• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

Cricket: Summer 2018-19

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...-to-australia-test-squad-20190109-p50qbk.html

So it seems Will Pucovski is going to get a test call up. He seems a bloody talent but even putting aside his youth and inexperience (8 first class games) should we be rushing him in considering his recent head knock issues and mental health concerns? If it's just about getting him among the team and experience, then ok, but if he is likely to play it worries me a bit.
The good thing is Pucovski originally took time out on his own volition so you’d imagine he and his support group have said that he is ok to play/be around the team. If he is going to play, a test debut against Sri Lanka at home is about as gentle an introduction he can get, I’d be concerned about him being thrown in the deep end in England with the frenetic crowd and media.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Australia squad for first Test against Sri Lanka: Tim Paine (c/wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Will Pucovski, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
That’s it for Shaun Marsh in Test cricket, I’d say. It’s a shame they stuffed him around so much he could have been a tremendous white ball cricketer for Australia if they’d just allowed him to focus on that.
 

Brumby Runner

David Wilson (68)
I'm not sure how useful a Moneyball approach is. The player stats are derived from a different competition/level of skill you are selecting a team for.

.

That's true D but the authors have attempted to compare apples with apples by looking at only SS stats over the various categories. Certainly, a rung below test cricket but the very highest standard of the options available. Unfortunately, our honourable selectors seem to give weight to ODI and T20 form just as much as they do to Sheffield Shield form.
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Reading that article Barbs linked to makes a pretty good case for both Burns and Labuchagne and realistically Pucovski too, though I think it's way too early for him to be playing for Australia (after 8 FC matches only). He is undoubtedly talented, however. As it happens, all three are in the squad, so quantitatively the selectors have probably got that right. Renshaw I'm happy to see in the squad, because he can play and already has runs at test level. The problem is that he hasn't scored many in FC cricket this season.

Can I also point out how utterly stupid the schedule is this season? BBL is too long, a SL series at the end of January, no Gabba test first up, no D/N test in Adelaide, some meaningless ODI's against RSA at the beginning of the season and no Shield until the end of Feb. CA have actively hurt our chances of success this year, so screw them.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
Moving the Brisbane test is the stupidest move among a lot of bad moves. We didn't lose a game there for years. Basically every series started 1-0 to us.
And then not playing a day/night test as well, a fixture we’ve never lost.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Can I also point out how utterly stupid the schedule is this season? BBL is too long, a SL series at the end of January, no Gabba test first up, no D/N test in Adelaide, some meaningless ODI's against RSA at the beginning of the season and no Shield until the end of Feb. CA have actively hurt our chances of success this year, so screw them.

Like many a sporting organistation, CA have gone for the short term cash by expanding the BBL. It remains to see whether this kills the golden goose. It should be noted that the Indian Premier League tried exansion for three years and found that it didn't add anything and then reverted to 8 teams. Note also that India play no test cricket during the IPL. When India play a home test series their equivalent of Sheffield Shield is played concurrently.

A fairly simple adjustment to the domestic season would see Sheffield Shield played up until Christmas and BBL start on Boxing Day.

Traditionally the test schedule went Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, with the Adelaide test being played on the Australia Day weekend.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
And then not playing a day/night test as well, a fixture we’ve never lost.

India won't play day/night tests and both sides need to agree. We've had to bribe most sides to play the D/N test but India don't need the cash.

As an aside, test cricket will kill itself unless it gets rid of the bad-light rule. I can't think of another major sport which would stop just when it gets a bit gloomy, it's completely archaic. And IMO they could also keep playing in the Scotch mist which passed for rain for much of the last two days. How farcical was it watching both teams complete a full instensity warm-up and then not play in exactly the same conditions.
 

barbarian

Phil Kearns (64)
Staff member
I agree the BBL is too long, but I actually like the format of the Tests this Summer.

For the first time in forever we went into Boxing Day/New Years with a live test series. And now we get another couple of bonus test matches against quality opposition before the Ashes, which gives us the chance to blood new talent and spread the game to a new venue.

