He's got quite a schedule coming up in the next two years. Basically non-stop but, as he said, rather be busy in front of appreciative crowds than slaving away in SA domestic cricket with no spectators. It is a massive concern that domestic cricket in SA is SO under-marketed. It's not just a commercial concern, it's a concern for the long-term health of the game. Actors need an audience, not just a stage on which to perform. Actors and sportsmen won't continue for the sake of a 'review' if nobody is watching or appears to care about what they are doing.
I remember a time when Newlands was quite packed for limited-overs games (Benson and Hedges days). But back then, people were starved for cricket action as, at the time, we were only just allowed back into the international fold. I'm talking 1993 to 1996. Golden years for domestic cricket, in my opinion, with a lot of the modern greats plying their trade and coming up the ranks. Gary Kirsten, Gibbs, Kallis, all the pacers you remember, including Donald and McMillan, and Cronje, making a name for himself before taking over captaincy from Rice. So many more. Nowadays, new faces pop up in our international teams, and people have no idea who they are. They come in without fanfare and have to live with the "Who is this nobody failing every game? Kick him out" comments. Kallis didn't have that when he became a Protea...sure he failed 8 tests in a row, but people knew his name, and everyone knew it was a matter of time before he came good. Same for Cullinan. He was a domestic cricketing god for years before becoming a Protea. Some can argue he never really lived up to his reputation, but he had a name to bank on when he became an international player.
Our domestic cricketing scene is a shadow of its former self. I do believe they can do a lot to fix that, by maybe making them switch playing days to co-opt Saturdays and Sundays as days 2 and 3 of 4-day games? Making it cheap as chips to get into the gates? After all...the ground is already open...why not lure people in?
I'm not an administrator, but I have always felt we need to create our cricket heroes before they become superstars. And admins everywhere forgot how to do that.
Excited that he's coming to Hampshire. Desperate for us to win the county championship although I fear he may be disappointed by our crowds. Could he bring Amla as batting coach please!
I don't think he'll be disappointed with your crowds - the mere fact that you refer to them as 'crowds' means they are much, much larger than anything seen at a South African domestic match for the last decade or so...! Jimmy Adams is your batting coach - anyway, I suspect Hashim will be playing in various 'Legends' leagues. :)
Domingo is a fantastic coach, did a great job at the proteas. Love Amla's comments on scoring runs in Australia, you can't play T20 cricket in a test match in Australia and interesting to hear just how simple he kept it.
Hi Andrew, So much has been said and written about Sachin's 241* at the SCG - where he famously 'put aside' the cover drive. He wasn't the 'first' to do it and he certainly wasn't the last! One of the greatest innings I have ever had the privilege to commentate on was Hashim's 196 at the WACA in 2012. Not only did he eschew the cover drive, he jumped outside off stump in order to whip the 'good' balls from the seamers to mid wicket. It was mesmerizing. (But he only did that after he'd reached 100...!) :)
All the best to Russell.
He's got quite a schedule coming up in the next two years. Basically non-stop but, as he said, rather be busy in front of appreciative crowds than slaving away in SA domestic cricket with no spectators. It is a massive concern that domestic cricket in SA is SO under-marketed. It's not just a commercial concern, it's a concern for the long-term health of the game. Actors need an audience, not just a stage on which to perform. Actors and sportsmen won't continue for the sake of a 'review' if nobody is watching or appears to care about what they are doing.
I remember a time when Newlands was quite packed for limited-overs games (Benson and Hedges days). But back then, people were starved for cricket action as, at the time, we were only just allowed back into the international fold. I'm talking 1993 to 1996. Golden years for domestic cricket, in my opinion, with a lot of the modern greats plying their trade and coming up the ranks. Gary Kirsten, Gibbs, Kallis, all the pacers you remember, including Donald and McMillan, and Cronje, making a name for himself before taking over captaincy from Rice. So many more. Nowadays, new faces pop up in our international teams, and people have no idea who they are. They come in without fanfare and have to live with the "Who is this nobody failing every game? Kick him out" comments. Kallis didn't have that when he became a Protea...sure he failed 8 tests in a row, but people knew his name, and everyone knew it was a matter of time before he came good. Same for Cullinan. He was a domestic cricketing god for years before becoming a Protea. Some can argue he never really lived up to his reputation, but he had a name to bank on when he became an international player.
Our domestic cricketing scene is a shadow of its former self. I do believe they can do a lot to fix that, by maybe making them switch playing days to co-opt Saturdays and Sundays as days 2 and 3 of 4-day games? Making it cheap as chips to get into the gates? After all...the ground is already open...why not lure people in?
I'm not an administrator, but I have always felt we need to create our cricket heroes before they become superstars. And admins everywhere forgot how to do that.
Excited that he's coming to Hampshire. Desperate for us to win the county championship although I fear he may be disappointed by our crowds. Could he bring Amla as batting coach please!
I don't think he'll be disappointed with your crowds - the mere fact that you refer to them as 'crowds' means they are much, much larger than anything seen at a South African domestic match for the last decade or so...! Jimmy Adams is your batting coach - anyway, I suspect Hashim will be playing in various 'Legends' leagues. :)
Thanks Neil. We get 6-7000 for t20s and anything from 600-2000 for 4 day games. We've made 2 good signings but our batting is always brittle!!
Domingo is a fantastic coach, did a great job at the proteas. Love Amla's comments on scoring runs in Australia, you can't play T20 cricket in a test match in Australia and interesting to hear just how simple he kept it.
Hi Andrew, So much has been said and written about Sachin's 241* at the SCG - where he famously 'put aside' the cover drive. He wasn't the 'first' to do it and he certainly wasn't the last! One of the greatest innings I have ever had the privilege to commentate on was Hashim's 196 at the WACA in 2012. Not only did he eschew the cover drive, he jumped outside off stump in order to whip the 'good' balls from the seamers to mid wicket. It was mesmerizing. (But he only did that after he'd reached 100...!) :)
Hampshire really is a place for exceptional south african cricket talent.