I returned from holidaying interstate last weekend (had a great time, thanks for asking) to find cricket discussion on The Roar being dominated by complaints over the similarity of Australia and Pakistan’s one-day strips. With two months of the domestic cricket summer still to come, this was proof, surely, that in-depth cricket discussion had reached the end.
Fortunately, while I sat there head-in-hands bemoaning the new lows being attained, some kind soul put the discussion to bed by mentioning that similar playing attire hasn’t caused too many troubles in nearly 135 years of Test cricket.
Thankfully, some topics worthy of actual discussion have emerged since then.
Cricket administrators and television broadcasters alike have been wetting their pants in anticipation of the first trials of a new pink cricket ball, which were conducted in a couple of Future’s League matches in Adelaide and Brisbane last week.
The idea of the pink ball is that in the future, sometime, somewhere, Test cricket will be played in the hours of the day more accustomed to day-night One Day Internationals. This idea, of course, has very little to do with cricket and everything to do with the broadcasters being able to show Test Matches in prime time.
And so, all eyes turned to Adelaide, particularly, to see just how the pink ball would go under lights in the match between South Australia and Western Australia.
Well, the reaction was underwhelming.
It turns out that that in both games, a new pink rock was being used from each end, which means we’re still no closer to getting a ball of any colour other than red that will last 80 overs. And even with the pink balls needing only to last 40 overs, there were still complaints about the paint coming off as it pitched, or as it came into contact with willow.
Players noted that both the Kookaburra ball (as used in Adelaide under lights), and the British-made Duke (as used in Brisbane in daytime hours) were quite easy to see out of the bowlers hand. Worryingly though, Umpire Andrew Collins noted that the pink ball was difficult to pick when standing at square-leg in Adelaide.
The big test however, for mine anyway, was how well it showed up on television.
Now admittedly, I didn’t see anything more than brief snippets shown on the various news bulletins, and slightly extended vision on Sports Tonight on ONE HD, but the reaction from four different sets of eyes (of varying ages) in my lounge room at the time was the same: the pink ball doesn’t show up real well at all.
We could see the ball, eventually, but it took longer than expected to pick it up than does a red or white ball.
And if it’s difficult to pick up a pink ball on television – the whole motivation for the trial in the first place – then it’s hard to see how it can progress any further.
Already reports suggest that pink balls have failed the test, and so it would seem Kookaburra and Duke will go back to the colour palette and the drawing board at the same time. Either way, I’d imagine Test cricket under lights is no closer.
Of bigger concern for Kookaburra though, is that the white ball has suddenly developed a favourable taste, so much so that acting Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had several bites at the cherry, if you’ll pardon the pun.
Afridi sinking his teeth into the reconditioned ball was easily one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever seen watching or playing cricket. What’s more, I can’t recall a more deliberate and brazen attempt to tamper with the ball in such an openly visible situation.
Sadly, that he only has to sit out two token T20Is as punishment is a bigger indictment than the crime itself. I do note, however, that the Pakistan Cricket Board will include the now-infamous Afridi appetite in its full review of their tour of Australia.
It’s not clear whether the PCB may apply further sanctions of their own; we can but hope the PCB will do what the ICC wouldn’t, and come down harder again on their enigmatic all-rounder.
Meanwhile, it was Hallelujahs all round late last week, when a team-mate sent me the comments of Stuart Robertson, who was part of the English Cricket Board marketing outfit that brought Twenty20 into the cricketing world back in 2000.
For I-don’t-know-how-long now, I’ve been telling team-mates, Roarers, whoever will listen frankly, that there is no place or need in the global cricketing calendar for Twenty20 Internationals.
Last week, Robertson told AAP (and which then appeared on The Roar, CricInfo, and in most other decent sports media):
“Twenty20 was always designed as a game for counties or states or provinces and it was devised to address the declining audiences at domestic level. I don’t mind Twenty20s being used as a curtain-raiser for an international series, to have one or two to whet the appetite for more cricket coming up, so long as they don’t overdo it. If nothing else gives there is a risk of there being too much Twenty20.”
Amen to that.
The ridiculousness of Twenty20 being used as an international cash-cow is that the next ICC World Twenty20 will be played in the Caribbean from 30 April to 16 May this year, barely 11 months since the last WT20 was played in England. There’s too much of it, and there’s just no need.
So, for neither the first nor the last time, I’ll say this again. Scrap Twenty20 Internationals completely. Forget about the WT20.
Leave Twenty20 cricket to the domain of domestic and franchise competitions, and if the pinnacle of this form of the game is to win the Champions League Twenty20, and all the riches that come with it – as New South Wales did last October – then so be it.
Quite simply, we currently have way too much of a good thing, and if we keep playing T20Is with this current illogical regularity, the whole format will suffer. Consolidation has to be the key to both longevity and relevance at all levels.
