As always, you hit the nail on its head. The selectors pick goodish 30 year olds for the test squad presumably because they know their game, but then Dean Elgar puts forward the excuse his players need more exposure and are not experienced enough. The Proteas reached the pinnacle of test cricket when they had players such as Smith, Amla, Kallis and AB in the team who all started playing test cricket at a relatively young age. People forget, we have some real gems in the domestic league that are being overlooked because of this antiquated way of thinking.
The current captain has many good qualities, but being a visionary is unfortunately not one of them.
Why are the selectors not looking towards the likes of Joshua Richards, Ryan Rickleton, Raymond van Tonder and Janneman Malan over the bunch we currently have and fast-track them into the team. The only two batsmen currently in the side worth their salt is Bavuma and Verrynne.
Lets not forget we have a generational talent such as young Brevis and the gifted Jordan Herman from the Warriors that are waiting in the wings. It is sad to think that we might lose the opportunity to incubate young exciting talent into the proteas setup and continue with a policy that clearly is resulting in the worst batting displays I've ever seen from the proteas since post-1994.
I was talking about young pros making their way in the game looking for experience and expenses not £1m three year contracts! Which is what SA cricketers get when they come to England.
4 innings and we could not get close to 300, maybe it is time to cancel Test cricket, after all, we may never again see it here in South Africa, I will be surprised if a young man graduating out of high school at the end of 2022, if he will all things being equal, play 100 days of Test Match cricket in his career.. That is 20x Tests.. Will he reach 100 wickets, or 2000 test runs in his career??
Let's be honest, by 2030, Cricket will have lost 90% of Test Matches that were played in 2000.. That is 2 generations of players careers, and what could have been... No one seems to care about this, it is so easy to just look at the calendar, and make decisions, without considering the actual impact this has on the careers, not only of players, but think of the broadcasters, the journalists, the industry grown up to support cricket...
How far fetched is it to imagine Cricket having no tests, and lasting no longer than 3 hours, only form of cricket T20..No Tests, no ODI, just 3 hours, or worse that snotty runny nose 100 feeble excuse for cricket... Thankfully I cannot watch that drivel..
I understand why it is like it is, money, profit, keep costs low, and be dammned the consequences, not my problem say the money-men.. My heart just aches when I think back to when I was not yet in High school, of spending the evening watching cricket at Kingsmead, blanket on the bank, tons of kids playing on the banks, mom's chatting with mom's, kids burning off cola and ice cream sugar rushes.. dads watching the cricket.. It was so much fun, mostly as the teams were all local, you knew the stories of every player, be they farmers, teachers, policemen, they had lives outside of the game, and played for the pleasure of playing, not really as a career.. Limited overs meant time for the fans, time to sign mini bats, caps that sort of thing...
Now the shoes the players wear are more important than the players, it is mission impossible to know who is who, in what team, one player played for over 30 teams in his career, insane.. I am sure I saw a report of a local Durban based player, wicket keeper that Monday played in Durban, that night, late, off to Pakistan, played 2 or 3 games, back to Durban, then played the final in Pakistan, then off to the WI, then some other private league, almost had no time to even know what country he was in.. Just hired muscle, chasing the Dollar so that they can retire from the game before age 40, rich, having achieved what exactly????
Jaded I guess, the total blackout of local sport here, no idea who is who, and really it is not important, players are just more equipment.. I bet the money men have no idea who is who...
They are not banned as such in Australia. In the 80s there were quite few; Garner, Holding, Botham, Imran Khan, Hadlee. The last one I can think of was Graeme Hick in the early 90s for my state of Queensland.
I think the current rule is that each State side can field one international per XI. I would think the issue is one of payment. State sides have very little revenue sources outside of the CA handouts, and those handouts don't allow for say a $250,000 contract for an international. In the past private sponsorships have been used but domestic cricket is so low in profile now that there's no value in any such sponsorship.
The only way I could see it happening is if a player came to a State and said, "I just want the experience to develop my game' and play for match payments.
Ok but take the point please. How many English pros playing in state sides in Aus and SA ? How many Aussies and SA cricketers play in the Uk? Surely there should be access both ways. It may even improve standards in your games…..
As stated above, they are allowed but the States have no way to fund an overseas player and I think that's why there aren't any.
