Cricket Australia have not made a single recent decision which is pro-Sheffield Shield. This summer was kicked off not with a few rounds of Shield but the One-Day Cup.
Now don’t get me wrong, it was a great tournament, but surely it was more urgent to get in a few rounds of first-class cricket, especially at a time when the Australian team is rebuilding?
But no, the Shield came second. As always.
Any player wanting to press their claims to the Test side during December or January either has to be in the Test side, have a first-class record they can point to, or do well in the Big Bash. Because January is all international cricket and BBL.
Again, the Shield comes second.
Now they want to get rid of the Sheffield Shield final.
Too boring, too much time, no point. “They didn’t need it in my day,” said Wally Edwards, as if cricket hasn’t changed just a little since the early 1970s.
Well, you know something? A lot of grand finals are boring. The 2015 AFL grand final was boring. The NRL 2015 grand final was so memorable in part because close grand finals are so rare.
The real reason is CA are sick of the Sheffield Shield. It takes up valuable time and money which could be spent on Big Bash games – which give CA greater financial independence.
Also, the current CA management have a personal investment in BBL – it was created under their watch, whereas they inherited the Shield (never underestimate the desire of any decision maker in any field to leave a legacy).
This is extremely short sighted.
The strength of Australian cricket on the international stage stems from the Sheffield Shield. It is the most fiercely fought first-class competition in the world. It is tough, it is ruthless, and it is the best preparation any country has for Test cricket.
Only the very best international players succeed in it (Barry Richards, Gary Sobers, Imran Khan, Wes Hall). Even quality players like Andy Flower and Graeme Hick struggled.
Australia has never really had an extended form slump internationally because of the strength of the Shield. Even in dire times, like the mid ’80s, it doesn’t take long for us to be competitive again. We have form recessions, not depressions, because we can rely on this fabulous nursery to put up good, battle-hardened players.
But now that looks to be changing.
We live in the real world and money has to be brought in, but that means looking after the talent pipelines, and the Shield is the best there is – better than academies or development squads or high-science bootcamps. It is fiercely competitive, parochial and tough.
The Shield needs to be given more priority. We neglect it at our peril.
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