Brett McKay
Guest
Interesting to read Malcolm Conn's article in The Australian today: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/australias-global-quest-for-night-tests/story-e6frg7mf-1225828045525 CA will be pushing the ICC to take over the "running" of night cricket trials for the exact reason I mentioned above: this is a global thing, not just Asutralia, not just England. And also that Channel 9 conducted pink ball trials before and after the ODI in Melbourne on Sunday. Wonder if their opinion on how it picks up on telly differs from what I expressed in this column??
Brett McKay
Guest
the Australian grounds have in recent years started recapturing that local character they once had, thankfully. Brisbane, Perth and Sydney especially, have been this way of several seasons, but all six Test grounds this summer behaved in ways of their own, and differently to each other. You see similar differences in English grounds (north and south), and also in South Africa (sea-level and up on the veldt), but the subcontinental decks tends to be rather lifeless, such as what we're seeing in Nagpur currently..
Tinnie
Roar Rookie
I'd just like to add that the emergence of the pink cricket ball has McGrath's name written all over it!! .........You've taken it too far this time Glen!! :)
Tinnie
Roar Rookie
Completely agree with the pitches The Bush. In years past the pitches gave each ground their own personality, of late most of the grounds seem almost generic, we're basically seeing the exact same style of cricket played at every ground. As you mentioned each ground posessed it's own set of challenges, that brought along with it anticipation. If a touring side brought a quick over with a reputation you'd be licking your lips at the prospect of seeing him storming in at the WACA. Sydney was quite quick for the first day, but towards the end still had plenty for spinners and medium paced swingers/seamers, Bellerive offered a little something for everyone. This is where test cricket is stuggling with it's identity, not due to the rise 20/20, not the time it's played and not the colour of the ball. Great news about the tri-series, i've watched most matches this season but must admit i've been left quite confused due to the roster of the touring teams. Just on the other topics..... Brett i completely agree with you on the Afrdi situation, such a small penalty for such an obvious attempt at cheating is a joke, if there were a time to make an example against ball tamperers it should have been then. I must admit i was unaware of the next T20 world cup in the Carribean, just hadnt even thought about it being so soon since the last one (even the speed they put together the first one took me by surprise). It is and international cash-cow and because this (as anouther roarer pointed out) you cant help but feel the greedy hands clambering to get their own stake in it. There is too much already, but to completely cut international T20 is not the way to go. With all respect someone like David Warner is a T20 specialist and performs much better in this form of the game than the other two, he is actually probobly one of the best in the world at that format, i wouldnt like to deny someone in his position a chance to represent their country. I think two internationals a summer would be fair without imposing on the other forms, after all the is going to be a demand for it.
Brett McKay
Guest
The Bush gets my early nomination for Roarer of the Week. A great post sir.. Hard to argue with too much of this actually, particularly the Australian right to take the day off for Day 1 of a Test....
The Bush
Guest
As a fast bowler who still undoes one too many buttons on any button-up shirt in a not-so-sly attempt to emulate a better era, hear-hear to all calls for more competative pitches that provide some relief to bowlers. Once upon a time the summer parade around Australia provided a new set of challenges at every turn; a green topped bouncy first day at the Gabba, the batters paradise Adeaide, a speedsters heaven in Perth, the unpredictable Melbourne and a final flurry at the spinning SCG. Results and the occasional batting collapse brings the punters in. Brett and co you are right to point out that India should be trailing day-night cricket. I'll even taking it a step further. If test cricket is so unpopular and dreary for the Sub-continent, well then lets drop the futures tour program and they can drop out of Test Cricket all together. I don't think anyone would lose to much sleep over no longer playing Bangladesh, and it's not as though Pakistan were particuarly good in the summer just gone. Test Cricket is fine as it is, taking that day off work to attend the first day is an Australian right, not to mention waking up on Saturday's and Sunday's knowning that full eight hours of Cricket await. And what about Boxing Day and New's Years Day tests, will they only be at night then too? That sound terrible. Although India still rates for me as one of the four traditionally important touring teams, if they aren't interested in playing then fine, lets get England, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies touring as often as possible. Maybe then some other nations could even be given a shot (unlikely though)? Let's keep test cricket it how it is, and if they aren't interested then fine, we'll play in our corner and they can play in theirs... Finally I hear that there are plans to reinstall the tri-series and that next summer we are going to commence with T20 and ODI's against Sri Lanka before playing England. Does anyone else miss the days when the summer was regimented and we all knew what to expect? Shield Cricket, Tests, ODI's and then Shield final. If Cricket Australia must promote the start of the summer then hold some sort of ODI Shield tournament in October/November a la the Big Bash (this might reinvigorate one day cricket) or that All Stars game is fine. It's confusing enough trying to work out who is touring in the summer without five teams coming between October and March.