The domestic game here in Aus is so different to the County system. There is so little money/revenue in it. We only have about 120 contracted State players, and half of those are only 'fully professional' when you add on their Big Bash contracts.
CA's strategy is to keep State players lean, mean and keen to make that next step where, as Bill Lawry used to say, 'Overnight you go from boiled lollies to chocolates!'.
Be realistic, a UK citizen coming to SA to be paid £1.50 a month, as that is just about how much SA teams can afford, the local Rand currency is well rather valueless, it would bankrupt CSA to pay for the flights in 1st class.. The player would need a house in an upmarket gated community, a German brand of luxury car, private schools, and a work permit.. The last one is the problem..
Snowflakes abound, way too many of them, and one of them is the OZ captain, so instead of batting for 10 minutes, to get a mate on 195 to 200, he declares, and for what? SA going to win from this point??? NO... Draw...0.1% , Oz win 99%.. BUT to declare with a mate on 195 in a dead 2-0 series won game, snowflake, precious princess, panties all knotted, weak at the knees, pathetic example of the worst type of captaincy... Cannot read the room... SA have no interest in the game, none, 0%, they are just there cause of contracts, let the bloke get is 200 not out.. Man what a weak and useless excuse will he dredge up to justify declaring overnight/after the rain??? No respect for the soul of the game...
In light of the result, draw on day 5, even with a follow on, the OZ capt's decision is bizarre, there was never going to be a result other than DRAW, should have batted until x for all out, not let SA bat, used the game as a net... But no, Oz capt is weak at the knees, incompetent as a leader.
You're complaining about snowflakes when you set off on a multi-line whinge about the earth-shattering event of a captain declaring for very understandable tactical reasons!! You might want to look at your hypocrsy.
Like most of your comments on here, it reveals your almost total ignorance of cricket, but it adds to it a pathetic soup of ad hominems fired from the safety of your keyboard. Oh, how brave you are taking on people in public positions from your own home!
Put your brain in gear and have some respect, you obnoxious troll.
I have respect for the game, there was no reason to declare as Cummins did, he knew full well going into day 5, that only 2 results possible, draw or win, the win not at all probable, but a draw most thought would be the result..So bat for 10 min, get the mate on 195 to 200*, then put SA in.. but he chose to declare.. and for what? There was zero tactical reasons for his declaring, NONE.. Other than some internal dispute between him and the bloke on 195...
In fact there was no reason to just bat on, until tea day 5, after all, this was a dead rubber, a bit like Davis Cup, the 5th match was usually just match practice, with the result 4-0... They even shorten it to a best of 3 sets, instead of 5...
He demonstrated a lack of reading the room, it left a bitter taste in the mouth, cricket captains should be a bit spiteful, that is towards the opposition, not his own team.. Really what harm would have the "brand" of cricket suffered had there been a 200, or a first ball of the day 195 bowled.. declared then?? None...
Test match cricket suffers from a lot of bad press, of short games, SA not helping the fight to keep it 90 over per day times 5 days.. Not sure what your beef is, I love cricket, I love test match last hour heroics, OMG, one of my best memories is sitting in the rain, in the gloom, surrounded by a throng of oz supports, at Kingsmead, SA trying so hard to stave off defeat, trying to hold out for a fantastic draw, and we lost, but what a game, it had everything, 3 results possible, right until the end, we tried and we hoped for bad light/rain, but I am so glad we did not get it, we lost, but it was a struggle, it was a test of our ability, this series 2022/2023 was not a test for us, we played like we wanted too lose... We achieved this...
Really where is the harm in letting a bloke get a double ton, in a game no one cares about???
Very well written! I agree wholeheartedly with you. I wonder when Breeves will get recognized in the same way Mumbai Indians have. He should have been in the squad purely for experience. Happy 2023.
My comment focuses on your statement that learning by repetition has been phased out by most schools because it is inefficient and limiting. You make the point that this change may serve cricket better in South Africa.
Learning through repetition is a principle in the same way that gravity is a principle. Ignore it at your peril. . Any worthwhile teacher knows that to transition a new skill from the conscious mind to the subconscious requires repetition. The latest research shows that very bright learners can achieve this transition after 10 repetitions whereas others may need
as many as 100 repetitions.
