Cricket Australia - Wrong Priorities

[Zach Package]

Has anyone mentioned the fact that cricket.com.au has become a media site run by CA that pretty much exist entirely to post memes and simpsons gifs on twitter and facebook?

 

[Richard Pryor]

Has anyone mentioned the fact that cricket.com.au has become a media site run by CA that pretty much exist entirely to post memes and simpsons gifs on twitter and facebook?

I think they still have relatively recent articles despite being a company line towing propaganda wing, and their player profile and Comp pages I find easier to use than Cricinfo.

A Cricinfo has wrong priorities thread wouldn't go astray.

 

[big_e]

I think they still have relatively recent articles despite being a company line towing propaganda wing, and their player profile and Comp pages I find easier to use than Cricinfo.

A Cricinfo has wrong priorities thread wouldn't go astray.

Cricinfo, if I'm not mistaken, is owned by Disney, who have shareholders. Their priorities are money.

 

[Gough]

Cricinfo, if I'm not mistaken, is owned by Disney, who have shareholders. Their priorities are money.

No Cookies | The Advertiser

No Cookies

www.adelaidenow.com.au

Howstat was dreamed up by two blokes in a cell at Mobilong

 

[big_e]

No Cookies | The Advertiser

No Cookies

www.adelaidenow.com.au

Howstat was dreamed up by two blokes in a cell at Mobilong

I'll take "unexpected backstories" for $500, thanks.

 

[apollo_creed]

Cricket Australia has had the wrong priorities for a long time which if why Aust cricket is in decline. Restore the Sheffield Shield to the premier first class cricket competition and reduce the Big Bash.

This looks great in print but is removed from reality. Define 'premier'?
The facts are the Sheffield Shield makes next to no money and even before COVID Australian international crowds were poor. Without the Big Bash money there may be no shield so it's an easy thing to say and we all understand the importance of the competition but need to consider the importance of the Big Bash from a financial perspective.

 

[Jbudds]

This looks great in print but is removed from reality. Define 'premier'?
The facts are the Sheffield Shield makes next to no money and even before COVID Australian international crowds were poor. Without the Big Bash money there may be no shield so it's an easy thing to say and we all understand the importance of the competition but need to consider the importance of the Big Bash from a financial perspective.

I don't think it's removed from reality in that the Sheffield Shield has never made any money and there has never been more money in the game.

It would be challenging to schedule if Test and ODI players would be to play again regularly as they will make more money in other competitions. But the foundations of Australian cricket are in decline and require a refocus on first class cricket while tilting away from so much T20.

 

[apollo_creed]

I don't think it's removed from reality in that the Sheffield Shield has never made any money and there has never been more money in the game.

It would be challenging to schedule if Test and ODI players would be to play again regularly as they will make more money in other competitions. But the foundations of Australian cricket are in decline and require a refocus on first class cricket while tilting away from so much T20.

I don't disagree with your general point in terms of the Sheffield Shield needing to not be an afterthought but it's a delicate balancing act that admittedly Cricket Australia have got way wrong this year. The game still needs to make money and the Big Bash while impacted by attendances (particularly since the game expansion) the TV audiences and volume of games is I'd imagine pretty crucial to the CA bottom line. Probably even further emphasised by money lost due to Covid.

 

[Jbudds]

I don't disagree with your general point in terms of the Sheffield Shield needing to not be an afterthought but it's a delicate balancing act that admittedly Cricket Australia have got way wrong this year. The game still needs to make money and the Big Bash while impacted by attendances (particularly since the game expansion) the TV audiences and volume of games is I'd imagine pretty crucial to the CA bottom line. Probably even further emphasised by money lost due to Covid.

Yes, that's my general point, the Shield is basically irrelevant now and that shouldn't have happened. They expanded the Big Bash competition and it's just too long now and a bit of balance needs to be brought back. We need a bit of long term thinking brought back as CA is now so financially focused (just like the AFL).

