Friday 23 January 2009

A ring-a-ding ring-in

What do you think about NSW getting McCullum on board for the 2020 final?

Certainly on other cricket sites/news sites the attitude is that it stinks! Even being compared to the underarm delivery in that while it is legal, it is "not cricket!"

This has caused a knock-on affect where T.Dodemaide has stated he would like to get A.Gilchrist in for the match... or S.K.Jehova (I now will be taking a break to clean up the mess around me due to this proposal)!

Is this a joke? Does this practice lessen the value of the competition?
Comparisons have been made to the 3 Pakistani players here at the moment, but they have been playing all/most of the season and ARE a part of their current teams; not ring-ins for a final.

And then there is the A.Symonds comments, "That's not Australian to me." http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=731843
It reads to me as a gift to the media to add an extra -mostly irrelevant - comment into the controversy; what does that really achieve? Is it just another way of letting Symonds slam his foot into his gob? Or is it Symonds trying to uphold his profile while recuperating?
Now don't quote me on the speaker- i think he was introduced as T.Moody (didn't here as i was in traffic!), but a reply to Symonds saying this was, "...that's a bit much of a comment from someone taking millions from the IPL!" If it was Moody (I'm pretty sure it was, but i haven't been able to find the quote on the radio stations website), what was his point? How was Symonds being bought and paid for by the IPL relevant to the McCullum situation?

So many question for you to address. My belief is Cricket NSW is desperate, selfish and frankly pathetic in doing this; i want to see McCullum go first ball, and grass every catch coming his way as well as miss fielding returns (although i have since been informed he is playing only as a batsman) for 4 byes frequently! Or am i just a surly Vic?

I don't blame McCullum, it is his career and he will do what he thinks is best for him (including giving himself 2 chanced at the Champions league now with Kolkata and NSW), it is just weak of Cricket NSW to try to field a team better than they have had throughout the competition from an outside source.


stoph verismo
downthewicket

Wednesday 21 January 2009

many levels to a playing field

I heard on my drive in to work this morning that Afghanistan have been very competitive in the ICC World cricket league and aiming to get up into the qualifiers of the next world cup!

What a turn out that would be! A country in a state of turmoil, conflict and constant combat, making in roads into such a large world sporting event.

I've had a good read of the involvement and structure of these ICC competitions and i must admit it looks like they (ICC) are doing their best to really develop this second and third tier of the game.

One thought i had was, why doesn't the bottom (2) teams of the top competition spend more time playing the next level down? It is blatantly clear that Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are having their spirits crushed playing at this level, so why is there clear delineation between them and the next level down?
Surely teams such as the Netherlands (top of Div 2 table), Canada, Scotland and Ireland would get a lot out of playing Zimbabwe and Bangladesh more regularly, as well as these two teams getting a much needed moral boasts from a few wins! I'm sure we would see less of a gulf between the top of Div 2 and the bottom of Div 1 than we currently see between the more competitive test nations and Bangladesh and Zimbabwe!

It is good to see that they are playing each other at the moment (instead of boasting Sri Lankas stocks again...and again!) and i hope more of this continues. At least one team will accumulate some points from the encounter.


www.pepsiiccworldcricketleague.com/



stoph verismo
downthewicket

Rebuilding...pride.

With only 3 games left of the Australian South Africa international summer left, can we make amends for the test series loss with a win in the ODI series?

I think the best cricket outcome would be 2 all and then a nail biter in the 5th game... but I'm just a hopeless romantic dreamer!
If this was the case, who thinks that Ponting and Co could feel somewhat redeemed?

At one game each so far, is Australia still the best 50 over side in the world?

Do we need to change the line up in any way?

And what of the NZ ODI games?
Are they (the games) of any real value?
NZ have proved to be a far more competitive ODI side, is an upset possible?

As i've said, "...hopeless... dreamer!"


stoph verismo
downthewicket