I’ve watched the Australian cricket team play in a number of cities and venues in Australia, and not only had I not sighted them at any of those venues in January, but I couldn’t recall many discussions about them.
Sure, we had postscripts of the summer of Marnus Labuschagne, but he did all his work in six or seven days.
I rang a globetrotting mate the other day to ask him if he’d seen the Aussie cricket team in his travels during January. I thought it a legitimate question considering he has watched the Aussies play all around the world, but alas he wasn’t able to get to India in the second week of January so hadn’t sighted them either.
Hang on a minute! Second week of January in India? Why? No, that can’t be right, surely?
(David Rogers/Getty Images)
Ever since the rise of one-day cricket in the 1970s the Aussies have interspersed or followed the traditional Australian summer Test series with ODIs. Then T20s were introduced and the Aussie summer holidays were filled with our elite cricketers in iconic arenas thrilling kids in yellow or green shirts with their exploits with willow or leather. No matter how the team may have struggled overseas when in rebuilding phases, you could be assured of morale-boosting home wins to relax the faithful.
Doom and gloom in the media, such as droughts, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and fires, were tempered by the exploits of Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Clarke, Dave Warner, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and so on.
Where’s that relief in 2019-20? The Aussies in white were seen for all of eight days in the Australian summer holiday period from 20 December to 31 January, with only four days in January. Four days! Thankfully they didn’t beat the Kiwis in three days, otherwise they would’ve played as many days in their own country as they did in India in Australia’s prime summer sporting period!
Australia doesn’t pull on the coloured clothes until 22 February when they play three T20s and then three ODIs against South Africa. Woohoo!
Oh, hang on, that’s in South Africa. What the?
So the Australian international ‘summer’ of cricket finished on 5 January? Well, yes, it did, because although the Kiwis will play their series of three ODIs and then three T20s in Australia, it won’t be until Australia’s football codes have started their seasons in March. To compound the crazy scheduling, the third ODI on 20 March will be in the coldest cricket venue in Australia, Hobart! Meanwhile 7 January – the fifth day of the SCG Test – until 21 February lay devoid of elite international cricket.
Cricket fans have to ask: was it worth it? Why was the whole period devoted to a domestic T20 competition and some apparent Cricket Australia-BCCI deal which had the team overseas in peak Aussie holiday period?
Prior to the 1970s the pinnacle of battles at the MCG in peak summer holidays was Victoria versus New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield, with the MCG packed to the rafters. A few days ago 13,000 spectators rattled around that stadium as a Melbourne and Sydney side played in the modern equivalent of the ‘crowd’s favourite domestic format’. In a final no less!
So, was it was worth it? Dismal attendance figures for the overblown tournament and ridiculously long finals series says to me that Cricket Australia shot itself in the foot and needlessly killed cricket fans summer.
ODI T20 series played in October to December and March might bookend Tests in Cricket Australia’s mind but their attendances have to show them that this scheduling is not making elite international cricket a priority in Australia’s summer.
The 2019-20 cricket season will be a strange footnote for cricket fans, especially those who don’t have pay-TV, when you consider they will have seen more of their team via satellite with the Ashes and Cricket World Cup in England in 2019 than in their own summer. Crazy!
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Yeah, re-reading your comment I get that. I was probably responding mostly to the last sentence.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I understand that the BCCI was flexing its muscles, I'm just pointing out that we've had it pretty sweet until now when you look at what other nations have done to accommodate our own preferred scheduling.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The BCCI refused to allow Australia's tour to be played later. CA wanted the ODIs v NZ in March moved to January and the series in India played later. CA was left with either abandoning the India money, or what has happened. Teams used to bend over backwards to come to Australia because we had all the money, now India has all the cash.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Couldn't care less, they should consider themselves fortunate to still have a seat at the big table
Timmuh
Roar Guru
"Lots more afternoon games for big clubs" And likewise, squeezing out of small clubs making it impossible for them to hope to grow their fan base on practically zero exposure. while giving free publicity to the big ones. Collingwood and Essendon's prime time spots are more valuable than the "handouts" to St Kilda or North.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Except with the PC pandering Ryan. The AFL is completely funding the AFLW and entry is free at grounds. I think the tv rights are free too. The AFLW isn't profitable at all. (Not saying I hate the comp though, just acknowledging it's lack of profitability).
