In the current climate of Australian cricket, it’s quite rare to see the captain of the Australian cricket team receive anything bar criticism.
But Michael Clarke’s recent decision to opt out of this summer’s lucrative Big Bash Twenty20 league was a refreshing and surprising step in the right direction, in a long series of back-peddling bizarre movements
In fact, the set up and prioritisation of this new Twenty20 league over the future of Test cricket, has been yet another bizarre decision from Cricket Australia as they chase the quick earning dollar, as opposed to maintaining the integrity and success of the national Test side.
Up until about four years ago, our national Test side were the epitome of sport in this country, and typified the classic Australian spirit.
Hard working and likable players like Justin Langer, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist were the reason that fans came to watch.
Nowadays, all it takes is a photo of David Warner and Steve Smith on a billboard, and you’ve sold out the SCG. But is that really cricket?
The most detrimental effect that the new Big Bash League will have on Australian cricket’s landscape, is the way it slowly kills off the Sheffield Shield competition.
What was once the key area for scope and development of cricket in Australia will no doubt be slowly killed off by the passing trend that is Twenty20 cricket.
In Australian Test cricket’s recent era of success, a large factor was the level of depth available at Shield cricket. We had players like Simon Katich, Mike Hussey and Stuart Clark all setting an unbelievable standard at domestic level, which would have only been beneficiary to the national side. A strong domestic competition is the key to long lasting success.
At the moment, the Sheffield Shield is at its weakest, and Cricket Australia is doing very little to help address this issue.
In a more competitive domestic competition, the recent form of players like Ricky Ponting, Marcus North and Mitchell Johnson would be far heavier scrutinised, which would only be good for the game.
Stuart Clark, in a recent article, said that there needs to be far greater development of the state sides and the state competition. Players like Steve Smith should be forced to spend lengths of time at domestic level, rather than throwing them out into the deep end of international cricket.
Blooding players for youth is a common and effective tool in AFL football, but I’m not so sure it transcends over to cricket. If a player is playing his career best cricket at age 36, then he should be playing in the national side over a player only in the side for experience.
There is also an argument to be made that Twenty20 cricket is producing a weaker brand of cricketers. The big money thrown by both the IPL and now the Big Bash League makes the boyhood dream of pulling on the baggy green all that less allusive. The boy would rather debut with the Kings Punjab.
I know it’s all well and good to outline the ways in which Cricket Australia is ruining the integrity of Test cricket, but what can be done about it? I don’t think that the new branded Big Bash idea will be beneficial to Australian cricket at all (apart from financially). Had the money been used on the development of the domestic league, then the national Test side may have not been the embarrassment it is today.
It’s the equivalent of having a termite problem in your house, and purchasing a new plasma TV. You’ve just given us something nice to look at, as opposed to fixing the problem.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
As wife Alyssa Healy watches on, Mitchell Starc was back in form, taking three wickets in an over including the dangerous Tim David, to…
Joe Root was showing some brotherly love, giving his younger sibling Billy a chance in their county match.
Australia have reclaimed top spot in the ICC's Test rankings, replacing India. Despite not playing since winning 2-0 in New Zealand in March, Pat…
Yashasvi Jaiswal was looking comfortable at 67 off 40, until this moment when he hit the ball into his own stumps!
The Aussie made his 50 off 37 balls, for his fourth half-century of the season as his Sunrisers Hyderabad went on to beat Rajasthan…
Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein, but nobody knows if he…
