Unpopular Cricket Opinions

[TigerCraig]

Probably controversial but from my personal experience Dave Warner was a class act and Phil Hughes not so much. A couple of years ago my old club won a comp with the prize a T20 against Nsw on the SCG. Gave my boy a day off school and went in. The blues and SCG put on a great day. We were in the members with free access around. NSW batted first, Warner scored a 100. Hughes threw his wicket. In the field at one stage one if the Nsw guys (rohrer I think) had to go off so they asked my boy to field. When rohrer came back Warner let my boy take his spot. End of game hughes couldn't be gone quick enough. Warner took my boy into the rooms,chatted about cricket and then gave him his nsw shirt a bat and 2 pairs of gloves. He then, along with henriques katich and okeefe in particular stuck around for a few hours for a feed and a few beers with our boys. I'm sure hughes did lots of good stuff but I only had that day

 

[Ill Chicken]

I have no problem with sledging but their is a 'line'.

My problem is with the double standards, hypocrisy and the media circus that surrounds it. Why can every other country play the 'victim' card when clearly this is not the case.

Sledging is a part of cricket. If you don't like it, go play or watch another sport !

Secondly why are we basically the only test country to prepare pitches that cater for the opposition ? I'm against complete 'doctoring'. But why are we preparing flat docile pitches when India are here and not something a bit green and a bit of pace in it ?

Kohli and the rest of his over rated team are absolutely woeful on anything other than a 'road'.

So they're the same as Australia then? The only difference between these two teams is their bowlers are poor. These wickets are exactly the same as they have always been produced and just as similar to the last time they toured, the only difference being no WACA game which you could argue is because the bounce will adversely affect India, then again Kohli scored a ton there too.

 

[frankrizzo]

Kohli made his ton in adelaide last tour, india were rolled in both innings at the WACA though kohli top scored in both digs.

 

[Public Enemy No1]

$$$ They want Tests almost guaranteed to go for the 5 days now.

Yeah I knew the answer but it still shites me

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Yeah I knew the answer but it still shites me

What's wrong with wanting a Test to go for 5 days? That's my wish for every Test. Any Test that has only gone for 3 days is an abject failure.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Any Test that has only gone for 3 days is an abject failure.

I'd rather 3 days of entertainment than 5 days of (mainly) batsmen dominating on a flat deck.

 

[western royboy]

The standard of BBL4 has declined significantly, talent pool is very thin.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

The standard of BBL4 has declined significantly, talent pool is very thin.

Do you think it is time we increased the number of Internationals per team? I know we find it hard to access the real big stars like the IPL can (due to various reasons) but I'd still like the number to be increased to 3.

 

[western royboy]

Do you think it is time we increased the number of Internationals per team? I know we find it hard to access the real big stars like the IPL can (due to various reasons) but I'd still like the number to be increased to 3.

Not sure, given we are in Summer with 6-7 other test playing nations accessing the type of talent that you would ideally want is going to be impossible. To be honest, the imports this year haven't done a hell of a lot.

 

[TN25]

Do you think it is time we increased the number of Internationals per team? I know we find it hard to access the real big stars like the IPL can (due to various reasons) but I'd still like the number to be increased to 3.

I think increase the number of internationals to 4. But that's not going to fix it completely. Other things need to be done to strengthen the talent pool

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

I think the BBL will burn itself out in a couple more year's time.

 

[Ashton Agar]

I think the BBL will burn itself out in a couple more year's time.

I agree. I'm over it to be honest.

 

[TN25]

I think the BBL will burn itself out in a couple more year's time.

You may think that but look at the crowds. 44k on NYE, 35k last night.

Even though most people who enjoy watching test cricket are over it, it is great for young kids getting into cricket.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The fact that people are still whinging about Big Bash shows how out of touch they are with what is going on in Cricket these days.

 

[drummond2fevola]

Probably controversial but from my personal experience Dave Warner was a class act and Phil Hughes not so much. A couple of years ago my old club won a comp with the prize a T20 against Nsw on the SCG. Gave my boy a day off school and went in. The blues and SCG put on a great day. We were in the members with free access around. NSW batted first, Warner scored a 100. Hughes threw his wicket. In the field at one stage one if the Nsw guys (rohrer I think) had to go off so they asked my boy to field. When rohrer came back Warner let my boy take his spot. End of game hughes couldn't be gone quick enough. Warner took my boy into the rooms,chatted about cricket and then gave him his nsw shirt a bat and 2 pairs of gloves. He then, along with henriques katich and okeefe in particular stuck around for a few hours for a feed and a few beers with our boys. I'm sure hughes did lots of good stuff but I only had that day

I hate it when people criticise others over an isolated incident. Don't you think its possible he left because he might have something more important to do?

 

[TN25]

The fact that people are still whinging about Big Bash shows how out of touch they are with what is going on in Cricket these days.

People can whinge about it. It's not for everyone.

I prefer test cricket as most others do but I don't mind watching the Big Bash. It's cricket after all

 

[Gough]

Clive Lloyd disagrees.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/current/story/816159.html

Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd has said that West Indies cricket has been "messed up" by the T20 format, creating a situation where playing Tests for the country did not seem to be a paramount goal for players.

Speaking at the Annual New Year's lecture in Cape Town, which is also hosting the third Test between South Africa and West Indies, Lloyd said that the ICC needed to be stronger and that the game could not be ruled by only three countries - a reference to the governance and financial restructuring of the ICC cricket's governing body, which took place last year and was based on changes devised by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and the ECB.

