Big Bash Will Run 20 December - 15 February

[Harmichael]

S
hit and giggle comp that runs for several weeks doesn't result in this shameful test cricket. Hell, Engalnd at the very moment of their own T20 comp on. Answer that you bunch of sillys?


Sick of clueless twits who know **** all about cricket. Get screwed you bunch of sillys.

LMAO!!! I think it is you that needs to get a ****ing clue mate. You can start by comparing the pom's domestic scheduling to ours and taking note of how they space out their season and then try reading that cricinfo article and taking in all it's very well made points.

 

[Lebron James]

Lol you guys sounds like a bunch of dinosaurs talking about how much better it was in "your day".

T20 is the future of cricket in this country, as evidenced by how much interest the BBL has generated. What would you rather have, CA keep playing Shield matches that no one gives two shits about? Yeah that's so economically viable. Tradition don't pay the bills.

In the end sports run on money and the BBL has proven to be a commercial hit for CA. I love the fact that they're looking to expand the competition. Wouldn't mind if they started cutting domestic one dayers or even Shield matches, as these don't appeal to our youth.

It's all about the future guys. You can either be stuck in your old ways, afraid of change, and keep that 'get of my lawn' mentality, or embrace it and enjoy the ride.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Lol you guys sounds like a bunch of dinosaurs talking about how much better it was in "your day".

T20 is the future of cricket in this country, as evidenced by how much interest the BBL has generated. What would you rather have, CA keep playing Shield matches that no one gives two shits about? Yeah that's so economically viable. Tradition don't pay the bills.

In the end sports run on money and the BBL has proven to be a commercial hit for CA. I love the fact that they're looking to expand the competition. Wouldn't mind if they started cutting domestic one dayers or even Shield matches, as these don't appeal to our youth.

It's all about the future guys. You can either be stuck in your old ways, afraid of change, and keep that 'get of my lawn' mentality, or embrace it and enjoy the ride.

Look James, I would have thought that running CA would keep you busy enough to not have to jump into threads on Big Footy to state your all too obvious views.

 

[Xtreme]

Lol you guys sounds like a bunch of dinosaurs talking about how much better it was in "your day".

T20 is the future of cricket in this country, as evidenced by how much interest the BBL has generated. What would you rather have, CA keep playing Shield matches that no one gives two shits about? Yeah that's so economically viable. Tradition don't pay the bills.

In the end sports run on money and the BBL has proven to be a commercial hit for CA. I love the fact that they're looking to expand the competition. Wouldn't mind if they started cutting domestic one dayers or even Shield matches, as these don't appeal to our youth.

It's all about the future guys. You can either be stuck in your old ways, afraid of change, and keep that 'get of my lawn' mentality, or embrace it and enjoy the ride.

The BBL is just a poor man's IPL. CA need to focus on test match cricket.

 

[damochandler]

So where are all these test cricketers going to come from if you don't have money to train, entice players?

People need to understand that money talks and CA just had a massive windfall with these TV rights. How they did it, I dont know. Still, a windfall it was.

I think, as usual, people who know little about cricket look for a scrapegoat. Hell, a few years back it was Ricky Ponting, then it was Tim Nielsen, then it was Troy Cooley, then Michael Clarke was the messiah, combined with Mickey Arthur they would take us to number 1. Then Mickey Arthur was sacked, and a beer drinking guy with the nickname, 'Boof', was proclaimed to be the one to return us to number 1. 2 weeks later, Australia lose in shameful, embarrassing fashion.

People need to get over their scape goats. A hit and giggle comp that runs for several weeks doesn't result in this shameful test cricket. Hell, Engalnd at the very moment of their own T20 comp on. Answer that you bunch of sillys?

Sick of clueless twits who know **** all about cricket. Get screwed you bunch of sillys.

but they haven't completely shut down the first class scene now have they. also do they play these games during test matches like the big bash is

 

[damochandler]

it's called overkill

 

[The Passenger]

one the plus side it won't have much effect on the home ashes.

any replacements for the 4th and 5th test will have been playing long form cricket as recently as mid december.

the tour of south africa however.

i just don't understand this theory of shutting down the entire calendar. no other country does that right?

 

[IanG]

Wet dream for sutherland and co, test cricket isn't dying under this lot it's being murdered.

How long will it last when we continue losing tests? Test cricket is the main driver for the games reputation and goodwill in Australia. Something that was addressed by the Argus review but not addressed by Sutherland and CA. They are destroying the game in this country and frankly I hope the BBL is a failure.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I'm not going to sit here and blame T20 for our poor form when, to be frank, we have barely embraced the format. We are crap at T20 for a start. I'd argue that making 'green tops' at shield level is more detrimental to the development of batsmen then a hit and giggle competition.

The argument that T20 has caused this is just another attempt at clutching at straws to explain this disgrace.

I would say we, administratively at least, have embraced the format more than any other nation. Even India don't run their junior cricket with a T20, and smash and bash, focus. Even India don't break their first class season with the IPL.
The public arguably still care about Test cricket results here, even if they attend T20, but at an administrative level T20 eyeballs rule. "Money ahead of sport" seems the mantra of the professional sports administrator.

