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After another batting collapse in the fourth Ashes Test, it’s time for Cricket Australia to take accountability for the fact our batsmen aren’t up to scratch.
What I propose is a remodelling of the domestic cricket season, in particular the Sheffield Shield.
What I suggest is for the Shield to start earlier in the year at around July until September, part one of a one-day tournament in September, followed by a two-week break in October, then resumption of Shield mid October until November, the Big Bash League in December to mid January, Shield resumption mid January until it wraps up at the start of February, followed by part two of the one-day tournament in February. March to June is the off-season.
With stadiums obviously being used by AFL teams, I emphasize that state teams live up to their state recognition and play away from their traditional grounds and on under-used stadia for earlier games played during the footy season.
For example, Queensland could play games during this time at Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Alan Border Oval, New South Wales at Bankstown, North Sydney Oval and even Manuka in ACT etc.
It will give batsmen the opportunity to have a long stint at home, playing in conditions they might not otherwise play in, for example, the humidity of Cairns and Darwin, the cold of the south during winter, the dryness of WA etc.
It will also give locals the opportunity to see their state teams in areas they might not otherwise get to see them play, thus stimulating interest in the game in the regional locations.
Over-playing is broken up with a break in October, BBL stays for its financial reasons without impacting the longer game too much, while one-dayers get turned into a short tournament broken into two parts.
It’s just some suggestions, but I believe it could stabilise the game in this country while also giving batsmen plenty of time in the longer game to discover and trust their techniques, therefore bolstering and improving our batting stocks moving forward.
Thoughts?
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