What is Australia’s place in developing cricket in other nations? We pride ourselves on being a leading nation in our great game, however just what do we do to promote it beyond our own borders?
What is our place in helping developing cricket nations get better?
Of the Test playing nations we have touring our shores regularly, the big four are England, India, and South Africa along with Australia.
The next tier are Pakistan, West Indies (for the purpose of this discussion treated as a nation), New Zealand, and Sri Lanka, then trailing some way behind in a development sense are Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Setting aside the fact we could do more to help the latter two, what are we are doing to help those countries whose teams are just below Test cricket?
Ireland, Afghanistan, Nepal, Kenya, Scotland, and Canada come to mind as associate members that need assistance to build the game.
Could we sponsor one or two every year to participate in our domestic 50 over or Twenty 20 tournaments?
Could we have a regular program of Australia A or youth games against these associate member and perhaps Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Cairns, Brisbane, Darwin, etc during the southern winter?
If it does nothing else it might help reduce the reprehensible practise of poaching from nations like Ireland and Zimbabwe, thereby depleting the talent pool in these countries.
Think of Ireland now with Eoin Morgan and Boyd Rankin added.
Should we have an embedded sponsorship program for ICC associate member players in our grade cricket, to help develop individual players? There is no reason to think a great player couldn’t come from a current non-Test nation.
Think of how little we saw of undoubtedly one of the great wicketkeeper batsmen, Andy Flower (if you’re unsure of his credentials, look him up on Cricinfo).
No doubt there are flaws in this thinking, ones that CA have contemplated. I do believe however there is more that can be done than presently occurs.
We need to explore what we can do, rather than look for the reasons why we can’t assist.
person1111111111111
Guest
I think that having PNG compete in Ryobi One Day Cup and having a nepal and afghanistan team in the IPL, Much like how in englands one day cup they have scotland and netherlands competing in it and ireland are competing against west indian nations (jaimaca and barbados and so forth)in the west indian league also setting up every year a tournament that has Scotland, Ireland, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada, PNG, Holland and Kenya alond with England Lions, Australia A and all other test nations second teams.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
The best idea is to perhaps sponsor a team to play in the new Ryobi Cup given it's all played in the same place - PNG is the obvious choice, especially since they are pretty competitive at associate level. Hong Kong or Nepal would be other possibles. But I doubt they'd be competitive against our states.
James
Guest
I think bringing them in to compete on a domestic level is a fantastic idea. It'd be interesting to have perhaps a rotating series that the winner of the shield enters into against two builder nations.
Ruminate
Roar Guru
Yes agree with you, the impact that the BCCI has had on the way that the game is administered is concerning. It is quite self centred, the point I'm trying to make is that would be good for CA to take a leadership role, rather than follow the example of the BCCI. How much richer would our cricketing landscape be if the next Dennis Lillee was Fijian and the next Don Bradman came from Nepal?
The Facts
Guest
Even before these reports, Australia last toured cricket's newest permanent member Bangladesh in 2004. They have not toured Zimbabwe due to political and human rights issues (fair enough)
Jorji Costava
Guest
This is how it will be to ensure red ball cricket survives. Top 8 nations on the rankings for test cricket(white ball formats are a different game). Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will join the top 6 associate nations from next year playing all of them in four day red ball matches until 2019 when the top Intercontinental Cup team(the winner) will play the last placed test nation in a four game test match series two home and two away. The Intercontinental Cup is played over 3 years with all teams playing each other in 4 day cricket to ensure sides keep playing the format. Zim and Bang just play white ball mostly, so this will get them back out there, hopefully lifting their games. At the moment we do not want to play them because it would be over within 3 days. Pointless. If it was right now, my money would be on Ireland, as they would be better than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh and they would face New Zealand. The Irish might be able to get their English County players back too so they can build a strong squad. There is two right now in the English team. Morgan and Rankin. New Zealand would stay up and Ireland would have to go around again for another 4 years. It is a very tough path, but you will need to earn it if you want to play red ball with the big dogs. Which is how you sell tickets and sell broadcast rights. At the moment it is a complete joke. The ICC might even start working as a governing body that nations like Pakistan and Sri Lanka cannot use their powers of veto to "bend the laws". Think the chucking bowler and the numerous gambling scandals all brushed under the carpet. It would actually be good if Pakistan went down and an Ireland or a Canada took their place. You could actually play them and people would be able to travel to see the matches unlike now.
Gr8rWeStr
Guest
Recent reports suggest the profit taking, rather than international cricket development, mentality has taken control of ICC, especially where BCCI, CA and ECB have a say. Until that fundamentally changes all the minnow nations will be left to pull themselves up by their boot laces.
Johnno
Guest
Bring back top end series, or top end T20 contests. And have Australia A at least play in it. Or the big bash should start looking for talent, from the minnows, and give them and oppurtunity to develop there game. Maybe make a rule in the IPL and the Bigbash, and county T20, each team must have 1 minnow player in there squad. All the teams are there, Canada,Holland,Ireland,Scotland,Denmark,Arghanistan,Nepal,UAE, Kenya,Uganda, Fiji where cricket is booming. All these teams could use support. PNG also cricket is developing. An article last week on Geriant Jones, who is born in PNG, and now playing for them.