If these organizations want to focus on financial returns and commerciality, that's fine. They can have their tax exempt status removed and they can behave like any other corporate.

I am not an expert, but from afar it seems that England has got a better balance with County Cricket still important.

 

[Santana]

All-Indigenous PM's XI canned after Scott Morrison re-election

The idea of making it an All-Indigenous team was first raised by CA as part of the reconciliation movement

www.espncricinfo.com

Wow, what a surprise. CA wanted Labor to win along with all their lefty mates.
Also so not a great surprise Barry Cassidy's son is Cricket Australia's diversity and inclusion manager

Who would make up the team though? They supposedly only had 8,500 in Aboriginal participation but only 6 years later they could field a competitive team to face a touring international test status team? Just comes off as more verbal diarrhea from CA.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Who would make up the team though? They supposedly only had 8,500 in Aboriginal participation but only 6 years later they could field a competitive team to face a touring international test status team? Just comes off as more verbal diarrhea from CA.

Off the top of my head Dan Christian, D'Arcy Short and Brendan Doggett have Indigenous heritage. Only state level quality players I can think of though.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Off the top of my head Dan Christian, D'Arcy Short and Brendan Doggett have Indigenous heritage. Only state level quality players I can think of though.

Jake Weatherald is another.

 

[big_e]

Who would make up the team though? They supposedly only had 8,500 in Aboriginal participation but only 6 years later they could field a competitive team to face a touring international test status team? Just comes off as more verbal diarrhea from CA.

PMs XI doesn't have to be a competitive team, though.

Bradman played in one when he was in his mid-50s. These games have traditionally had either some local players and some very young players or late-career players - playing an all-indigenous side wouldn't be particularly out of keeping with the tradition. And hey, having a spot in an all-indigenous PM's XI might actually be a spark in getting more indigenous players at a higher level.

 

[Richard Pryor]

PMs XI doesn't have to be a competitive team, though.

Bradman played in one when he was in his mid-50s. These games have traditionally had either some local players and some very young players or late-career players - playing an all-indigenous side wouldn't be particularly out of keeping with the tradition. And hey, having a spot in an all-indigenous PM's XI might actually be a spark in getting more indigenous players at a higher level.

Footage is on youtube, although I haven't been able to find it again. It's hilarious, the first ball it looks like Trevor Bailey (from memory) actually bowled a full pace delivery, perhaps getting a bit carried away by the Bradman hype. Bradman is clearly not up for actual Test match bowling, so the next one was a full slower one on the stumps to get him out of there before he got hurt.

In terms of unorthodox PM's XI selections there was also this:

Latest News

Read the latest sports news from around the world on Australia's sports leader Fox Sports.

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Jimthegreat]

Good.

Removing the label hurts literally no one. The presence of white Australia celebrating the invasion hurts tens of thousands.

You don't need "Australia Day" to market anything, so who ******* cares?

Give back all your benefits then. Hope you worked on Australia day. We were colonised in the 26 Jan in 1788 and have built a great country from bare beginnings. This is from people who come here shackled, whipped, then transported and taken away from their family for stealing a loaf of bread. Think we should've remained a barren land? Yes, there were terrible atrocities but not until 50 years after. It had nothing directly to do with the landing in 1788. It was another generation on again.

Jog on! You're talking crap.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Give back all your benefits then. Hope you worked on Australia day. We were colonised in the 26 Jan in 1788 and have built a great country from bare beginnings. This is from people who come here shackled, whipped, then transported and taken away from their family for stealing a loaf of bread. Think we should've remained a barren land? Yes, there were terrible atrocities but not until 50 years after. It had nothing directly to do with the landing in 1788. It was another generation on again.

Jog on! You're talking crap.

Wow.

12 pages, but someone finally brought up the "they're lucky we subjected them to rape, murder and genocide, cos look how much they get now!" (avoiding the gaps in education, employment, mortality and justice outcomes.)