Brett McKay
Guest
GtWs, I'm not for a minute suggesting Afridi was the first ball-tamperer ever, but he's gone way beyond just rubbing sun cream (or Bryl cream, as the Ch9 commentators discussed yesterday) into the ball. And anyway, just becuase it's been going on forever doesn't make it right. It is, as Vinay says above, bloody cheating!! Pure and simple. But that all said, my main beef is the petty punishment, more than Afridi himself. I mean, seriously, two T20Is?!?
Go_the_Wannabe's
Guest
Surely a big advantage of night cricket is to get bums on seats after work during week days when crowds are traditionally poor? Taking on prime time TV may or may not be an advantage.......it would be interesting to see how it stacked up against it. Ball tampering has been around since Abraham opened the bowling for Ur. Are you trying to tell me no one rubs sun cream on the ball? Have you ever wondered why big dollops of zinc cream is so popular with fast bowlers? After yesterdays game against the Windies, the bore fest that is one day cricket is finally fading fast. Someone please read it the last rites. Anyone that doesn't think T20 is going to be the no. 1 cricket game hasn't been to a match yet. It's like baseball on steriods and the sportsfans go beserk. It could even crack the American market.
Fisher Price
Guest
Clarke shouldn't even be in the ODI team.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Thanks Mate, I completely agree with your comments above. One of the great things about Friday's T20 was the pitch and the pace it produced and letting the bowlers back into the game rather than another batathon/yawnathon that flat tracks produce. IMHO this is a must for all forms of cricket, it brings back an exciting dimension to game that has been missing for too long.
Brett McKay
Guest
G'day Rickety, thanks for dropping by!! No need to worry about being labelled a stick in the the mud, and you certainly won't be the last to express concern about moves to night cricket. In truth, I think most of us are traditionalists at heart, and thus any moves to tinker with Test cricket is seen as sacrilege. I'm certainly in this camp too, but I've become a lot more open-mided about these things. I wasn't a fan of T20 at all when it first came around, but I've come to enjoy it now for what it is, not what it wants to be. Likewise, while I'm generally against the notion of d/n Tests, I think it's still worth the trial, and I can see the potential benefits to be had. But as I said above, it shouldn't be Australia and England driving the trials. Why isn't the BCCI leading the charge, and paying SG to develop a new ball? Simple, they're too busy counting their T20 riches and don't care for Tests. At the end of the last Ashes series, the Eds asked me to write a column looking at some ways in which Test cricket could be improved. In the end, I coun't see the need for major change, but rather thought and argued that more benefit could be gained from simple little tweaks, namely: i. over rates; ii. pitch preparation, and iii. umpiring. I won't rehash these arguements again (it's all at http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/08/25/what-can-be-done-to-keep-test-cricket-alive/), but my point was much could be achieved without changing the very fabric or the foundations of the game. These points are still valid now, and will continue to be for a while yet. On Clarke briefly, I thought he had a really good night on Friday too. Under all sorts of presure to even just hold his spot, he batted in exactly the right place at No.3, and played his natural game perfectly, and became the perfect foil for the strokemakers at the other end. More importantly, his use of the bowlers, and his field settings were quite clever all night, and the unlikely win (after being bowled out well under par) was a fitting reward..
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
G'day Brett, at the risk of being labelled an old stick in the mud traditionalist (which I don't believe that I am) - if it ain't broke then don't fix it!. The playing times and the ball used in Test Cricket should be left alone - it is distinct from both versions of pyjama cricket and should be left as such. Going with pink balls and night cricket will only dilute the Test Cricket brand and potentially meld into "hit and miss" cricket designed for TV. Pyjama cricket has done a lot for test cricket ie faster scoring and a quantam lift in fielding skills making test cricket much more exciting - witness the lack of draws since its introduction but for goodness sake leave the great game of Test Cricket to the red ball and daylight. CA needs to be careful not to succumb to greed and kill off a wonderful part of the game. On a completely different tangent - I have been a critic of Michael Clarke in the past and suggested he that he did not have sufficient maturity to be captain of the Test team. I must say that I was deeply impressed with his captaincy in the T20 match v Pakistan. He pulled every right lever to win and unwinnable game and marshalled his troops admirably to pull off a memorable result.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Lets open the can of worms,Brett and see how they wriggle. You can call it the Wriggles of Cricket.