AREH
Roar Guru
Good call, it's a widespread concern hardly confined to AFL football, that's for sure.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
I guess if you take the view (and I do) that all of these sporting organisations are ultimately focused on profit - and they are, CA, NRL, AFL, A-League etc are all as bad as each other in that respect - then I think the AFL has done a pretty good job relative to the rivals in terms of scheduling and inclusion. Their women's comp and the funding thrown at it has been a great step to see and is the single most important decision they've made in terms of guaranteeing relevance of the game since the VFL became the AFL. Having a women's competition, funded and professional is going to have a legacy that dwarfs the pitiful impact of the GWS and Suns. Lots more afternoon games for big clubs, they do have Thursday night FTA games, attendances certainly haven't suffered as other codes have. The gambling ads etc are all true, but again, every code is guilty of this. Agree that they do conflate AFL with Australian Rules to the point where the sport itself is now known as AFL rather than Australian Rules - I always try and separate the two in my mind, and certainly anyone who is still involved in playing the game or having their children play the game would have an easy job separating the two as well.
AREH
Roar Guru
Great point about the significant differences, ie. No risk of losing your top liners etc. But gee, I dunno...I'd love to think not, but unnecessarily rich deals with broadcasters, and more particularly, betting companies, suggest dollar maximisation remains priority number one. Pretty sure the organisation pays little - or no - tax, either. The air of hubris the league has would lead one to believe they are the founders of the sport instead of simply having the task of administering it.
JamesH
Roar Guru
It is disappointing (not that I watch men's white-ball internationals now that they're behind a paywall) and I agree with the general point. However, there are a couple of qualifiers that haven't been mentioned yet, as far as I can see. Firstly, this is also the peak of the Indian, SA and NZ cricket seasons too. India and SA have been wanting us to tour their countries during Jan-Feb for years, but we don't. Instead, we wait until March to go to SA and - on the rare occasions we get there - NZ, and April to go to India. Yet, while SA tours of Australia generally finish by mid-December, India and NZ tour in Dec-Jan. So we've taken a lot more than we've given in that regard. Secondly, the women's T20I World Cup is on in Australia from mid-Feb to early March. CA simply can't schedule home men's matches during that period. That's why the NZ tour is in March and why the men's team is going to SA shortly. Admittedly, it doesn't explain why there have been no men's games at home in the six weeks between the Sydney test and the start of the Women's Cup. You'd think having the men's side playing in the leadup would be a good thing.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
Crap. yes, it makes money but it's wonderful to have a product where you don't have to give a stuff what the rest of the world is doing/thinks. We don't have to worry about our top players being stripped out of the comp to go play internationals during the regular season for starters!
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
That's interesting Jeff. I would never have guessed it. It seems that some (India, England) play more than others but maybe that's just an illusion then. .. What I was actually getting at though is the lack of domestic one day cricket making it harder for our selectors to pick the best side. Once again, I could be wrong, but our teams seem to be picked on T20 and first class form rather than 50 over form due to there being so few inter-state 50 over matches played these days.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Actually, all teams play the same number of ODIs between WCs, equal home v away, so the Australian team shouldn't be at a disadvantage next WC in that regard.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
We are still better off than England where test cricket went behind the paywall and it has had a dreadful effect on the interest level of younger people who can't justify the cost of subscription. Remember the crowds during the ashes? All old bastards. Like me. :unhappy: The younger can't afford to go to a game and can't afford to watch it at home.
AREH
Roar Guru
I'm sure many feel the same. AFL exists merely for dollars now too though, unfortunately.
Cigar Field Sobers
Roar Rookie
The stark impact of the reign of Teflon Sutherland continues...
JGK
Roar Guru
Imagine how embarrassing it would have been if Aust had won the World Cup yet the home fans wouldn't have been able to see them play this summer.
dungerBob
Roar Rookie
If it is a war between the formats then the 50 over game seems to be losing it badly. The domestic comp is done and dusted before summer even starts and the international games are behind the paywall. At this rate we may never add to our 5 World Cups. The players hardly play it and the public rarely gets to watch it.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Look at the huge hiatus in the Sheffield Shield to accommodate the BBL circus! :shocked:
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
bring back the old wsc back,these modern fixtures are boring.