State Cricket Draft Proposed

[Howard Littlejohn]

... or so it is being reported in Fairfax papers.

Maybe if this was limited to BBL, but I can't see any benefits to the idea even then. All it would do if it was beyond that is remove any reason for the states to invest in their own talent.

Players aready move around to find the best chance for themselves. Why force them to do so when it is not necessary for, or could even be detrimental to, their career.

Want more contracted players? Add the ACT to the FC and ListA system, or split New South Wales into NSW and Sydney.

 

[eth-dog]

No thanks. The only possible benefit is if young batsman get moved away from Victoria

 

[The Passenger]

Big Bash it could work as it's a short term competition.

I can't see it working for the other competitions. There will be too much resistance.

There just isn't the money in Shield cricket to demand people move all round the country. Draftee's in the AFL are happy to move to other side of the country for an $80k contract because chances are if they're around in 5 years they'll be on at least $300k, and if they're a gun at least $500k.

In state cricket, the starting wages are about $60k i think, and only the very best outside of the Australian contract list will top ~$200k. It's a pretty hard sell.

A better system to spread the talent would be a loan system. Player X can't get a run for team Y, so we'll loan him out to team Z for six months to give him some first class experience, and give us more of an idea of how he handles first class cricket for when he comes back into our system. Needs refinement, but the basic principles are easy to grasp.

I quite like the idea that the Australian interstate structure will be more focussed on how it develops playing to play international cricket for Australia. That is ultimately what interstate cricket is there for. The states do need to have some level of control and can't be "nannied" by Cricket Australia, and for the most part they do an excellent job.

 

[The_Reaper]

Absolutely disgusting and really counterproductive with the development system and the fact there is plenty of interstate movement anyway.

 

[The_Reaper]

Being able to play at home is probably an advantage in regards to keeping players.

 

[Hellgood]

Sounds ridiculous. Players are aware of the best places to be for their development and mechanisms are already in place which allow for that. Most state sides consist of a number of 'imports' anyway, I can't see how effectively forcing an 18 year old to join a particular squad makes the situation any better than it is?

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Sounds ridiculous. Players are aware of the best places to be for their development and mechanisms are already in place which allow for that. Most state sides consist of a number of 'imports' anyway, I can't see how effectively forcing an 18 year old to join a particular squad makes the situation any better than it is?

I agree. Players will go where it will best suit them. Look at Agar and Klinger, just to take 2 examples for WA.

This is just to compete with footy more than helping out cricket, though maybe they see future problems in numbers.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

No thanks. The only possible benefit is if young batsman get moved away from Victoria

You can't help but feel that this ia partially aimed at Cricket Victoria. But senior players have to right to hold on their spots if they are good enough, it's a conundrum.

I don't like the idea of just pushing youngsters through at the expense of other people's careers. Also, who decides what youngsters are part of any draft? NSW would probably get half the spots just due to sheer numbers.

Langer was not at all impressed with Whiteman 2 years ago - no-one really knows how players can develop.

 

[The_Reaper]

If the problem is that NSW is too strong- which isn't an issue because NSW talent is going to the other states - then the solution is to start the process for a seventh shield shield.

 

[Phone]

For most of the reasons posted already, I don't think this is necessarily. Certainly not in the form of the AFL draft. Players move already. Players have total free agency. There's nothing stopping players from leaving states if they're not getting chances, so there's no justification for a expansion draft-like thing anyway. It'd be a lazy move. It'd obviously be insane to increase the amount of contracts on offer without increasing the amount of first XI spots on offer. One new team in 60 years...

 

[Aussie_boy]

Bad idea, let's not forget that these are State organisations and not clubs. These associations put endless amount of development into these young players from the age of 12 all the way through to Under 19's and futures league, so it would be a kick in the teeth for them to put all of that development into these guys only for them to be drafted elsewhere. AFL clubs are different considering none of them have junior programs, state associations do.

 

[Cleavy]

CA will stuff this up.

 

[The_Reaper]

Kind of makes one wish there actually was some NSW bias that would stop this.

 

[Gak Attack]

As long as players are willing to move the current set up is fine. All other states keep an eye on nsw grade cricket, Tassie have benefited greatly from it. The good players still end up playing.

CA shouldn't intervene for states managing their own squads poorly. I mean if we can be competitive there is no reason other states cant be. Plus I'd rather a state have a few down years promoting youth than sticking with older battlers.

 

[Hamingja]

AFL has 750 players and they draft say 100 odd new players a year.

Cricket has 120 players and they would need like 20 odd new players a year, if that really.

It makes no sense from a numbers pov before you even get into the effect on development.

Phone mentioned they have only had one new team in 60 years and while Australia's population would have doubled or whatever in that time the actual pool of cricketers through junior and district cricket is probably not much different to then.

 

[jackess]

Can't you already draft from interstate?

 

[Phone]

As long as players are willing to move the current set up is fine. All other states keep an eye on nsw grade cricket, Tassie have benefited greatly from it. The good players still end up playing.

CA shouldn't intervene for states managing their own squads poorly. I mean if we can be competitive there is no reason other states cant be. Plus I'd rather a state have a few down years promoting youth than sticking with older battlers.

I disagree with this. Australian cricket was greatly harmed by South Australia being rubbish for most of the last 15 years. Ideally after a certain period of ineptness CA could have done something about it. The issue is how and whether CA could effectively intervene in such a situation.

 

[The_Reaper]

Can't you already draft from interstate?

Not drafted. But you can recruit players from anywhere in Australia. Free agency.

 

[Phone]

Incidentally the idea of a NPS 2nd XI, as floated in the article on cricinfo, is very sensible and apart from the ACT is perhaps the only type of team that could be added to the shield in the future.

 

[The Speaker]

Incidentally the idea of a NPS 2nd XI, as floated in the article on cricinfo, is very sensible and apart from the ACT is perhaps the only type of team that could be added to the shield in the future.

Needs a balance though.

Don't want it to actively take players from the states, but also don't want it to be like the Unicorns in England.