General Cricket Discussion

[War]

Tony Cozier: WICB shoddy in timing of Gibson's exit | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Something fishy bout this. Something smells BCCIish about this.........

Ha he has been windies coach also 5 years now, T20 team stepped up & been world champs - but test & ODI team either going backwards. Since WI got Englishman pybus as that director of cricket, they have changed captains, selectors & certain player roles. So i guess Gibson position was always under treat.

 

[PokerAce]

Venues for India-WI series announced - News - BCCI.tv

Ha so suddenly, BCCI puts 3 tests vs WI in between the ENG/AUS tours. Sometimes i wonder if the BCCI does more damage to its own players, than is really accepted.

It didn't suddenly pop up. This tour has been part of the FTP for a while now. Just never got mentioned as it is a rather low profile series in light of Ind touring Eng and Aus.

 

[ethybubs]

What you on about bubba?

The post has been deleted.

 

[joejoe018]

Mitchell Johnson six shatters commentary box in Harare

 

[SpitfiresKent]

BBC Sport - Indian Premier League 'shouldn't be there', says Sir Ian Botham

 

[Skater]

Botham's lecture also suggested cutting county teams down to 12. An idea I think is right, since the county system is outdated. I was saying this on Twitter last night, that I would keep the nine counties that have Test grounds, and of the nine that remain some would have to merge in order to cut it down to 12 teams.

Durham, Glamorgan, Hampshire, Lancashire, Middlesex, Nottinghamshire, Surrey, Warwickshire and Yorkshire would remain.
Derbyshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kent, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire would have to find a way of merging with other counties or going out of business entirely so only three remain.

How this would happen is another debate, but going by geography, just as an example Derbyshire could merge with one of Lancashire or Yorkshire and Leicestershire could merge with Nottinghamshire.

 

[MUFC1987]

Botham's lecture also suggested cutting county teams down to 12. An idea I think is right, since the county system is outdated. I was saying this on Twitter last night, that I would keep the nine counties that have Test grounds, and of the nine that remain some would have to merge in order to cut it down to 12 teams.

But if you took away the smaller counties, where would the likes of Nottinghamshire get their players from? I'd argue more good players have come through the Leicestershire set up for example (Broad, Taylor etc), then a lot of so called big counties. Besides which, I'd argue a lot of the ones you want to merge, are the ones that can actually survive financially, rather than chasing the dream of Test match cricket and racking up huge debt in the mean time. Plus, you'd get even less youngsters getting a chance in professional cricket.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Botham's lecture also suggested cutting county teams down to 12. An idea I think is right

I disagree. The current system is fine as it is. Yes the players have to travel a lot up and down the country but that's life. Also you can't pick out one team for example that are labelled as ''whipping boys'', the competition is very healthy.

 

[TooDrunkToBeBowled]

BBC Sport - Indian Premier League 'shouldn't be there', says Sir Ian Botham

Personally I would say he is making too much of a big deal of the IPL. Its not that big or important a tournament. Has very little influence. Most of the Indian viewers cannot be bothered by it. Sure there is excitement at the start and towards the end when the final slots for the K.Os are to be wrapped up, but through the middle there is hardly any interest.

IPL has killed T20 for the Indian viewers. They get so much T20 in that one month that they cannot stand watching more T20 the rest of the year. Ind national team hardly play Int'l T20, as no one in India wants to watch.

IPL has given a gigantic shot in the arm to ODI cricket, and made the fans realise that ODIs are much more of a contest between bat and ball, and much more of a tactical game. A side can recover from wickets falling early, can build an innings and not just slam bang all the time like T20. 3 good overs in T20 change the match, in ODIs its not that easy and the boundaries are not pulled in where even the school boys can hit sixes. The good bowlers can still hurt you in ODIs and still get to work at the Batsmen in sustained spells of upto 7 overs at a time, and batsmen with weakness can be found out. In T20 a top bowler hardly bowls any overs in spells. Its the odd over here, two odd overs there. ODIs are much much more of a contest. IPL has given ODI popularity a tremendous boost.

If Botham got involved with the IPL, and say did a season of commentary on it or something, and was not looking in from the outside, he would realise its not even remotely the big deal he is making it to be. Its just another competition, sure with lots of money involved, but apart from that, its not even close to being the force Botham says it is.

 

[grkrama]

Surrey opt against selecting Kevin Pietersen for Worcestershire match | Sport | theguardian.com

 

[War]

Heath Streak: 'If things were managed properly, Zimbabwe could be a mid-ranked side' | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

@SpitfiresKent - Might be of interest to you my friend:

"I think the whole period from 2003 up until now has been a sad episode for Zimbabwe cricket, given the number of players of good quality who departed after that World Cup. Andy Flower and Henry Olonga were leaving us for the UK. Murray Goodwin and Neil Johnson went back to Australia and South Africa respectively. They continued to have good careers. We lost Sean Ervine, a world-class performer. Travis Friend and Andy Blignaut stopped playing. Tatenda Taibu retired early. We had Gary Ballance, now playing for England, who left Zimbabwe in that period because he didn't see a future playing for Zimbabwe. We had another person who left in that period, Kyle Jarvis, who retired recently. And another youngster left during that period is also representing New Zealand now, Colin de Grandhomme.