Applied to test match cricket, check how many 'failures' Kallis had before he made the transition to being unconsciously skilled, ie playing shots automatically without having to tell himself how to do it. Even Bradman struggled at first. He suffered the humiliation of being dropped in the first test series he played.
With both your last 2 columns I honestly thought you had just applied for Australian citizenship Neil!! Warner may have his revenge, but he should never be granted redemption.
I think the idea of a 'regional' tournament is a good one. Make it compulsory too for Protea contracted players- like a 'trial' type situation. With the Bok rugby set-up players have to attend pre-season sessions with Nienaber / Erasmus otherwise they don't play. Some of those Bok players earn huge bucks overseas, so it's not as if Protea players are too precious & important to do so.
A concentration of the best talent in 4- day cricket might well attract a sponsor or two. Our Proteas only have THREE tests in 2023, so it's obvious the ICC is really only interested in England: Australia & India when it comes to red-ball cricket. Awful.
To be honest the youngsters I have and know, are not like me or my generation. Whereas as a teenager I would spend days at Kingsmead (I now live in CT) they simply have so many other interests and more mobility (read 'freedom') than I had. I loved it, but all they are interested in now is limited overs. Remember all we play at school is limited overs. So, when can players 'learn' about 4- day cricket? In 7 matches?
Ali Bacher predicted a few years ago the demise of test cricket- for all but the Ashes. He knows a lot about cricket of course...The poor performance of the Proteas has now severely damaged any chance of marketers 'selling' our test team abroad, sadly.
Our selectors should also be held to account and should engage properly with journalists as to how they arrive at selection. They picked, to my mind, the weakest batting line-up in our history. Pathetic. Not the coach's fault, yes- but 'social media' would be going mental if coach was Boucher or a paleface. (Only excuse was Keagan Peterson's catastrophic injury).
IMO we should appoint Mickey Arthur as head coach, unless Maketa is given a permanent contract. Who is batting coach? So ex- players like Kallis and Prince are not good enough? Steven Cook- talks a good game and was an excellent batsman.
What did Warner do to entrench his reputation as a prick? I missed that.
So- at the end of it all- we only have 3 tests in 2023, so I suppose I am just wasting data on an irrelevant subject, ha ha! We still have a terrible T20 team (awful world cup) so maybe we should focus on that.
How much Test cricket any one nation plays is all down to the national Boards, nothing to do with the ICC at all (other than min. reqs for the WTC, if that stays in place).
In terms of scheduling Tests, I guess CSA faces challenges from the following, with #4
being the most critical;
1. SA20 taking out a 5 week prime window for hosting tours
2. IPL window expanding to full 3 months (94 games) within a few years
3. Getting a bi-lateral agreement even with the minnows, given those minnows are facing
this exact same set of obstacles
4. Getting a bi-lateral agreement with India and Eng for Test tours.
There are 2 big obstacles for this;
a) Eng, India and Aus all want to play as many Tests against each other as these tours
are still showcase events and are the lifeblood of the 5 day game.
b) SA's drop in Test performance makes them less attractive to Eng and India for tours.
Tours to India with guys like ABdD, Amla, Kallis, Steyn etc were showcase events worth
a lot to the BCCI in terms of broadcast rights. India won't be queuing up asking for SA
Right now, as it is stands, with no reputation left at the test level, we might be able to squeeze in a few games against basically tier 2 teams, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, maybe Pakistan, but then who do we send???
2nd point is, players want the Dollars, and they want it now, they cannot afford to spend maybe 20 paying days, 4x test playing days a year, when they could be playing 20x T20 or 20x ODi, in the IPL or in the UK, or BBL in Oz....
CSA has dug the grave for Test Cricket in SA, we are more than just one foot in the grave, ex players are mourning the loss, whilst gainfully employed as "voices" on the tv..
Cricket is now a career path requirement for a long career in sports broadcasting, which is a pity as they are not broadcasters, but have "stories to tell.." mostly boring, dull, pointless, and are often 99% out of touch with the game as it is today, they remember the game from 10 or 15/20 years ago...
