How different things could have been.
Australia’s men’s team should be one week away from starting their home T20 World Cup campaign right now. Local nets should be full of kids imitating Glenn Maxwell or David Warner’s scoop shots and switch hits while the media crows about Australia’s chances of going back-to-back after the success of the women’s side last summer.
Instead, Sheffield Shield got off to its usual low-key start this week as sports fans’ eyes stay glued to the footy finals. At the same time, at Cricket Australia headquarters in Melbourne, administrators battle hard to ensure that India’s tour of Australia somehow takes place.
There is no doubt about it, cricket is happening in the shadows this October – even more so than usual.
Granted, Cricket Australia finds itself in a difficult position. With the logistical havoc caused by COVID-19, the sport has to fight hard to keep itself financially ticking along. At the same time, it has to continue to maintain the goodwill with the public that it worked so hard to claw back after Sandpapergate.
It’s an unenviable task.
Stuff around with the schedule too much with meaningless matches or cash-earning mini-tours, and you risk raising the ire of the cricketing public. Simply go through the motions and you could cop a huge financial loss.
As always in cricket, good balance will be the key this summer for the game’s decision-makers.
For instance, as an Aussie cricket fan, it doesn’t sit comfortably with me that Australia is reportedly fighting so hard for this coming Indian tour.
The T20 Men’s World Cup cancellation and the hasty replacement through the IPL in the United Arab Emirates has clearly been in the best interests of Indian cricket. Due to the rescheduling, the next T20 World Cup will now take place in India in 2021 while Australia has the chance to have another go in 2022.
Yes, Indian cricket money runs the game, but it’s seldom been as blatant as this.
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
If the India tour to Australia is proving that hard to put together, maybe try another option to just make sure cricket happens at all? Set up a three-Test series with New Zealand inside a Trans-Tasman travel bubble that already exists, and ensure it goes ahead with limited crowds.
English cricket reportedly copped a huge financial hit this last summer, close to 200 million pounds, despite most of their key matches going ahead. Their “high-cost, zero crowd” Test series against the West Indies for instance, may have lost a lot of money, but it showed a lot of courage in my opinion.
At the depths of the pandemic, it was a wonderful tonic for cricket fans around the world to be able to watch Test cricket from England.
Thankfully, with Justin Langer in charge of the men’s team, we have someone involved who believes in maintaining the integrity of the sport and the baggy green. His comments this week to Gerard Whateley on SEN made it clear he doesn’t want the team to be split up for concurrent white and red ball tours in New Zealand and South Africa early next year.
His concern is that due to COVID-19, squads for both tours will have to be huge and the knock-on effect for the Sheffield Shield competition will be a considerable loss in quality. Not only that, he argued, but the Australian cricket team, in theory at least, is one unit and it shouldn’t be spread out across the globe.
Of course in the hyper-professionalised era of sport we now live in, making both of these tours happen (in order to earn the respective broadcast dollars) is technically possible. But is it the right thing to do?
Langer’s honesty on this topic is the sort of common sense that I have yearned for in Aussie cricket for some time. Let’s hope administrators can adopt some of Langer’s trademark poise throughout this coming summer.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
I agree, but the Indian tour is already scheduled and a fair way on the path to happening. That has to be resolved first, then a CEO with International cricket as his/her focus, regardless if paid for by BBL cash and associated tv rights, needs to be appointed to replace the interim CEO.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
An interesting piece, thanks Andre, but there are a few areas I don't agree with: 1) Much as I dislike how the BCCI throws its weight around in world cricket, the reality is that the Indian tour is very important to the wellbeing of the game in Australia. Like it or not, a series against India is worth vastly more in TV rights (both domestically and internationally) than one against NZ (who we just thrashed last summer). If the tour does not go ahead, you can expect significant funding cuts right across the game. 2) I actually think it is better for us to host the T20 World Cup in 2022 than 2021. It's much more likely that we will be able to have full houses and international visitors in 2022 than 2021. 3) I agree England did well to get their games in over the English summer - but surely these reduced the financial hit, rather than contributed to it. If they hadn't put the games on, yes they would have saved some of the bubble costs but they would have lost all of their broadcast and sponsorship money. So the games had a dual purpose of mitigating the ECB's losses and promoting the game. As you say, a tough gig for the CA administration, particularly with the Channel 7 battle going on in the background. Hopefully they can navigate the right path to keep the financial hit to manageable levels in the short term, whilst keeping their eyes on the long term health of Australian cricket.
Marty
Roar Rookie
I agree, and that’s why CA should be making every effort to get a more competitive team out this summer.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
India’s not either of those teams. It’ll be dull AFL or any league comp if top of the table hardly played the bottom half.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Fair point however that would have made him the standout batsman for NZ and Pakistan...
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
They need more then India touring this year or whoever else is flavour of the month, performing giant this era. CA need to get different formats scheduled right for viewers at decent times
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
I loved watching kohli bat last tour also. Ave below 50, one century, only two scores above 50. I want our bowlers holding him like that again this tour.
Paul
Roar Guru
It's interesting Andre, but I had a very different take from Langer's words, as quoted on the CA website. The last paragraph of that article is key; ""But this is a really strange season; we're seeing it with AFL, we're seeing it with NRL, but I certainly would never like to see it be a permanent fixture." In effect he's saying what just about every business around the world is saying; we're in a totally unique position, we have to make a number of compromises, some of which really suck, but if it means we can keep going and hopefully weather the current crisis, we can build from there when conditions improve. The balancing act CA has to achieve cannot be done in isolation, hence the compromises with Indian cricket ( the IBL and T20 World Cup) and with New Zealand ( the timing of their white ball series). Yes it will harm the Sheffield Shield but will it kill it? Not unless this sort of tour scheduling becomes the norm rather than the exception. The Indian Test tour will go ahead as will the other tours. In far from ideal times, this is perhaps the best compromise the powers that be can come up with. None of the tours or tournaments suit anyone, but now is a time to grin and bear it, believing better times will come, hopefully soon.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
After last summers mess of a schedule with South Africa in a white ball October series no one remembers, followed by Pakistan & NZ, all conveniently over with by New Year so Australia could travel to India in the middle of Australia's summer holidays, it's imperative that CA works hard to make an Indian tour happen - Covid or not - as a traditional summer fare of Test matches followed by New Year white ball will settle fans and spectators alike. It will keep the broadcaster happy too, who will definitely resume the talks of making the contract null and void if a hastily put together alternative is put in place. I'm no fan of CA but they need India this summer.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Personally I hope that CA are doing everything they can to get India out here because I’d actually like to see some competitive test cricket this summer. Watching the likes of Pujara and Kohli bat during the last tour was awesome and far more enjoyable than watching us flog the pants off Pakistan and NZ last summer. You might not like the amount of influence they wield, which is a fair point, but that’s a seperate issue.