t been around the grade scene in Sydney for 15 years but the WA competition was a poor cousin in the mid nineties. I can’t really comment on the others personally but collegues suggest that the pattern is similar in most states.