The broadcaster here is shedding viewers, and now with the announcement that non English commentary will be done from Randburg, and not from the Stadium, this further pushes the game away from the spotlight, if this ban on non English commentators is just for one sport or all, not sure, I expect all sports will have English/Afrikaans at the stadium, and Xhosa in Randburg.. How can we expect players to respect the game, if the broadcasters don't..
I was right, "not my problem..." say the money-men... They are right...
RIP SA Test Cricket, thank you for the wonderful memories... Rest now..
Maybe I am showing my age, but school cricket was unlimited overs, team 1 batted until x/10 then team 2 tried to beat that, if not and they made it to 4pm, last hour, 20 overs y/9 then it was a tame draw, no ODI until post y2k....
The biggest problem is greed, there is no 3 4 5 day cricket being broadcast, not by any broadcaster, not even the expensive stream/sat based one, or the national broadcaster, or the e named one...
if 97% of the population that contribute the most players are unable to watch live broadcasting, and all you see on all tv is soccer, just how is cricket to compete? At least put the 3 4 5 day non test series on u-tube or netflix, 99 bucks a month, I am sure they could cobble a team to cover games, even if it is 2 or 3 cameras, with 1 commentator, 20min on, 20 min off..
Test match Cricket as a sport, dead, suffered a fatal heart attack when Kerry Packer introduced pajama cricket back in the 70's...
Hi, yes school cricket was like that when I was there many years ago. Some 4- day stuff is shown on YouTube but no voice commentary. The commentary we get on DSTV on the test series in Australia has not been great & sometimes downright irritating- apart from Polly & Mark Nicolas. Ashwell also ok. But people who have the guts to criticize like Herschel & Paul Harris are ignored. Looks like our Proteas are facing an absolute thrashing in the 3rd test. I can see a career ending in tears at the conclusion of the series. Whether we like it or not, the SA20 HAS to work to bail CSA out. I wish G. Smith & co all the best of luck.
The problem is that 99% of commentators, and sports writers/journalists cannot say what they feel, as it "harms" the brand, when not saying it actually does thrice the damage, but as it is unsaid, there is no perceived harm to the brand...
So here we sit, with a bunch of yes men, three bags full of loot, at the cost of SA Test Match cricket.. I hope and pray, every day and twice on Sundays that the SA20 fails, it attracts no one, and the money men loose their shirts, trousers and socks, it has to fail, we need a total absolute humongous failure, epic, so bad a new genre of study is created... I mean it has to be legend making, epic.. So we can learn from this, we need an HMS Birkenhead moment, that changed travel on the open seas...
Where are the brave souls that risk life n limb saying what needs to be said? We have entered a new era now, in California as of 4th January 2023, you could loose your medical licence in the state of California if you so much as mention any treatment that is not state approved [if you try and mention the I word] you are no longer able to practice medicine...
We have that now in sport.. You cannot criticize or discuss anything negative, you have to be woke, or a total public relations expert if you want a career following sports around the world.. Any negative and you are banned from press briefings, you are banned from the junkets, the free this and that... if you sing the praises and bow down and sell your soul to the money-men, you are gifted a life of VIP treatment...
CSA has killed cricket, face it, the sport is dead, it is not broadcast on national tv, there is no reason anyone would go to the grounds now.. not even for R5 and a free boerie roll... I would go if there was a 5 day test match, and I could park in the stadium... no chance of that ever...
Justine is prob on the money talent wants easy 20 over games big$$ not grind of tests very sad but reality icon seties might survive but rest plus our domestic comp is woeful prepares no one for anything ….
Good stuff but domestic a mess needs complete revamp on what’s we need to call it first class at the moment no credibility and elevates the expectation of players that they ready wen they far from it. make 1st class special & difficult to attain
Your comments re David Warner are entirely correct. Why does the word Leopard spring to mind.
With regard to the test Xl do you feel that Ngidi is entirely fit. I realise he's a big man which makes it doubly important to shed those extra kilograms he's obviously carrying. Wiaan Mulder would be my replacement to bat at 7 and provide the few extra overs that 3 quicks and a spinner might require. He needs to be told that he has the security that long tenure will provide. For the rest it is probably easier to rebuild from a very low base and give youngsters like Stubbs a chance.