Brett McKay
Guest
Vinay, I made the comment about the Afridi incident when it happened that it was my understanding that Hair raised exactly the same law with the Pakistani team at The Oval in 2006 as Afridi was found guilty of breaching here. I made the comment that it's worth comparing the current, almost 'mea culpa' reaction from Afridi and Pakistan, with what we saw back in 2006. Where's the threat of withdrawals, where's the accusations of racism now?? Where's the Indian support too?? Nope, much easier to quietly and sheepishly admit the guilt... As for calling a cheat a bloody cheat though, well that might open up a whole other can of worms, which while being great for my page reads (!), probably doesn't achieve anything. Plus, I'm sure we all saw a certain local wicketkeeper stand his ground yesterday when he had very little reason to...
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Brett,I understand your diplomacy in not raising perceptions about bias but its time to call a cheat a bloody cheat. I see Darrell hair has had the guts to do just that. You may recall it was Darell who was at the centre of the Oval forfeit. And he was made a scapegoat. Michael Holding resigned in disgust from the ICC technical committee. Ramiz Raja goes as far as to say it was "left to the elder stateman" in the team to alter the condition as "a last resort". Bugger the politcal correctness. I am all for being compassionate about where Pakistan Cricket is at present but it makes you wonder if it is not self inflicted.
Brett McKay
Guest
I was still following Bruski, all's well.. The pink ball thing played out like the Y2K bug - excessively hyped to the point where after it did fizzle out, we're all left wondering what all the fuss is about. I see since the trials too, lime green and even a return to dayglo orange have been mentioned as possible next-step alternatives. What I didn't say in the column, and which follows on to what I replied above to Vinay (after it passes moderation, grrrr), is that the trials are happening in the wrong countries. Test cricket is well attended in Australia and England already, so playing Tests at night in these countries really won't change much. A full house in Sydney or at Lord's will still be full, day or night. These trials should be happening in India, one, to see if the broadcasters like it, and two, to see if the fans like it (of course, players reactions should be gauged too, but their opinions seem inconsequential on this matter). For what it's worth, if this does eventually find a solution, I suspect it will involve either a yellow ball similar to that used in indoor cricket, or we'll use a white ball with coloured pads and perhaps a flash of colour in the playing shirts...
Brett McKay
Guest
quite right Vinay. Your comment about pitches is spot on, and if anything, the three countries consistently (now) producing pitches with life just happen to be the three countries where Test cricket remains well-attended. Kersi wrote a great preview of the 1st India-South Africa Test last week that had us all excited, and after two days of steady runs I've already lost interest now. I read breifly that Amla has made his maiden Test double century, and well played to him, but I think we all know where this Test is heading already. I've seen no footage, but I'd wager the crowd is spectacularly underwhelming.. And funny you mention Ramiz Raja's comments too: I deliberately omitted any references or perceptions of a history of Pakistani ball tampering, and yet here it is being offered now as a defence!! The cricketing world truly has gone mad..
bruski
Roar Pro
I should say, we should have kept the game as it was - Not as it is. Where did that edit button go?
bruski
Roar Pro
Pink Balls, 20/20......What is cricket coming too? It is a bit like a 45 year old dying his hair and buying a porshe to impress the girls, only the girls look at him and shake thier heads! I am a little over the plethora of OD games and discussions about pink balls, day/night tests, referals, power-plays and metro-sexual cricketers. Lets keep the game as it is and move forward, I feel Cricket is heading down a slippery slope through greed and it will be ruined. I have to say I no longer watch OD matches and I do believe I am allergic to 20/20 and pink balls cause night sweats. Thankfullly the footy season is around the corner, sanity will prevail.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Brett, the two main issues in your piece ,night cricket and ball tampering, both point to bumbling administrators. Night cricket is being touted as the answer to dwindling crowds and making it more accessible to time -poor spectators. These premises miss the whole point of what makes a game attractive to spectators. The context and the pitches should be the greatest concern. Obviously the member countries of the ICC cannot agree on a Test Championship model. Pitches in the subcontinent are not conducive to attractive cricket. Nagpur has seen almost 600 tedious runs in two days for the loss of 6 wickets. Two heavyweight boxers shadow boxing. Why would spectators bother watching this. Thankfully Sehwag may brighten up one session today. Nicht Tests become irrelevant if the cricket is interesting and competitive. Tom Parker has prepared three sporting pitches in Sydney over the last three seasons and we have had three gripping Test matches. Surely the administrators all over the world can see that this is the way forward. Its time the administrators stop fiddling with their balls. This is just rearranging the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic. Ramiz Raja had this to say two days ago: " Afridi comes from an era, a cricketing culture, where ball-tampering is considered a normal cricket activity, the done thing on flat Pakistani pitches - an art form and not a sin. It's been a part of the Pakistan team's standard operating procedure." This is a former Pakistan captain,the first ODI player given out for "obstructing the field" and a brief stint as CEO of Pak Cricket. He may as well have Ivan Milat as his Defence Attorney.