I reckon you might need to jog on pal, you're not intellectually qualified for this discussion.

 

[Gough]

They've got this right. The larger than life Merv always overshadowed what a bloody good bowler he was and what a good man to have in your corner in general. Watching him and Deano put Ambrose, Walsh, Marshall and Patterson to the sword with Merv hitting Courtney Walsh over the Vics last ball before tea is still one of my favourite cricket memories and he was epic in the 93 Ashes after Bill broke down.

 

[PhatBoy]

Give back all your benefits then. Hope you worked on Australia day. We were colonised in the 26 Jan in 1788 and have built a great country from bare beginnings. This is from people who come here shackled, whipped, then transported and taken away from their family for stealing a loaf of bread. Think we should've remained a barren land? Yes, there were terrible atrocities but not until 50 years after. It had nothing directly to do with the landing in 1788. It was another generation on again.

Jog on! You're talking crap.

What benefits? My wife’s family is all aboriginal. What do they get?

They get a discount on medication under the close the gap initiative (aimed at narrowing the life expectancy gap between indigenous and non indigenous people). That’s it.

Some get ABSTUDY - which is identical to Austudy only it’s for Aboriginals.

Some get unemployment benefits. Same as white unemployed people.

Wow, they’re just so lucky

 

[The Passenger]

They've got this right. The larger than life Merv always overshadowed what a bloody good bowler he was and what a good man to have in your corner in general. Watching him and Deano put Ambrose, Walsh, Marshall and Patterson to the sword with Merv hitting Courtney Walsh over the Vics last ball before tea is still one of my favourite cricket memories and he was epic in the 93 Ashes after Bill broke down.

200+ wickets, average under 30, largely pretty even performances against all opposition, in all countries, and from one season to the next... Nothing wrong with that test record.

Australia played 80 tests during Merv's career span, of which he played 53. On face value that looks like he missed a lot of cricket, but then McDermott only played 47 during the same span (as part of 71 overall tests). Not sure if this was injuries (Bruce Reid only played 27 tests certainly was), inconsistent selection policy (a lot of bowlers played between ~5 and ~15 tests through this period, before the team started winning/dominating and settled down in the mid 90's)... not sure if the players were fully professional by then or still semi-professional?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Schedule has been screwed for a number of decades now.
Enjoyed the cricket summer immensely when 1st Test started in early to mid November and final Test of summer was in February and the only two Tests of summer that were close to each other were the Boxing Day Test at MCG followed up by the New Year's Test at the SCG.
Six Tests for whole summer and first class games in between domestically for tourists and Shield sides is better for the standard of cricket you get to see.

The challenge has been the shorter formats of the game went from each international side playing 12 to 20 or more one day internationals a year to something way over 30. Once it got that many it no longer meant ODI's were the best side playing best from each nation and it became a rotation of 11 of your best 20 or so players playing each other and not the best of the best. I stopped going to ODI's once it got to this stage but I remember still going to ODI's at MCG well into 1990's. Once it became more than 30 ODI's a year it no longer was elite games of your best 11 playing so it has always been about the ODI's only really super interesting around the World Cup time every four years in last few decades.
It took until this last 12 months for less cricket matches to be played and surprise surprise as a result when there were some ODI's earlier this summer it was actually more interesting to me as it seemed like Australia v India ODI's actually had the best available 11 playing which made it actually interesting to me again. That happened not by design but due to circumstances of they had played less cricket you could pick your actual best 11 at those times.

I do not know what the answer is but the Big Bash is not interesting to me except to tune in for 5 to 10 minutes from time to time to watch someone like a Maxwell or Lynn in full smashing mode and beyond that the rest does not really grab my imagination to care. It pays the bills so it is not going away but it makes the schedule for everything else so much harder, I just sense if that was reduced to only 8 to 10 games each and purely around school holidays it would make more sense and get the Sheffield Shield still going run up until mid December and re-started up in last week of January.