Hi Neil
As always, you hit the nail on its head. The selectors pick goodish 30 year olds for the test squad presumably because they know their game, but then Dean Elgar puts forward the excuse his players need more exposure and are not experienced enough. The Proteas reached the pinnacle of test cricket when they had players such as Smith, Amla, Kallis and AB in the team who all started playing test cricket at a relatively young age. People forget, we have some real gems in the domestic league that are being overlooked because of this antiquated way of thinking.
The current captain has many good qualities, but being a visionary is unfortunately not one of them.
Why are the selectors not looking towards the likes of Joshua Richards, Ryan Rickleton, Raymond van Tonder and Janneman Malan over the bunch we currently have and fast-track them into the team. The only two batsmen currently in the side worth their salt is Bavuma and Verrynne.
Lets not forget we have a generational talent such as young Brevis and the gifted Jordan Herman from the Warriors that are waiting in the wings. It is sad to think that we might lose the opportunity to incubate young exciting talent into the proteas setup and continue with a policy that clearly is resulting in the worst batting displays I've ever seen from the proteas since post-1994.
I was talking about young pros making their way in the game looking for experience and expenses not £1m three year contracts! Which is what SA cricketers get when they come to England.
4 innings and we could not get close to 300, maybe it is time to cancel Test cricket, after all, we may never again see it here in South Africa, I will be surprised if a young man graduating out of high school at the end of 2022, if he will all things being equal, play 100 days of Test Match cricket in his career.. That is 20x Tests.. Will he reach 100 wickets, or 2000 test runs in his career??
Let's be honest, by 2030, Cricket will have lost 90% of Test Matches that were played in 2000.. That is 2 generations of players careers, and what could have been... No one seems to care about this, it is so easy to just look at the calendar, and make decisions, without considering the actual impact this has on the careers, not only of players, but think of the broadcasters, the journalists, the industry grown up to support cricket...
How far fetched is it to imagine Cricket having no tests, and lasting no longer than 3 hours, only form of cricket T20..No Tests, no ODI, just 3 hours, or worse that snotty runny nose 100 feeble excuse for cricket... Thankfully I cannot watch that drivel..
I understand why it is like it is, money, profit, keep costs low, and be dammned the consequences, not my problem say the money-men.. My heart just aches when I think back to when I was not yet in High school, of spending the evening watching cricket at Kingsmead, blanket on the bank, tons of kids playing on the banks, mom's chatting with mom's, kids burning off cola and ice cream sugar rushes.. dads watching the cricket.. It was so much fun, mostly as the teams were all local, you knew the stories of every player, be they farmers, teachers, policemen, they had lives outside of the game, and played for the pleasure of playing, not really as a career.. Limited overs meant time for the fans, time to sign mini bats, caps that sort of thing...
Now the shoes the players wear are more important than the players, it is mission impossible to know who is who, in what team, one player played for over 30 teams in his career, insane.. I am sure I saw a report of a local Durban based player, wicket keeper that Monday played in Durban, that night, late, off to Pakistan, played 2 or 3 games, back to Durban, then played the final in Pakistan, then off to the WI, then some other private league, almost had no time to even know what country he was in.. Just hired muscle, chasing the Dollar so that they can retire from the game before age 40, rich, having achieved what exactly????
Jaded I guess, the total blackout of local sport here, no idea who is who, and really it is not important, players are just more equipment.. I bet the money men have no idea who is who...
Why not allow English first class professional cricketers to come and play and be paid. I never undrsstand why Aus and SA don’t allow them?
They are not banned as such in Australia. In the 80s there were quite few; Garner, Holding, Botham, Imran Khan, Hadlee. The last one I can think of was Graeme Hick in the early 90s for my state of Queensland.
I think the current rule is that each State side can field one international per XI. I would think the issue is one of payment. State sides have very little revenue sources outside of the CA handouts, and those handouts don't allow for say a $250,000 contract for an international. In the past private sponsorships have been used but domestic cricket is so low in profile now that there's no value in any such sponsorship.
The only way I could see it happening is if a player came to a State and said, "I just want the experience to develop my game' and play for match payments.
Ok but take the point please. How many English pros playing in state sides in Aus and SA ? How many Aussies and SA cricketers play in the Uk? Surely there should be access both ways. It may even improve standards in your games…..
As stated above, they are allowed but the States have no way to fund an overseas player and I think that's why there aren't any.
