I came through a cricketing era in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s where gnarly old “pros” played Saturdays only, and berated rookies like there was no tomorrow.
They hit their bowling all over the park in net sessions, stuck the ball in their ribs and their thighs for amusement and died early from sun cancers, booze and smokes.
The cycle had payback in it in those days. What it didn’t have was thigh protectors and rib protectors and batting helmets.
What it lacked was vision.
There was little television and radio cricket. There was no Internet streaming. There were no entrepreneurs, there were no coaching clinics, there were no State, Federal and Local Government bodies supporting you to speak of.
Cricket in Australia was an iconic sport, steeped in Mother England traditions, yet hating the very thought of any form of over-burden from the MCC.
Cricket was Slasher Mackay, Wally Grout, Richie, Neil Harvey, Norm O’Neill, and Alan “Milko” Free and Kenny Henderson from Norths in Brisbane.
Hendo would yell, “Come on you f*cking babies! See if you can get one past me!” and of course we would all try to knock his block off.
Milko (he was a Milkman) would hiss at you and spit, “Here it comes ya big pussy” as he dug one into the flesh around your left or right thigh for the umpteenth bruise of the summer, giggling at you.
Nobody made money out of cricket. At least, no player made money out of cricket.
Administrators, however, were sitting on top of the biggest bank balances in the Commonwealth Bank vaults.
Ironically the guys who plundered runs or knocked over the poles in those eras knew that Sheffield Shield Cricket was never going to make you rich, and nor was Saturday cricket.
Even playing for Australia could keep you poor. Loved, but poor.
Cricket has been bits and pieces since it started in Australia and carried on that way up until the last 2 years. People were going overseas to get rich in many different sports from the 1950’s, but Cricketers couldn’t make a living.
Sure we know that International, Shield and 50-50 and then 20-20 cricketers have developed since the 90’s into salary and wage Earners.
Now, they are being paid as entertainers. Now they are millionaires. Now they are like Major League Baseballers, world class soccer players, Rugby millionaires, tennis pros, golfing billionaires.
They have the basis of a League within the shores of Australia which will play maybe 20-40 games per season in time to come. Maybe not now, but in the future.
There is no true Ryobi 50-50 League. No one goes to Bupa Shield Matches. There is a League called Big Bash which averages 15,000 per game.
Cricket Australia have a legitimate right to call themselves a National Cricket League, and the KFC Big Bash has a multi-million dollar value placed on its’ worth.
Now, the kids of Australia can finally say “I wanna be like Mike” and mean Michael Clarke, not Michael “Air” Jordan.
Professional Cricket has nearly arrived.
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