I do not know when the best time for ODI's are anymore. Big Bash has replaced the niche of the old tri series so December and January is out and whenever they have them whether early November before first Test or in February after Test matches are over and Big Bash is over it is easier best of 3 or best of 5 series v another nation or if you still want a tri series, maybe it should always be a trans Tasman tri series with Australia and New Zealand always in it and a third nation invited. Play each other twice at first and top two sides of the three nations play a best of 3 series for series win and it be condensed to be completed within two weeks. As for T20's internationals I do not care if they even played.

The important priority is Test side needs Shield games sprinkled around them so you do not have the farce of this summer where you basically just stick to same Test side regardless of form as there is no other first class games going on between Tests to even have other genuine options.
Four Tests in a summer is not enough especially when it is rushed all close together.

Overall the calendar year should see 5 to 6 Tests each summer at minimum here and then another 6 overseas and only about 20 ODI's over 12 months.
Rather have less ODI's with more meaning than 30 to 40 ODI's each year where over 90% of them is resting 2 to 4 of your best players at once to get through the busy schedule. I have not seen any signs of less is more though from any cricketing body so not holding my breath.

I find it funny that in the 80’s and 90’s when ODI cricket was so popular they didn’t feel the need to have them all on over school holidays. If the big bash is as popular as they think it is then it can be run Feb/March to end the season and after the real cricket s finished.

 

[The Passenger]

I find it funny that in the 80’s and 90’s when ODI cricket was so popular they didn’t feel the need to have them all on over school holidays. If the big bash is as popular as they think it is then it can be run Feb/March to end the season and after the real cricket s finished.

It's a fair point... Especially as midweek T20 games can run from ~5 to ~8.30pm giving parents plenty of time to take kids to a match after school and get them home in time for bed, if they were inclined to do so.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

It's a fair point... Especially as midweek T20 games can run from ~5 to ~8.30pm giving parents plenty of time to take kids to a match after school and get them home in time for bed, if they were inclined to do so.

Not to mention that you have a problem with your product when small children are your target audience.

 

[swingdog]

I find it funny that in the 80’s and 90’s when ODI cricket was so popular they didn’t feel the need to have them all on over school holidays. If the big bash is as popular as they think it is then it can be run Feb/March to end the season and after the real cricket s finished.

CA is already facing declining BBL crowds during the school holidays. They would absolutely tank if run in February / March.

Having said that as it is mainly a TV product, it may not matter though small crowds in stadia never looks good.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

CA is already facing declining BBL crowds during the school holidays. They would absolutely tank if run in February / March.

Having said that as it is mainly a TV product, it may not matter though small crowds in stadia never looks good.

If your product is good the crowds will go no matter the time of year. Why did crowds attend ODI matches in Feb/March in the 80’s and 90’s? They wanted to see the product.
Are the crowds declining? Pre Covid the average crowd was 20k to a BB match, in 2015/16 and 2016/17 those two seasons the average was 29k which included two huge crowds at the MCG and Adelaide oval respectively.
20k is a bloody good crowd average fir a domestic product. I don’t believe that would change playing later in the season.
but that’s just my opinion.

 

[swingdog]

If your product is good the crowds will go no matter the time of year. Why did crowds attend ODI matches in Feb/March in the 80’s and 90’s? They wanted to see the product.
Are the crowds declining? Pre Covid the average crowd was 20k to a BB match, in 2015/16 and 2016/17 those two seasons the average was 29k which included two huge crowds at the MCG and Adelaide oval respectively.
20k is a bloody good crowd average fir a domestic product. I don’t believe that would change playing later in the season.
but that’s just my opinion.

Crowds per game have dropped in the past 4 years. Partly why they're playing more games, to cover a decline.



I agree that 20K is a good figure. I think CA is worried how fragile the product is and that's why they want it in school holidays.