The domestic game here in Aus is so different to the County system. There is so little money/revenue in it. We only have about 120 contracted State players, and half of those are only 'fully professional' when you add on their Big Bash contracts.
CA's strategy is to keep State players lean, mean and keen to make that next step where, as Bill Lawry used to say, 'Overnight you go from boiled lollies to chocolates!'.
Be realistic, a UK citizen coming to SA to be paid £1.50 a month, as that is just about how much SA teams can afford, the local Rand currency is well rather valueless, it would bankrupt CSA to pay for the flights in 1st class.. The player would need a house in an upmarket gated community, a German brand of luxury car, private schools, and a work permit.. The last one is the problem..
Snowflakes abound, way too many of them, and one of them is the OZ captain, so instead of batting for 10 minutes, to get a mate on 195 to 200, he declares, and for what? SA going to win from this point??? NO... Draw...0.1% , Oz win 99%.. BUT to declare with a mate on 195 in a dead 2-0 series won game, snowflake, precious princess, panties all knotted, weak at the knees, pathetic example of the worst type of captaincy... Cannot read the room... SA have no interest in the game, none, 0%, they are just there cause of contracts, let the bloke get is 200 not out.. Man what a weak and useless excuse will he dredge up to justify declaring overnight/after the rain??? No respect for the soul of the game...
In light of the result, draw on day 5, even with a follow on, the OZ capt's decision is bizarre, there was never going to be a result other than DRAW, should have batted until x for all out, not let SA bat, used the game as a net... But no, Oz capt is weak at the knees, incompetent as a leader.
You're complaining about snowflakes when you set off on a multi-line whinge about the earth-shattering event of a captain declaring for very understandable tactical reasons!! You might want to look at your hypocrsy.
Like most of your comments on here, it reveals your almost total ignorance of cricket, but it adds to it a pathetic soup of ad hominems fired from the safety of your keyboard. Oh, how brave you are taking on people in public positions from your own home!
Put your brain in gear and have some respect, you obnoxious troll.
I have respect for the game, there was no reason to declare as Cummins did, he knew full well going into day 5, that only 2 results possible, draw or win, the win not at all probable, but a draw most thought would be the result..So bat for 10 min, get the mate on 195 to 200*, then put SA in.. but he chose to declare.. and for what? There was zero tactical reasons for his declaring, NONE.. Other than some internal dispute between him and the bloke on 195...
In fact there was no reason to just bat on, until tea day 5, after all, this was a dead rubber, a bit like Davis Cup, the 5th match was usually just match practice, with the result 4-0... They even shorten it to a best of 3 sets, instead of 5...
He demonstrated a lack of reading the room, it left a bitter taste in the mouth, cricket captains should be a bit spiteful, that is towards the opposition, not his own team.. Really what harm would have the "brand" of cricket suffered had there been a 200, or a first ball of the day 195 bowled.. declared then?? None...
Test match cricket suffers from a lot of bad press, of short games, SA not helping the fight to keep it 90 over per day times 5 days.. Not sure what your beef is, I love cricket, I love test match last hour heroics, OMG, one of my best memories is sitting in the rain, in the gloom, surrounded by a throng of oz supports, at Kingsmead, SA trying so hard to stave off defeat, trying to hold out for a fantastic draw, and we lost, but what a game, it had everything, 3 results possible, right until the end, we tried and we hoped for bad light/rain, but I am so glad we did not get it, we lost, but it was a struggle, it was a test of our ability, this series 2022/2023 was not a test for us, we played like we wanted too lose... We achieved this...
Really where is the harm in letting a bloke get a double ton, in a game no one cares about???
The end for the Proteas is as deep as the storage dams of Nelson Mandela Bay are shallow. Happy New Year everybody.
Very well written! I agree wholeheartedly with you. I wonder when Breeves will get recognized in the same way Mumbai Indians have. He should have been in the squad purely for experience. Happy 2023.
Thought provoking articles as always Neil.
My comment focuses on your statement that learning by repetition has been phased out by most schools because it is inefficient and limiting. You make the point that this change may serve cricket better in South Africa.
Learning through repetition is a principle in the same way that gravity is a principle. Ignore it at your peril. . Any worthwhile teacher knows that to transition a new skill from the conscious mind to the subconscious requires repetition. The latest research shows that very bright learners can achieve this transition after 10 repetitions whereas others may need
as many as 100 repetitions.
