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Unpopular Cricket Opinions

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Cricket Australia missed an opportunity to turn Glenn Maxwell into a solid Test Match player. He could easily have had the record that Travis Head currently has if he was given consistent opportunities outside the sub-continent.

Should have played him in the 2 test series against the West Indies a few years ago and let him have a crack at scoring the fastest test hundred.
 
Seems to skid on faster than it was in the air, and you can feel it hit the bat harder than other bowlers.
I am annoyed when someone says, "gathers pace off the pitch". Sorry, physically impossible. The moment each ball hits the turf, it loses pace. The quickest ball you can bowl is a yorker or a full toss. What they mean to say is the ball does something off the wicket (cuts, kicks, etc) causing the batsman to react and offering the illusion of gathering pace.
 
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I am annoyed when someone says, "gathers pace off the pitch". Sorry, physically impossible. The moment each ball hits the turf, it loses pace. The quickest ball you can bowl is a yorker or a full toss. What they mean to says is the ball does something off the wicket (cuts, kicks, etc) causing the batsman to react and offering the illusion of gathering pace.
While I don't disagree, describing the nature of that illusion every time someone bowls slightly round arm or is short enough to get it to skid wears pretty thin, and we usually accept shorthand/jargon even when it's technically incorrect most of the time.
 
I am annoyed when someone says, "gathers pace off the pitch". Sorry, physically impossible. The moment each ball hits the turf, it loses pace. The quickest ball you can bowl is a yorker or a full toss. What they mean to says is the ball does something off the wicket (cuts, kicks, etc) causing the batsman to react and offering the illusion of gathering pace.
You must really hate it when someone gets described as bowling a heavy ball then, because as we all know they all use the same ball!
 
You must really hate it when someone gets described as bowling a heavy ball then, because as we all know they all use the same ball!
A footballer who plays tall?
 
I want McSweeney to get another crack at it…
I think he might get a look in when they name the next test squad now Uzzies retired. I wouldn’t mind someone like him at No.5 to fill that middle over accumulator role and he will be a little more protected. Needs to finish the shield season strong.
 
While I don't disagree, describing the nature of that illusion every time someone bowls slightly round arm or is short enough to get it to skid wears pretty thin, and we usually accept shorthand/jargon even when it's technically incorrect most of the time.

Similar to a player being the barometer or laconic
 

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I care more about BBL than International T20 games.

Maybe it's because I was raised in the 90's when ODI's felt like they meant absolutely everything, combined with the fact that I rode the start of the BBL HARD due to the smugness of a mate who told me it wouldn't even take over the A-League as a summer competition.

Perhaps the final straw was in 2022, when we'd planned a mates bucks around the T20 world cup in Australia for what felt like an eternity, only to have the entire day at the MCG washed out without a single ball being bowled. That entire tournament was made a farce by the weather. Couldn't even tell you ended up in the final, let alone who eventually won the thing.
 
I care more about BBL than International T20 games.

Maybe it's because I was raised in the 90's when ODI's felt like they meant absolutely everything, combined with the fact that I rode the start of the BBL HARD due to the smugness of a mate who told me it wouldn't even take over the A-League as a summer competition.

Perhaps the final straw was in 2022, when we'd planned a mates bucks around the T20 world cup in Australia for what felt like an eternity, only to have the entire day at the MCG washed out without a single ball being bowled. That entire tournament was made a farce by the weather. Couldn't even tell you ended up in the final, let alone who eventually won the thing.
I agree. Outside the World Cup, I have no interest in international T20, not entirely sure why. Maybe it's the hit and giggle nature of it jars with the traditional competitiveness of international cricket. But I can completely get around the BBL and franchise based leagues because it's just fun competition. Reckon they should kill off international T20s with the exception of the World Cup and pick their teams based on domestic T20 form.
 
Wides. Under present rules (laws), the ball can only be declared wide if the batter doesn't hit it. But if they're good enough to reach a would-be wide to nick it through to the keeper (especially down leg side), they're given out. Given that the premise of a wide is that the delivery is unfair, it shouldn't be given out IMO.
 
I agree. Outside the World Cup, I have no interest in international T20, not entirely sure why. Maybe it's the hit and giggle nature of it jars with the traditional competitiveness of international cricket. But I can completely get around the BBL and franchise based leagues because it's just fun competition. Reckon they should kill off international T20s with the exception of the World Cup and pick their teams based on domestic T20 form.

The fact now that an Estonia vs Nicaragua game is now deemed a T20I the same as Australia vs India pisses me off for some reason too. As someone who loves Cricket stats it's just a bit annoying. And say looking up Tim David's record it includes all the games for Singapore so hard to tell what his stats are for Australia.

I'd rather kill off the T20I's and bring back the CLT20 comp once a year. Would be just fantastic to see MI New York vs MI Cape Town (sarcasm)
 
The fact now that an Estonia vs Nicaragua game is now deemed a T20I the same as Australia vs India pisses me off for some reason too. As someone who loves Cricket stats it's just a bit annoying. And say looking up Tim David's record it includes all the games for Singapore so hard to tell what his stats are for Australia.

I'd rather kill off the T20I's and bring back the CLT20 comp once a year.
I understand your point but giving all international T20s 'T20I' status is one of the better things surrounding international T20s. It's a bit of a novelty that I enjoy.
 
I understand your point but giving all international T20s 'T20I' status is one of the better things surrounding international T20s. It's a bit of a novelty that I enjoy.
Yeah, after reading the response, I realised killing off T20I would hurt the development of smaller nations. Maybe the Test teams should just give it a miss.
 

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I am annoyed when someone says, "gathers pace off the pitch". Sorry, physically impossible. The moment each ball hits the turf, it loses pace. The quickest ball you can bowl is a yorker or a full toss. What they mean to say is the ball does something off the wicket (cuts, kicks, etc) causing the batsman to react and offering the illusion of gathering pace.

Well, not quite true. The ball loses energy when it hits the turf, but it actually can gain linear speed if the ball has high rotational energy.

Not sure whether a bowler can actually spin the ball enough to get that effect but it technically is physically possible
 
Been watching some old Test highlights on Youtube recently and have noticed that fast bowler's runups have become a lot straighter over the years, wondering why? I'm guessing it's because bowlers actions have become more chest on, think the angled runup makes you bowl across your body more looking over the front arm not under.
 
Been watching some old Test highlights on Youtube recently and have noticed that fast bowler's runups have become a lot straighter over the years, wondering why? I'm guessing it's because bowlers actions have become more chest on, think the angled runup makes you bowl across your body more looking over the front arm not under.
My theory here is that traditionally the runups at training venues have been shit, footmarks and pits and low spots, so blokes came up with running on an angle to avoid running over them. It also can help you get side on through your action, but considering the ideal runup has you correcting before you enter your action that's a bit muted.
 

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