While not having a first-up test in Brisbane is not ideal, we also avoid the November storm season there.

I would like the Adelaide test to be a D/N, but the BCCI are going to be pricks and that seems to be that.

Agree with QH that it makes more sense to push back the BBL to Boxing day to get another two Shield rounds in before Xmas. There's a parallel between the BBL and Super Rugby, and you wonder just how the comp will look in 10-15 years time - a team in Japan perhaps???
.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
India won't play day/night tests and both sides need to agree. We've had to bribe most sides to play the D/N test but India don't need the cash.

As an aside, test cricket will kill itself unless it gets rid of the bad-light rule. I can't think of another major sport which would stop just when it gets a bit gloomy, it's completely archaic. And IMO they could also keep playing in the Scotch mist which passed for rain for much of the last two days. How farcical was it watching both teams complete a full instensity warm-up and then not play in exactly the same conditions.
Thankfully they are changing the rules next year so the visiting team doesn’t have the opportunity to say yes/no to certain fixtures. I still would have liked CA to put up a bit more fight this year, the BCCI actively intervenes in pitch preparation in India so I have no problem with CA fighting for certain venues/formats that suit us.

Another alternative to shortening the BBL Season (which CA would be reluctant to do because of the revenue it brings in) is to have a 2nd XI team that tours over summer. Then the best shield players are still playing long form cricket instead of t20 and players like Chad Sayers who only play Shield and not t20 actually get to keep playing cricket.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Oh yes, but consistently lying down when challenged by them on enhances that power.

To an extent, but BCCI uses their wealth to fund poorer nations and thus ensure a majority of ICC votes so CA has to acquiesce on most things and choose any fights very carefully.

BCCI has a special ICC window in which to play IPL - a right that no other nation could even dream of.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
India won't play day/night tests and both sides need to agree. We've had to bribe most sides to play the D/N test but India don't need the cash.

As an aside, test cricket will kill itself unless it gets rid of the bad-light rule. I can't think of another major sport which would stop just when it gets a bit gloomy, it's completely archaic. And IMO they could also keep playing in the Scotch mist which passed for rain for much of the last two days. How farcical was it watching both teams complete a full instensity warm-up and then not play in exactly the same conditions.

Surely batsmen face severe disadvantages when playing in poor light?
If 'elf and safety can grip the rest of our society, cricket can cop its share too.
Fast bowlers in the gloom? Not for me thanks.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Surely batsmen face severe disadvantages when playing in poor light?
If 'elf and safety can grip the rest of our society, cricket can cop its share too.
Fast bowlers in the gloom? Not for me thanks.

And yet on any gloomy Saturday afternoon in summer grade cricket on more dangerous pitches, with less skilful batsmen and bowlers still hurling them down pretty quickly can play on?

These guys are on big bucks with all the protective equipment they need. If they don't want to play on, find another sport.
 

Up the Guts

Steve Williams (59)
To an extent, but BCCI uses their wealth to fund poorer nations and thus ensure a majority of ICC votes so CA has to acquiesce on most things and choose any fights very carefully.

BCCI has a special ICC window in which to play IPL - a right that no other nation could even dream of.
One of the interesting things that came out of the monkey-gate special Fox aired was Symonds saying he only learnt the true extent of the power and money involved in the aftermath of the affair. It seems he felt the BCCI prevented justice being done after the incident.
 

formerflanker

Ken Catchpole (46)
And yet on any gloomy Saturday afternoon in summer grade cricket on more dangerous pitches, with less skilful batsmen and bowlers still hurling them down pretty quickly can play on?

These guys are on big bucks with all the protective equipment they need. If they don't want to play on, find another sport.

At the risk of falling into reductio ad absurdum, at what point then do you stop play?

I'm sure bowlers wouldn't do well in pouring rain, and the ball couldn't be seen by the batsmen. There has to be a logical answer which pleases spectators and doesn't risk too much injury to fielders. Currently the field seems to be slanted too much in favour of batsmen.
 
Top