Applied to test match cricket, check how many 'failures' Kallis had before he made the transition to being unconsciously skilled, ie playing shots automatically without having to tell himself how to do it. Even Bradman struggled at first. He suffered the humiliation of being dropped in the first test series he played.
With both your last 2 columns I honestly thought you had just applied for Australian citizenship Neil!! Warner may have his revenge, but he should never be granted redemption.
I think the idea of a 'regional' tournament is a good one. Make it compulsory too for Protea contracted players- like a 'trial' type situation. With the Bok rugby set-up players have to attend pre-season sessions with Nienaber / Erasmus otherwise they don't play. Some of those Bok players earn huge bucks overseas, so it's not as if Protea players are too precious & important to do so.
A concentration of the best talent in 4- day cricket might well attract a sponsor or two. Our Proteas only have THREE tests in 2023, so it's obvious the ICC is really only interested in England: Australia & India when it comes to red-ball cricket. Awful.
To be honest the youngsters I have and know, are not like me or my generation. Whereas as a teenager I would spend days at Kingsmead (I now live in CT) they simply have so many other interests and more mobility (read 'freedom') than I had. I loved it, but all they are interested in now is limited overs. Remember all we play at school is limited overs. So, when can players 'learn' about 4- day cricket? In 7 matches?
Ali Bacher predicted a few years ago the demise of test cricket- for all but the Ashes. He knows a lot about cricket of course...The poor performance of the Proteas has now severely damaged any chance of marketers 'selling' our test team abroad, sadly.
Our selectors should also be held to account and should engage properly with journalists as to how they arrive at selection. They picked, to my mind, the weakest batting line-up in our history. Pathetic. Not the coach's fault, yes- but 'social media' would be going mental if coach was Boucher or a paleface. (Only excuse was Keagan Peterson's catastrophic injury).
IMO we should appoint Mickey Arthur as head coach, unless Maketa is given a permanent contract. Who is batting coach? So ex- players like Kallis and Prince are not good enough? Steven Cook- talks a good game and was an excellent batsman.
What did Warner do to entrench his reputation as a prick? I missed that.
So- at the end of it all- we only have 3 tests in 2023, so I suppose I am just wasting data on an irrelevant subject, ha ha! We still have a terrible T20 team (awful world cup) so maybe we should focus on that.
Cheers & beers. Happy 2023.
Hi David.
How much Test cricket any one nation plays is all down to the national Boards, nothing to do with the ICC at all (other than min. reqs for the WTC, if that stays in place).
In terms of scheduling Tests, I guess CSA faces challenges from the following, with #4
being the most critical;
1. SA20 taking out a 5 week prime window for hosting tours
2. IPL window expanding to full 3 months (94 games) within a few years
3. Getting a bi-lateral agreement even with the minnows, given those minnows are facing
this exact same set of obstacles
4. Getting a bi-lateral agreement with India and Eng for Test tours.
There are 2 big obstacles for this;
a) Eng, India and Aus all want to play as many Tests against each other as these tours
are still showcase events and are the lifeblood of the 5 day game.
b) SA's drop in Test performance makes them less attractive to Eng and India for tours.
Tours to India with guys like ABdD, Amla, Kallis, Steyn etc were showcase events worth
a lot to the BCCI in terms of broadcast rights. India won't be queuing up asking for SA
tours now.
Right now, as it is stands, with no reputation left at the test level, we might be able to squeeze in a few games against basically tier 2 teams, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, maybe Pakistan, but then who do we send???
2nd point is, players want the Dollars, and they want it now, they cannot afford to spend maybe 20 paying days, 4x test playing days a year, when they could be playing 20x T20 or 20x ODi, in the IPL or in the UK, or BBL in Oz....
CSA has dug the grave for Test Cricket in SA, we are more than just one foot in the grave, ex players are mourning the loss, whilst gainfully employed as "voices" on the tv..
Cricket is now a career path requirement for a long career in sports broadcasting, which is a pity as they are not broadcasters, but have "stories to tell.." mostly boring, dull, pointless, and are often 99% out of touch with the game as it is today, they remember the game from 10 or 15/20 years ago...
