There’s lot of problems with Australian cricket, Test Batsmen can’t score 100’s, One Day cricketers can’t win games, and people are losing interest in the Big Bash, we think it has a lot to do with the Australian Cricket Schedule. And a couple of naughty people who played too much with sandpaper.
But despite the fall in viewers, and crowds of Big Bash games, broadcasters don’t want to change the Australian Cricket Schedule, or at least the volume of matches.
Which is ridiculous really.
Sure, as broadcasters they have a right to want as many games as possible, but if the product becomes weaker, and fans increasingly disinterested at the game and at home, then you’ve got more games of a weakened product that fewer care about. So the value of your broadcaster is down anyway.
But the Big Bash isn’t the only problem, Australian cricket’s other big problem is Test Cricket, and the lack of Test ready backups if there are a few injuries or people involved in sandpaper modifications.
So we are offering up our Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative for next season and beyond.
Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative – Sheffield Shield
A strong Sheffield Shield competition means a strong Australian side, and not just a handful of games in a quasi two game shootout for the scraps in the test squad. Our players, including test stars don’t play enough, with players thrown in after a couple of good scores in one season, and then people wonder why they fail a few innings later.
So what’s our solution? Players like Matt Hayden and Michael Hussey played many seasons of Sheffield Shield before cementing their place in the test squad and Australian cricket folklore.
So what’s our solution for the Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative? Make the players play more Sheffield Shield before the Test season starts.
How can you do that with the international schedule as tight as it is? Easy start the Sheffield Shield in August and finish it in October, so in most seasons the Shield has been won, and selectors have an entire season to choose their next victims.
Under our Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative, matches would be played on Fridays to Mondays, to allow those diehard fans to get to games. Hopefully played at the delightful venues like Allan Border Field, Junction Oval, Drummoyne, North Sydney.
The first fixture would be 2nd August to 5th August. The shield would then carry on for eight weeks until September 20th – 23rd, where the competition would take a two-week break for the AFL and NRL Grand Finals.
After all the fun of the Grand Finals, the Shield would then recommence on the 11 October for round 9, still played over Friday to Monday. Followed by the final round the following Friday. This could be a modern style shoot out, but with a solid backing of 8 previous games.
The final will be played on the 25th October, by which time in most summers, our Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative would see the entire Sheffield Shield before the first test starts. This means that players could then be picked purely on a long run of form, rather than a spur of the moment big score that has the word “Bolter” thrown around at maximum volume.
Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative – Big Bash
This year’s Big Bash has felt like it is dragging, with te sport’s bosses and TV going for quantity over quality. And it appears the people have spoken with the feet, and remotes.
Crowds are down, so are TV ratings.
It needs to go back to each team playing each other once, alternatively home and away across two years, with one extra game ensuring the derbies are played twice a year. So the two Sydney and Melbourne teams would play each a second time. Perth and Adelaide can get a second bout of their rivalry. Brisbane and Hobart would be left to pair up.
And the games need only be played in the school holidays. Not only would this capture the crowd that seemed to have massive interest in previous years, but it would also limit the competition back to six weeks. With more spaces.
Quality over quantity may get the swinging voters and cynics back in love with the Big Bash.
This would also include Men and Women teams playing the same days, with the same opponents. The Grand Final ending up as either a double-header for men and women. Or two games in two days, and a decent timeslot for the women.
Although those cynical ones could argue that the interest in Big Bash has gone down with the increase in Michael Slater. We agree.
Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative – One Day Competition
The One Day domestic competition has become the biggest joke in the Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative.
It is also the competition that people care about the least.
So our Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative for One Day competition is that the Domestic One Day schedule is split into two.
Each team plays here twice home and away, but the games shared for either side of the Big Bash.
The first half of the fixtures should be played at non capital cities, to share the cricketing love.
The second half is played after the Big Bash, and the final should end up around late February.
This would allow all domestic cricket to be finished before the usual tours of late February or March to kick in.
And all done and dusted before the Australian sporting public head is turned by the arriving football codes.
Australian Cricket Schedule Alternative – Overview
SHEFFIELD SHIELD
GW1 Aug 2-5
GW2 Aug 9-12GW1
GW3 Aug 16-19
GW4 Aug 23-26
GW5 Aug 30-Sep3
GW6 Sept 6
GW7 Sept 13-16
GW8 Sept 20-23
GW9 Oct 11-14
GW10 Oct 18-21
FINAL Oct 24-27
ONE-DAY DOMESTIC – PART 1
Friday 8th November to 2nd December.
Each team plays each other once for Pt I.
BIG BASH
Commences with start of school holidays, and end after each team has played each other twice.
Team only play each side once in a year, Quality over Quantity.
Finals Series as they are now at end of holidays.
Perhaps on something like Australia Day.
ONE-DAY DOMESTIC – PART 2
Starts Friday Friday 31st Jan. End 1st March.
Each team plays the alternative fixture to round 1, This time at the proper Test venues.
