Although it is one of their stated objectives in their annual report, Cricket Australia are not fair dinkum about our cricketers becoming the number one Test team in the world.
This goal comes alongside such things as increasing participation numbers for juniors and women’s cricket and to also make money, money and more money.
I would argue that participation numbers and revenue would increase as a result of the success of the national Test team. Children wanting to emulate their successful heroes will play cricket and the general public will turn on and watch the successful sides, ensuring huge TV rights.
Whereas if they continue to lose, the noise of the remote controls being turned off around the country will be deafening.
The scheduling of the current one-day series in India raises the first point. I can understand the need to play cricket in India at this time to support the BCCI, but it’s time to stand up to them as well.
Hell, they schedule their own Test series whenever they like, Sachin Tendulkar all of a sudden gets a home Test send off and they tell South Africa to suit themselves.
Australia could’ve just scheduled five rather than seven games, which would’ve got the players home in time to play in the Sheffield Shield matches.
If India then turns around and say we won’t play matches when we tour, so be it. Stand up to them and do what’s best for the Test team.
One positive is that many of the Test players who remain in Australia will prepare for the Ashes in the Sheffield Shield.
A conspiracy theory would be that Clarke’s back injury was to placate the BCCI and justify him pulling out of the one day tour. It miraculously gets better once the Sheffield shield starts.
Unfortunately, Shane Watson has said that he is grateful the rain has forced the cancellation of games because he has been playing non-stop for eight months.
He really should’ve been sent home weeks ago to prepare for the Ashes. He is one player who looks jaded.
Then we have the announcement of the Australian Test team weeks before the first Test, seemingly nothing more than a marketing ploy.
Why do we continue to give England a free advantage? Shouldn’t we keep them guessing right up to the morning of the Test?
Pick your 12 the weekend before, that’s plenty of time. Then the 12th man the morning of the match.
The timing of the selection also rules out the third round of Sheffield Shield matches to be assessed for form and guidance. It just beggars belief, Cricket Australia’s lack of commitment to doing everything right to become the best Test team in the world.
Another point is the removal of broadcasting rights for domestic cricket from the ABC. This means that Australian cricket supporters in regional Australia are no longer able to listen to ball-by-ball descriptions of domestic cricket on the weekend.
The majority of Australian Test players grow up in country areas and their knowledge and appreciation of cricket comes from listening to the ABC.
We don’t all live in the cities of Melbourne and Sydney and are unable to pick up commercial radio. This seems like a total lack of empathy for the Australian cricket supporter from Cricket Australia.
Finally, why would you select the Australian A side eight days out? Why not wait for the first round of Shield matches to finish to see who is in form and who could do with exposure to playing an international side?
Come on Cricket Australia, get fair dinkum – place being the number one Test playing nation as your top priority. The other five or six key performance indicators are all secondary to this.
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