The problems are not all T20's fault. T20 in some ways is a symptom rather than a cause.
The BBL scheduling is an issue. It does mean players get picked for Tests on no recent First Class form, even in our own summer. That is just crazy. With the BBL now on FTA that is not going to get better any time soon. It also means Shield players almost play two short seasons and do not get to really build through a solid season. Having players leave their states mid-season and return two months later, with different team mates, different coaches and so on doesn't help either - but is less of an issue than having a lengthy period focussed on a completely different game with different technique and mentality, to the point where it almost a different sport.

The abundance of result wickets at Shield level is possibly having an impact, though they have only been around on a regular basis for the last couple of years. The roads before that were equally bad, in that they allowed swiping across the line in the knowledge that the bounce would be true and the ball would do nothing.
It is a shame pitches are getting very homogenous in this country. It means Shield batsmen are not getting exposed to all conditions. As drop-ins become more and more common this is likely to only become even more the case.

The problems go back to junior and club level, where apparently the old way of building shots from a sound defence is no longer taught. That needs to change, and then it will take 10-15 to filter through the system.
In the meantime we will get the odd exceptional talent who was either lucky enough to be taught a solid game, or is simply good enough to get away without it.

 

[Gray Day]

Brydon Coverdale hits the nail on the head perfectly about how the ****-wits at CA have got their priorities wrong:

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/654113.html

Four or five hours after Michael Clarke's men crumpled to their humiliating loss at Lord's, Cricket Australia sent out a press release. It contained good news, information that should warm the hearts of cricket lovers throughout the country, the fans who had stayed up over the past four nights, watching the national team's embarrassing attempts at competing with England.

"Cricket Australia's strategy for the BBL is working."

Phew.

"The league has been successful in attracting a new, diverse fan base in its first two years with its mix of big hits, great value and explosive action."

What a relief.

"More than 13% of people who attended the BBL last season were experiencing live cricket for the first time. Families also made up more than 50% of our crowds which is exactly the target audience that we want to attract to T20."

Stats! Great idea! Nobody can argue with figures!

Like, for example, the percentage of Australia's runs scored by last-wicket pairs in this Ashes series (31%). Or the number of years (28) since Australia last lost six consecutive Tests, a run of defeats they matched overnight. Or the number of Australian batsmen averaging over 40 in Tests this year, excluding those who have now retired (0).

Or the number of mentions in the CA press release of the BBL as "cricket" (1), compared to the number of times it is referred to as "entertainment" (3).

Or the number of days from the opening match of the upcoming BBL season until the final (58) compared with last summer's tournament (44). Yes, Cricket Australia said earlier this year they would tighten the BBL schedule up, but now they have decided that a two-month domestic T20 competition over the middle of summer is actually better for the game, fans, players and stakeholders.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/654113.html

**** you James Sutherland, thanks for wrecking the game in this country with your greed, 100+ years of proud history flushed down the toilet so you can line your pockets

 

[Gray Day]

T20 is the future of cricket in this country, as evidenced by how much interest the BBL has generated. What would you rather have, CA keep playing Shield matches that no one gives two shits about? Yeah that's so economically viable. Tradition don't pay the bills.

Oh silly me. I forget how economically unviable First-Class and Test Cricket was in this country in the 100+ years before hit and giggle came along

 

[Pralaya]

Yeah well, T20 is the future of the game. It is the money-maker as far as CA or BCCI or ECB is concerned. As long as people throng to T20 matches and Shield matches remain empty, they are going to prioritize Big Bash in the domestic scene. As simple as that.

True, the scheduling can be improved. Played at a time when nothing else is happening. It is tough to find such a time but at least the peak test season can be avoided.

 

[The Passenger]

the only reason we have this farcical situation of no FC being played while the BBL is on is because CA are determined to make this franchise system work.

If it was like it was (and there was nothing wrong with the original concept) and was just another competition extended beyond the shield and one-day games, you could have them intertwined with each other not have extended periods of no first class cricket.

with different squads for different competitions the logistics are just too difficult.

Would have been much better to run the season as 10 14-day rounds where you play your opponent in a shield match, a 50-over match and a T20 match.

a sample round could be:

NSW v Qld
Shield: Mon 1 - Thurs 4
50-over: Thurs 11 (D/N)
T-20: Sat 6 (N)

Vic v Tas
Shield: Mon 1 - Thurs 4
50-over - Sun 7 (N)
T-20 - Sat 13 (D/N)

WA v SA
Shield: Mon 8 - Thurs 11
50-over: Sun 14 (D/N)
T-20: Thurs 4 (N)

------------------------------

or something like that. one day games every thursday, saturday and sunday (possibly even revise that and tap into the friday night market?)

x that by 10 rounds.

r1: oct 14 - 27
r2: oct 28 - nov 10
r3: nov 11 - 24
r4: nov 25 - dec 8
r5: dec 9 - 22
r6: extended 3 week round around christmas dec 23 - jan 12. BBL games on Dec sat 27th, sun 28th, Jan 1,
r7: jan 13 - 26
r8: jan 27 - feb 9
r9: feb 10 - 23
r10: feb 24 - mar 9
finals played over the next two weeks

 

[Lebron James]

Oh silly me. I forget how economically unviable First-Class and Test Cricket was in this country in the 100+ years before hit and giggle came along

Like I said earlier, tradition don't pay the bills.