We have lost some really good-quality players and also some players who retired prematurely - Mluleki Nkala and Brighton Watambwa and Douglas Hondo. There is a huge group of people who should be still playing, maybe not all for their national team but still playing cricket at the highest level, certainly in first-class cricket and being the senior players in the system and upping Zimbabwe cricket. We can see now in the recent series where they beat Australia. If things were managed properly between 2003 and now, we wouldn't just be hoping for a regular upset every now and then. We could be a World Cup side. That would be a No. 5, 6, 7 ranking. You put those players [who left] alongside the world-class players that we have with the likes of Brendan Taylors and Hamilton Masakadzas and Prosper Utseyas and some of these young guys, we would have a real pool and a world-class team. That is the sad thing."

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Yeah it was a good read but nothing new. We all know that Zimbabwe would have a pretty decent team at present if a large number of players didn't leave. Good luck to Streak in his new job, Bangladesh next series is against Zimbabwe at home so that should be interesting.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Did anyone else see the Flintoff interview on Piers Morgan's life stories last night? Was very good, never knew Freddie suffered from depression and bulimia during his career. I would highly recommend watching it if you can.

 

[War]

Lloyd wants Windies players to be loyal | WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD

Kingston, Jamaica - New chairman of the West Indies selection panel, Clive Lloyd, believes loyalty should be the order of the day as players contemplate decisions to either represent the West Indies against England or play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) next April.

The West Indies, currently ranked eighth in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings, are scheduled to face world number three England in a three-match Test series beginning on April 9 and ending May 5, 2015.

The matches, however, are set to clash with the ICC-approved IPL, which is held between April and June each year.

"What we are saying is that anytime we have our cricket we would like you to be here. You must play in our cricket. And, hope the players take it as it on board," said Lloyd.

"What we are asking the players to do (ahead of the England series) is to show loyalty, and that West Indies cricket comes first. I know some people may not like how that sounds, but our cricket has got to be first."

The IPL, arguably the most lucrative cricket domestic tournament in the world, attracts several of the West Indies leading cricketers on a yearly basis.

Explosive opener Chris Gayle, mystery spinner Sunil Narine, stylish batsman Marlon Samuels, and influential all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, head the list of players.

However, with the West Indies looking to re-establish itself as a world cricket powerhouse, and England offering several ICC Test rankings points, it is anticipated that these players will be asked to largely forego their 2015 IPL ambitions.

This is expected to put the players in a spot of bother given that what some players earn via an annual West Indies player contract is sometimes three or more times less than what they would earn playing for their IPL teams.

"We can understand the situation (of the players), however, it is not about earning all the money," said Lloyd.

The WICB hasn't always been sensible and professional with regards to its players & IPL clashes hence the dumb Chris Gayle 1 year ban, Narine missing the recent test series vs NZ - but surely the star windies players would be mad to chose IPL over their home series vs ENG & AUS next year.

@Samuels @westindies2007 @Dare @Haynes123

 

[westindies2007]

Lloyd wants Windies players to be loyal | WEST INDIES CRICKET BOARD

Interesting Article. I also Do Agree that the country come first because these IPL or any Domestic series. But But, Narine not playing against NZ was totally Stupid in my view.
According to what i have read, Narine would of join the Team 3- 4 days before NZ tour. Why couldn't he play.
I really dont know about how the New Selection Panel/ New WICB going to go about with there work, what i want is to be consistent, Show the player we really want you to play for WI cricket and than the player would be Loyal to you, IF you as an Administer dont show your Locality to player how can they show it to you.
Everyone MUST realize in this day and Age things have change. WI player are been mis used many time in the past, now they have something to go to , to Make there Livelihood Or want to play Cricket. Who know the way WI went about for the past few year, these same players Are been Drop for some reason or the Other, Imaging you skip IPL and plan just to dedicate your cricket for WI and next minute they drop you for an Odd reason, how can you trust the board and how could i keep hoping i wouldn't be drop. I am not saying Give these player the upper hand in everything, like if they consistently failing to keep them no, Drop them, but don't kick them out of the picture like what WI did with many players, still have these Stars in the Picture for selection. but treat these player in a different way. I have no solution, but WICB with the selection panel and these player who wanna play for IPL sit and talk about it.
What the Fans want is a Full strength WI side taking the field at all time, plus it's the only way for WI to go forward.
I Do believe International Cricket should be first, everything else after, but WICB need to give something to the player where they can be Loyal to WI Cricket.

It's going to be very tough that England Tour. I can see player leaning towards the IPL instead of the England tour.

Just WICB need to build that trust with the Players, so they can say we can trust West Indies Cricket for our Future.

Just wants to know did any past , say like last 2 year any Tour Clash with IPL/CLT20? if so how did those Board handle their players. Just want to know?