The broadcaster here is shedding viewers, and now with the announcement that non English commentary will be done from Randburg, and not from the Stadium, this further pushes the game away from the spotlight, if this ban on non English commentators is just for one sport or all, not sure, I expect all sports will have English/Afrikaans at the stadium, and Xhosa in Randburg.. How can we expect players to respect the game, if the broadcasters don't..
I was right, "not my problem..." say the money-men... They are right...
RIP SA Test Cricket, thank you for the wonderful memories... Rest now..
Maybe I am showing my age, but school cricket was unlimited overs, team 1 batted until x/10 then team 2 tried to beat that, if not and they made it to 4pm, last hour, 20 overs y/9 then it was a tame draw, no ODI until post y2k....
The biggest problem is greed, there is no 3 4 5 day cricket being broadcast, not by any broadcaster, not even the expensive stream/sat based one, or the national broadcaster, or the e named one...
if 97% of the population that contribute the most players are unable to watch live broadcasting, and all you see on all tv is soccer, just how is cricket to compete? At least put the 3 4 5 day non test series on u-tube or netflix, 99 bucks a month, I am sure they could cobble a team to cover games, even if it is 2 or 3 cameras, with 1 commentator, 20min on, 20 min off..
Test match Cricket as a sport, dead, suffered a fatal heart attack when Kerry Packer introduced pajama cricket back in the 70's...
Hi, yes school cricket was like that when I was there many years ago. Some 4- day stuff is shown on YouTube but no voice commentary. The commentary we get on DSTV on the test series in Australia has not been great & sometimes downright irritating- apart from Polly & Mark Nicolas. Ashwell also ok. But people who have the guts to criticize like Herschel & Paul Harris are ignored. Looks like our Proteas are facing an absolute thrashing in the 3rd test. I can see a career ending in tears at the conclusion of the series. Whether we like it or not, the SA20 HAS to work to bail CSA out. I wish G. Smith & co all the best of luck.
The problem is that 99% of commentators, and sports writers/journalists cannot say what they feel, as it "harms" the brand, when not saying it actually does thrice the damage, but as it is unsaid, there is no perceived harm to the brand...
So here we sit, with a bunch of yes men, three bags full of loot, at the cost of SA Test Match cricket.. I hope and pray, every day and twice on Sundays that the SA20 fails, it attracts no one, and the money men loose their shirts, trousers and socks, it has to fail, we need a total absolute humongous failure, epic, so bad a new genre of study is created... I mean it has to be legend making, epic.. So we can learn from this, we need an HMS Birkenhead moment, that changed travel on the open seas...
Where are the brave souls that risk life n limb saying what needs to be said? We have entered a new era now, in California as of 4th January 2023, you could loose your medical licence in the state of California if you so much as mention any treatment that is not state approved [if you try and mention the I word] you are no longer able to practice medicine...
We have that now in sport.. You cannot criticize or discuss anything negative, you have to be woke, or a total public relations expert if you want a career following sports around the world.. Any negative and you are banned from press briefings, you are banned from the junkets, the free this and that... if you sing the praises and bow down and sell your soul to the money-men, you are gifted a life of VIP treatment...
CSA has killed cricket, face it, the sport is dead, it is not broadcast on national tv, there is no reason anyone would go to the grounds now.. not even for R5 and a free boerie roll... I would go if there was a 5 day test match, and I could park in the stadium... no chance of that ever...
Justine is prob on the money talent wants easy 20 over games big$$ not grind of tests very sad but reality icon seties might survive but rest plus our domestic comp is woeful prepares no one for anything ….
Good stuff but domestic a mess needs complete revamp on what’s we need to call it first class at the moment no credibility and elevates the expectation of players that they ready wen they far from it. make 1st class special & difficult to attain
Your comments re David Warner are entirely correct. Why does the word Leopard spring to mind.
With regard to the test Xl do you feel that Ngidi is entirely fit. I realise he's a big man which makes it doubly important to shed those extra kilograms he's obviously carrying. Wiaan Mulder would be my replacement to bat at 7 and provide the few extra overs that 3 quicks and a spinner might require. He needs to be told that he has the security that long tenure will provide. For the rest it is probably easier to rebuild from a very low base and give youngsters like Stubbs a chance.
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