Fans don't care about domestic first class cricket anymore. It's a lame horse waiting to be put down.

Seriously do people who keep championing the cause of domestic first class cricket even watch it? No one goes to these games. How is it economically viable to play a comp where there is no fan interest, both in terms of going to the games or on TV?

In contrast the BBL has been so successful that it's gotten domestic cricket back onto FTA, which can only be good for the growth of the game.

 

[The Passenger]

I am sick and tired of reading drivel that the T20 BBL has compromised our test side. Yet in the same breathe, people call for the return of David Warner - the archetypical T20 player of the modern era. Anyone notice the irony here?

he may well be but he had pretty much developed his skill set by the time T20 was being played... it's the guys that are still developing that are about 16-18 that are the concern, and the first lot of those who were there are the birth of T20 are starting to come in FC cricket.

warner actually has a better technique then people give him credit for. but his footwork is terrible which is the crux of his issues with the moving ball, and his mentality is very aggressive for test cricket and that is also hard to pull off.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I think I understand CA's logic:

1. We suck arse at Test cricket and desperately need to improve our first class ranks.
2. ???
3. .............
4. Derp derp derp
5. OH yeah, let's play more T20s!!!!!

 

[Gray Day]

Like I said earlier, tradition don't pay the bills.

Fans don't care about domestic first class cricket anymore. It's a lame horse waiting to be put down.

Seriously do people who keep championing the cause of domestic first class cricket even watch it? No one goes to these games. How is it economically viable to play a comp where there is no fan interest, both in terms of going to the games or on TV?

You're missing the point. Shield cricket and Test cricket support each other.

Test cricket supports Shield cricket financially via crowds and TV revenue.
Shield cricket supports Test cricket by producing players who will eventually play Test cricket.

Just because you don't care about either doesn't mean no-one else does.

Your argument is very one-dimensional.

 

[Lebron James]

You're missing the point. Shield cricket and Test cricket support each other.

Test cricket supports Shield cricket financially via crowds and TV revenue.
Shield cricket supports Test cricket by producing players who will eventually play Test cricket.

Just because you don't care about either doesn't mean no-one else does.

Your argument is very one-dimensional.

I'd say the fact that no one attends Shield Cricket games anymore is more of an indicator as to the apathy that the general public has for it.

 

[The Passenger]

I'd say the fact that no one attends Shield Cricket games anymore is more of an indicator as to the apathy that the general public has for it.

You're missing the point.

needs to be resaid

 

[Lebron James]

needs to be resaid

How?

All I'm saying is that all those decrying the rise of T20 on the domestic scene are, either willfully or through ignorance, ignoring the financial realities that the game faces.

 

[DrEvil]

2 months of Big Bash is pure idiocy. It's a similar situation to the glut of ODIs we used to have in the months post-test series, people grow tired of having the same thing over and over again. I don't see why it can't be a quick tournament lasting a month at most (preferably shorter). The only small plus I can see is that we'll at least have players in the Shield for the first few tests.

There must be something I'm missing here, because it seems obvious to all and sundry (the public and cricket writers alike) that this isn't a good idea. Is cricket in Australia really that strapped for cash that we need to prolong a meaningless T20 tournament to sustain it?

Maybe they need the money to pay out Mickey?

 

[passmark]

I don't hate it, but making it the focus of CA efforts is a bit short sighted.

Like the AFL throwing a large percentage of it's future profitability down the GWS toilet, it's a decision that could cripple our test team for years to come.

 

[Showbags]

There is a place for the BBL within the Australian sporting landscape but it needs to be carefully contained so as to not infiltrate the other two forms of the game.

I don't see why it can't be played following the Test Summer in January (after the Sydney Test). They then have a two month window for each of the 8 BBL teams to play each other home and away and then 2 semis and a final (from memory the BBL dropped off in numbers and support as it seemed to drag on forever).

Cut the Ryobi Cup so each team only plays each other once then a Final.

The Shield can start 1 month or 2 earlier (play it on regional grounds if they are unavailable during football season). Then the culmination of the Shield comp can finish early January (maybe have the final played a few days after the Sydney Test to allow players to play for their States). I hate the fact currently where the season is split up to either side of the Summer with a huge gap in the middle of it. It doesn't allow players continuity and players that were playing well before the break may lose their momentum and struggle to get going again after the BBL break.

 

[The Passenger]

How?

All I'm saying is that all those decrying the rise of T20 on the domestic scene are, either willfully or through ignorance, ignoring the financial realities that the game faces.

just because people don't go to shield games doesn't mean it is not important.

i think everyone realises the financial realities, but it doesn't have to come at the expense of the competition that produces our test cricketers.

 

[XsaintsfanzX]

I think they should have like a pool game like the afl nap cup
(five overs each to bat)
Etc- stars vs renegades
Stars vs heat
Heat vs renegades
All together 30 overs