"They [the players] earn a good wage and that's the situation that they have. They have the choice to play Test cricket or T20," Lloyd, who is head of the West Indies selection panel, said. "We are small islands and if you get a whole host of money, you are a king. This T20 competition has messed our cricket up.

"Someone like Andre Russell, I spoke to him only a month ago and said you can get into our Test side because you are one of the best allrounders in the world. A couple of weeks later he told me he has got a bad knee and could only play one-dayers. It's such a waste that we have a guy who could be a great cricketer who is now not thinking of playing both formats. We have contracts, probably not as exorbitant as others, but they are getting good money. It doesn't seem playing for our country is paramount where these players are concerned.

"I don't think there is any cricketer who should strike for money now because they are well paid. We have to impart to our young people the importance of playing for your country. Money is a subsidiary of success."

Lloyd, who has had stints as an international match referee and as chairman of the ICC's cricket committee, said that the ICC should be running the game and it was important for the governing body to work out a better system of revenue distribution for all countries. The revamp of the ICC last year, based on changes devised by the Indian, Australia and English boards, gave more influence to the three boards. Lloyd also stated that policies like the use of Decision Review System (DRS) should be unanimously followed.

"I agree that the ICC must be stronger. It should be like the FIFA or the IOC [International Olympic Committee] - very strong in the things they do. FIFA said when you kick the ball back to the goalkeeper he has got to kick it out. I don't see Italy and England and France saying we are not playing. We have one team playing without DRS. If we have something it has got to be globally done. Everybody has got to work together.

"We can't have three countries ruling cricket. It can't be done. It comes back to money. I hope one day everything will come back to normal. I think the ICC should be running cricket. They should say to the highest bidder, television company to send out a tender - saying we want 5 million for so many Test matches for the next couple of years. That money should be distributed either on rankings or equally. That money can be used to run cricket properly. Players can be paid better. If we are saying Test cricket is the highest cricket you can play, you should be paid better. We all have to sit down and work out a better system for all countries."

Lloyd gave the example of West Indies, who could benefit from the distribution of TV revenues: "Where West Indies is concerned, we have a special case. We have to fly everywhere. We can't drive anywhere. you can't go by boat either. It's expensive for West Indies to hold Test series. It's in high season and we have to compete with that. We can't fill the stadium. We don't have the amount of people to do so. Television would help us out in that respect. We would just play cricket and we wouldn't have any wranglings. We have a system."

Lloyd said that the establishment of a national cricket fund, to aid retired cricketers, is imperative and the fund could be built through proceeds from one game of a Test series, or a percentage of television deals.

"In spite of the big contracts a few of our players receive for various T20 tournaments, we must recognise that these are only a few players and it is imperative that a national cricket fund be established," he said. "We should play a game in every Test series and those proceeds should go to a fund for retired cricketers. When we have television deals, a percentage of that should go to the fund. There are quite a few people who played for their country and I think they should have some remuneration."

This crossed my mind watching the West Indians out here playing in the BB when they have a series on in South Africa.

 

[Ashton Agar]

You may think that but look at the crowds. 44k on NYE, 35k last night.

Even though most people who enjoy watching test cricket are over it, it is great for young kids getting into cricket.

I'm not really sure it is the best thing for young kids getting into cricket to be honest. We are going to be stuck with another generation of batsmen with a poor technique and an inability to bat long test innings.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

You may think that but look at the crowds. 44k on NYE, 35k last night.

Even though most people who enjoy watching test cricket are over it, it is great for young kids getting into cricket.

That's why I posted it in the 'Unpopular Cricket Opinions' thread.

I know it's still getting great crowds but I think it may have reached it's peak and will decline from hereon in. As others have mentioned the standard has declined. I only watch it to see some of the up and coming players or the recent retirees who are still good but I would rather watch them in a Shield game but we have none at the moment

 

[Kram]

The standard of BBL4 has declined significantly, talent pool is very thin.

Quite few players out with injuries this season probably hasn't helped.

 

[The_Reaper]

Do you think it is time we increased the number of Internationals per team? I know we find it hard to access the real big stars like the IPL can (due to various reasons) but I'd still like the number to be increased to 3.

It should be.

Taking into account injuries and six sheffield shield sides is not easily divided into eight.

 

[Gough]

It looks to me as though the one team towns, have embraced the local team with a bit more gusto, particularly Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, this may show a lack of anything better to do at this time of year in these cities, but the whole Sydney or Melbourne derby feels horribly contrived to me.

 

[The_Reaper]

It looks to me as though the one team towns, have embraced the local team with a bit more gusto, particularly Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, this may show a lack of anything better to do at this time of year in these cities, but the whole Sydney or Melbourne derby feels horribly contrived to me.

Nah.

One it means that the the loyalties aren't split but more importantly it means that the teams can just piggyback on existing state loyalties (like the initial A-League teams) rather than trying to invent new loyalties and rivalries from scratch.
It also helps that especially for Perth the team is full of locals.

Should have kept it to one team per city

 

[Glenno23]

It looks to me as though the one team towns, have embraced the local team with a bit more gusto, particularly Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, this may show a lack of anything better to do at this time of year in these cities, but the whole Sydney or Melbourne derby feels horribly contrived to me.

There's plenty to do in Perth (and even Adelaide and Hobart) at this time of year. In fact, this time of year is one of the best to hit the river, beach or wineries (plus more)

Now i'm no Scorchers fan, but to say people are only rocking up due to boredom is a bit silly......

Go Strikers!

 

[Gough]

Tongue was in cheek chaps.