One-all with all to play for in Adelaide on Australia Day. Suddenly, two of your fast bowlers break down. Let’s call them Harris and Pattinson, for they are two of Australia’s bright lights. Who replaces them, and more importantly, under what circumstances?
Are they coming in after hours of hard toil in the Sheffield Shield, or after a two-month spell of cash grabbing for a mere workload?
The second hypothetical is the dreaded one if you’re an Australian fan.
Such a scenario is very much possible as the Big Bash League makes its bow on the Australian cricketing stage. With men falling like lemmings, Cricket Australia has wilfully chosen to prioritise a Twenty20 competition ahead of giving its playing employees their shot at earning a baggy green cap.
With little to do but gnaw on knuckles and let sweat beads flow in hope nothing amiss happens to our team during that period, let’s look on to next summer to avoid a repeat scenario.
Australia are set to host South Africa and Sri Lanka for six Test matches next season, with two bilateral five-match one-day competitions scheduled against Sri Lanka and the West Indies (although this can still be amended to be a triangular tournament).
In all, the Australian season (including domestic commitments) will last from October 2012 to March 2013.
The only quirk in the scheduling is that South Africa will open the international summer, having made it clear they will no longer accept touring Australia during their own lucrative Christmas/New Year period.
That said, this is one way to avoid future complications:
October 2012
Sheffield Shield
Ryobi Cup
November 2012
Test: South Africa (Brisbane)
Sheffield Shield
Ryobi Cup
December 2012
Tests: South Africa (Hobart, Adelaide)
Tests: Sri Lanka (Perth, Melbourne)
Sheffield Shield
Ryobi Cup
January 2013
Test: Sri Lanka (Sydney)
ODI Triangular Series: Sri Lanka, West Indies
Big Bash League
February 2013
ODI Triangular Series: Sri Lanka, West Indies (plus one final)
Big Bash League (plus final)
Sheffield Shield
Ryobi Cup (plus final)
March 2013
Sheffield Shield (plus final)
The above schedule would grant Cricket Australia’s wish for the Big Bash League to be played within the school holiday period in January, but only after the summer’s Test commitments are completed.
In addition, it would enable Australia’s Test cricketers to partake in one or two matches in the Sheffield Shield in the lead up to the five-day matches, while promoting healthy competition for spots among the other domestic players to compete alongside their vaunted colleagues.
Finally, the suggested schedule would enable the Big Bash League to take place alongside the ODI component of the international summer, which is a far smaller gap to bridge than asking a player to adjust from Twenty20 to Test match mode.
In addition, it may promote more opportunities to schedule Australia A matches against the touring sides, thereby following on from the Argus Review’s recommendation to increase the depth of options for the national side.
In some ways, an Australian series win against India has the potential to paper over the cracks of the current scheduling method. Let us not be blinded to the potential cost to Australian cricketing development, even if Cricket Australia is.
Bayman
Guest
Vas, I certainly prefer your schedule to that which CA has produced this summer. Your comment regarding fast bowlers is spot on. Based on previous experience, the chances of the quicks who play the first Test against India surviving the series are, at best, remote. It requires four Tests to be played in five weeks from Boxing Day to January 28th. Siddle and Pattinson were said to have minor injuries following Hobart. If that had happened after Melbourne would they have "come up" for Sydney? If they do have minor injuries then they are almost certain to miss at least one Test against India. Without Cummins, Siddle, Pattinson, Cutting (and not even a Johnson to fall back on) the cupboard will be bare. I guess we should all hope nothing happens to Starc, Hazlewood or Copeland. Bollinger reminded us in India what can happen when your Test preparation is a few T20 games.