Unpopular Cricket Opinions

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May 30, 2006
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Well I would have either of wade, handscomb or Carey ahead. Either of them would be an upgrade. I’d be surprised if Paine averages more than 20 in the Ashes.
And Wade and Handscomb would drop more than their batting average. Wicket-keepers are there to keep wicket, not make up for the failings of a top six that Zimbabwe would be ashamed of (OK, that's might be hyperbole - a top six that the West Indies would be ashamed of). Very few keepers are horrid with the bat. Most can get a few runs, simply because both require footwork, good hand-eye coordination and being able read the bowler early.
Carey is the only one of those who it could be argued would match Paine in keeping, the primary job.

Wade could very well be in the team right now, as a batsman only.
 

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May 30, 2006
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I think the Big Bash needs to be condensed into a shorter time frame.

Shield and Test matches should wrap up with the Boxing Day test in Melbourne. Sorry Sydney, but you lose the New Years Day test. Big Bash should start the week of Boxing Day test (but not on Boxing Day) with one game each evening after the test. After that it should be full on ODIs and Big Bash. Big Bash should finish on the weekend after Australia Day. This means lots of double-headers, an afternoon game and a evening game. Also means teams doing double header road trips - maybe Melbourne and then on to Hobart with one day break, or play one Sydney team on Friday night and the other on Sunday - that sort of tight scheduling. Fit the ODI series in between that.

Unpopular opinion - Sydney to lose the regular test match slot being first week in January and get shifted to earlier in the season. Test matches start earlier on the season to overlap more with the Shield.
The problem with ending the Shield in December is tours of South Africa, New Zealand, etc, at the end of our summer which have to be picked off no recent form. As things stand now, for those tours there is recent red ball form to go off which makes it easier to pick the guy in form but without proving consistency to start fresh. The longer the break between red ball games, the more reliant on players who have proven their ability consistently over a number of years the selectors need to be.

Ideally, at least for summers with a February/March/April away Test series, the BBL would get moved to October/November (the WBBL now has that window). Tests would almost start with Boxing Day, going through January when more people are at home during the day, but there is no way CA would be willing to take the hit to BBL crowd numbers a move away from the school holidays would see. While the money takes precedence over the sport, we're going to be stuck with a far from ideal situation.
 
Feb 6, 2013
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In Australia we say & show the score wrong, it should be 340/4 like the rest of the world, not 4/340
I remember looking this up once, can't recall the source, but pretty sure the only reason we show the score the other way round is because that's the way they happened to set up the first scoreboard in Aus.
 

Wedge McManus

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Jan 16, 2019
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I remember looking this up once, can't recall the source, but pretty sure the only reason we show the score the other way round is because that's the way they happened to set up the first scoreboard in Aus.
It's so weird how we do that. Can't see why we can't just fit on with the rest of the world
 

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Admiral Byng

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May 3, 2009
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The problem with ending the Shield in December is tours of South Africa, New Zealand, etc, at the end of our summer which have to be picked off no recent form. As things stand now, for those tours there is recent red ball form to go off which makes it easier to pick the guy in form but without proving consistency to start fresh. The longer the break between red ball games, the more reliant on players who have proven their ability consistently over a number of years the selectors need to be.

Ideally, at least for summers with a February/March/April away Test series, the BBL would get moved to October/November (the WBBL now has that window). Tests would almost start with Boxing Day, going through January when more people are at home during the day, but there is no way CA would be willing to take the hit to BBL crowd numbers a move away from the school holidays would see. While the money takes precedence over the sport, we're going to be stuck with a far from ideal situation.

Current situation: the last round of Shield matches were 7-10 December, the next round starts around 20 Feb. My solution is to compress the BBL into a tighter schedule and create a shorter break for the Shield season. If anything improving upon the situation. The ideal scenario would be for test players to get in at least one Shield game before the second series of test matches start, or touring teams for NZ or SA are picked, by having the Shield resume at the start of Feb.
 
Sep 21, 2002
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Current situation: the last round of Shield matches were 7-10 December, the next round starts around 20 Feb.

Australia has no chance of ever becoming a great cricket nation again should this scenario continue. It's amazing we are structuring our entire cricket schedule on when a few poxy school kids who spend all night looking at their iPhones are on school holidays.

We really are stuffed.
 
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Admiral Byng

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Australia has no chance of ever becoming a great cricket nation again should this scenario continue. It's amazing we are structuring our entire cricket schedule on when a few poxy school kids who spend all night looking at their iPhones are on school holidays.

We really are stuffed.


Yeah, I think a BBL season with 8 teams and a full round-robin of home & away matches (14 in all) is too much. I'd rather reduce it to 10-12 and just live with an unequal draw - some teams might play the season without having to travel to Perth or Hobart, just live with it.

i think the BBL is a very good introduction to cricket for kids though.
 

troybe

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Apr 19, 2008
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Yeah, I think a BBL season with 8 teams and a full round-robin of home & away matches (14 in all) is too much. I'd rather reduce it to 10-12 and just live with an unequal draw - some teams might play the season without having to travel to Perth or Hobart, just live with it.

i think the BBL is a very good introduction to cricket for kids though.

It’s not too much. A double header on a Friday night, 3 games on a Saturday (arvo, twilight, night) , double header on Sunday (arvo, night) every second Sat or Sunday have a night game in Perth. That would condense the season.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

Admiral Byng

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It’s not too much. A double header on a Friday night, 3 games on a Saturday (arvo, twilight, night) , double header on Sunday (arvo, night) every second Sat or Sunday have a night game in Perth. That would condense the season.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

I'm assuming they have an international ODI series on during the same period, with D/N games scheduled for some weekends. Also assuming they want no clashes.
 
Jan 13, 2015
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one word - GREED !

it started as 7 matches each (play everyone once), even when it was 8 (extra game as local derby, and to even out 4 home , 4 away for each team) was sufficient.

even prior to that , it started as the 6 states - but they had to split the vics and nsw sides into 2 and jazz it up with new colors and nicknames.

one wonders how far they are gonna take this - whats next ? 10/10?
 

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