Things Cricket Needs

Coops93

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The Ashes has been good recently because the teams have been evenly matched but it was ******* boring for about 25 years before that.

Half the reason we dominate home series is that many teams hardly ever visit. If Sri Lanka and Pakistan (let alone Bangladesh, who we actively try to avoid) were here more often and had a chance to get more familiar with the conditions, the cricket would eventually get better.

Very short-term thinking to have the same few teams play each other again and again.
Perhaps the max of 6 tests in a home summer should be reviewed. 7 or 8 is fine, England sometimes have 11 tests at home period.

This season is clearly different due to Covid, but assuming it's a normal year, what's wrong with 4 tests vs India, then 3 vs a Pakistan - Sri Lanka - WI et al in places like Tasmania, Canberra, WACA or Metricon - the pitches have been half decent with the BBL. It'd give them a little more exposure here and bringing the game to smaller venues should still be somewhat profitible.

I can see Tasmania supporting test cricket regardless of who Aus is playing, for example. GC is a bit fair-weather though tbf.
 

The Passenger

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Not sure if cricket needs it but where are the left arm medium pace all rounders? Not the Nathan Bracken (not an all rounder), Sam Curran, James Faulkner style who aren't particularly fast but are still front line bowlers.

I mean the left arm equivalent of Steve Waugh, Paul Collingwood, Shane Watson, Nathan Astle, Mitch Marsh types. All the left arm batting all rounders or part-time bowlers I can think of bowled spin - Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Sanath Jayasuriya, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Adams, Grant Flower (all bar Katich, just left arm orthodox too).
 
May 5, 2016
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Not sure if cricket needs it but where are the left arm medium pace all rounders? Not the Nathan Bracken (not an all rounder), Sam Curran, James Faulkner style who aren't particularly fast but are still front line bowlers.

I mean the left arm equivalent of Steve Waugh, Paul Collingwood, Shane Watson, Nathan Astle, Mitch Marsh types. All the left arm batting all rounders or part-time bowlers I can think of bowled spin - Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Sanath Jayasuriya, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Adams, Grant Flower (all bar Katich, just left arm orthodox too).


Corey Anderson was fairly medium but he was more a batting all rounder than a part timer as such
 
May 1, 2016
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Not sure if cricket needs it but where are the left arm medium pace all rounders? Not the Nathan Bracken (not an all rounder), Sam Curran, James Faulkner style who aren't particularly fast but are still front line bowlers.

I mean the left arm equivalent of Steve Waugh, Paul Collingwood, Shane Watson, Nathan Astle, Mitch Marsh types. All the left arm batting all rounders or part-time bowlers I can think of bowled spin - Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Sanath Jayasuriya, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Adams, Grant Flower (all bar Katich, just left arm orthodox too).
I've got a book somewhere by Ian Pont about fast bowling, and he had a theory about lefties and the way they're taught to bowl being biomechanically incorrect, preventing them from bowling above a certain pace with only a few exceptions.

Could be, those lefties don't persist with it because they never quite get up to 115-120km, and so they remain at the lower levels or stop bowling.
 

The Passenger

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The type that a keeper could stand up to perhaps, as a bit of a criteria?
Yeah more or less. Pathan would be a front line bowlers.

Brendan Nash was another, but I'm now digging into the depths of my reserve knowledge.
 

ioppolo

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James Franklin maybe had he always been the batsman they were trying to play him as by the end
I remember him being a new ball bowler, then suddenly he pops up several years later as a number six and maybe bowled. Confused the hell out of me at the time.
 

jle101

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Kinda noticed that this style of helmet has fallen by the wayside...

OIP.jpeg


For the best imo. Something cricket didn't need.
 

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jle101

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Ah yes, I remember watching that happen live at the time. Glorious moment.
 

Oaktree

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The Ashes has been good recently because the teams have been evenly matched but it was ******* boring for about 25 years before that.

Half the reason we dominate home series is that many teams hardly ever visit. If Sri Lanka and Pakistan (let alone Bangladesh, who we actively try to avoid) were here more often and had a chance to get more familiar with the conditions, the cricket would eventually get better.

Very short-term thinking to have the same few teams play each other again and again.
Completely agree.

A good example is with Murali. The Lankans hardly toured during his career. He missed the 2004 top end series after John Howard's comments on his action.

I think the lack of touring plus limited lead in tour preparation makes it hard for teams to be competitive here.

Not to mention Australia's general dominance on home soil.

The flow on problem extends to the public not having a clue on the overseas players who are touring. Even some of the commentators have no idea. This leads to a lack of interest.

Look at the hype around Kohli touring this summer. You won't see Fox Sports pumping up players from the Windies, Lankans or Bangas.
 

swingdog

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Aug 3, 2007
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Apparently cricket needs to change 'wickets' to 'outs'.




I always think people who end up in cricket marketing have been rejected from every other sport / entertainment / economic sector. They really are incompetent.
 

Scratchy05

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Sep 16, 2020
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Australia playing more test matches at home (and in general) I think we could have 8 games tbh. Have one lower team tour first for like 2 or 3 games and then the major team for 5. Could have 3 teams come out here. I know Victoria could certainly support 2 tests

I also want 4 day womens test matches.
 
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