The Big Bash League is heading towards its climax in the second season of its city-based ‘wham bam thank you ma’am’ competition. But there is something that puts a bee in my bonnet with the Big Bash League.
When a player gets the call up to play Test cricket for Australia, the nightly news bulletins always show highlights of the player at domestic level – but at the Big Bash League, not the Sheffield Shield. This annoys the tripe out of me.
Why should the media show highlights of a player playing in a different form of cricket to the one that he is selected to?
It makes me think that the Sheffield Shield competition doesn’t have cameras, and hence no footage. But as we know, the Sheffield Shield is broadcasted on the Cricket Australia website, where you click on the video section.
The broadcast of the Shield as far as cameras is concerned is very similar to ABC television pre World Series Cricket.
Today the ABC doesn’t cover Test cricket, but does cover other sporting competitions that are either low profile or second tier. Competitions such as footballs W-League, WNBL, lawn bowls, various Australian rules competitions like VFL, SANFL and WAFL or rugby’s Shute Shield
All of those competitions don’t need the commercial realities in which the likes of NRL and AFL depend on, and it is highly unlikely that the ABC will ever get to cover competitions like NRL and AFL due to lack of affordability.
But what the ABC should try to do is attain the rights to Sheffield Shield cricket. It’s time for the Shield competition to get some profile on free to air.
The BBL and the domestic one-day competition is broadcasted on pay television, while Australia’s Tests, Twenty20 and one dayers are broadcasted with the Nine Network and Fox Sports. The only time the Sheffield Shield gets broadcasted on television is the final on Fox Sports.
Whenever we try to look for players coming through for the Australian Test side, we always go to the Cricinfo website, look up players statistics, and judge a players form from there. It is not the perfect way to judge a player if there good enough to play at test level.
But if the ABC broadcasted the Shield, it would give fans, media and the selectors a better indication on how the players are faring.
Sometimes a players ability doesn’t reflect in their statistics, while with other players, the stats can inflate their ability.
While selectors do go and watch the Shield games live, the broadcasting of the Shield with extra cameras on FTA, compared to the online coverage at the moment (use of only one camera) can highlight technical flaws in bowlers and batsman, which therefore may help coaches improve their players. At the end of the day, the Sheffield Shield is a ‘development’ competition
The ABC should cover around ten Shield matches a season, including the final, and have it broadcasted on one of their digital channels like ABC2.
However, maybe there are reasons why the ABC doesn’t broadcast Shield cricket. It could well be the costs of putting a telecast of six hours a day for four days.
Then again, the ABC have covered sports like Hopman Cup tennis and Golf tournaments where it required similar hours of broadcasting to Shield cricket.
The other reason could possibly be that Cricket Australia doesn’t want the Shield to be on free-to-air, due to low crowds at the venues. The CA could always purposely use venues like Allan Border Field and Bankstown Oval for matches to be broadcasted on the ABC.
Whatever the reasons, if competitions like W-league and WNBL can be on the ABC, why not Shield cricket?
Jett
Guest
Yes the Sheffield Shield should Be on abc
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
Way back we used to get shield cricket from the states home shield match for the last session of play. All be it one camera from one end. Back then cricket was the only sport played during the summer. No soccer and basketball was of very little if any interest at all. Shield cricket wasn't weakened by one day cricket of 50 over and 20 overs. So the only competition was horse racing. Can't remember if that was covered on TV. Was on ABC local radio. So sports coverage was concentrated in one area. Also back then shops were closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday, so people went to cricket and didn't hang around shops. . So chances of shield cricket returning to any TV? I would say none,zilch.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
The IPL is going nowhere. Couldn't have put it any better myself old boy. And less of the insults, if you don't mind.
Tenash
Guest
u can cross every part of your body u idiot but the IPL is going nowhere U just cannot supress simple economics no matter how noble(in your opinion) your thoughts maybe. Test cricket will always survive but it cannot thrive and expand in the modern world.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
I could probably name most of the past dozen or so Melb Cup winners, most of the past tweny or so AFL premiers, and even have a stab at the recent NRL premiers, but I honestly don't know who won last year's Shield. I realize there's some who could, but it's indicative of where the Shield now resides in the public eye. It's 2013, not 1976. Not a chance in hell to make a return to TV I'm afraid.
Wilson Flatley
Roar Rookie
I'm new to The Roar; and although i agree that it is probably not viable to broadcast shield cricket on any commercial broadcaster, or even a taxpayer funded ABC, i am thoroughly heartened by the amount of people here who still appreciate Shield cricket.
jamesb
Guest
I guess in summary from all of todays comments, the ABC may not have the budget to cover the Sheffield Shield. The ABC has to follow it's charter in regards to covering women's sport which is fair enough. I suppose in the long term, better online streaming would be an option, especially when the NBN kicks in. At the end of the day, we need to look after a very important part of Australian cricket. That is the Sheffield Shield.
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Peter Young of CA has announced that Fox Sports will telecast the Sheffield Shield final, March 22-25. Hope that's a mistake, and that the final has not been cut from 5 to 4 days.
formeropenside
Guest
The final Qld won? Should have been more widely watched, especially by the selectors.
formeropenside
Guest
replays could be a problem, let alone Hawkeye
Dadiggle
Guest
Why are Australians more worried about who broadcast what than the state of the game itself in the country?
King Robbo
Guest
I remember Channel 9 in Perth in the late 80s/early 90s use to show the afternoon session of shield games at the WACA (only on weekends). Was good to see some of the swing bowlers ala terry alderman use the freo doctor to full affect.
sheek
Roar Guru
Brett, I remember when I first came down to boarding school way back in 1969, the ABC telecast the last session only each day of Shield cricket. So that's a possibility. It's certainly an anomaly, the SS. Many cricket fans will follow it through the papers &/or on the news bulletins, although few will actually go to watch a game live. I think some coverage would be better than none. but I would have it as part of an overall package, including everything else.
Johnno
Guest
Guys have to put it like this, which i see as the nuts and bolts of it all. I want the shieffield shield to be on tv. But ask yourself this. The shield doesn't make any money, or get any crowds etc.It can't pay it;s own way in other words. ABC is funded by the taxpayers . Now money is not unlimited, hospitals, education, roads, etc. Do you really think it would be popular if a government spent taxpayers dollars televising the shield that can't generate any revenue on it's own, instead of spend that money on hospitals, education,roads,etc. So can't see the sheffield shield being televised, it would be politically unpopular.
langou
Roar Guru
How about a group of cricket enthusiasts paying there $2 and going to watch the shield at the ground
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I remember watching Cracker Hourn take 9/77 on the ABC in the late 70s, whilst living in not so splendid isolation in regional NSW. Sadly I ignore the noble art of the googly and copied Dave's batting. Would love to see Shield pop up somewhere, on the myriad of channels that exist.. I wonder whether ABC 2 could shove something with Grandstand? The final at least should be free to air.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
C31 in Perth used to broadcast Shield games from the WACA, before they went bust. Where community television still exists (which might only be Sydney and Melbourne these days - not my field at all), this might be another outlet. As these stations are basically volunteer run, more than one camera might be possible at little extra cost. It would first require government funding to allow these stations to go digital to actually get through, rather than only get promised.
TheGenuineTailender
Roar Guru
When Tasmania played NSW at Bankstown early in the season, there was over a 1,000 people there each day. Free entry and cheap food, having Ponting, Clarke and co. playing was definitely the major draw card though.
TheGenuineTailender
Roar Guru
We've already got concerns about "result pitches", imagine what would happen if we were to sacrifice and extra session worth of cricket.
Jason
Guest
That must have been one of the Waugh's last matches.