Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Take another Patrick, It is out, the Test is over.
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Speaker 1 (00:37):
On the front foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Coney
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Speaker 2 (00:48):
Hello on the front Poots. This week, what is the
future of Test cricket? Well, I went for our a
team in Bangladesh. Will be no more Test cricket for
Verrat Coley and another unusual outcome in short form cricket
and will us once again is Jerry Katy and Jerry.
I don't know whether you be watching the New Zealand
(01:09):
a great terror for them. Sometimes you wonder whether the
result is that important that the amount of cricket and
what they're getting out of it, rather than wins and losses.
That is the way I seem to think about it, anyway.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I think, so what's high?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Look, it seems as though some of the batsmen are
obviously going a bit better than the others. It seems
like our bowlers have got their work cut out. They
obviously finished the one day series with a victory, which
should make them feel a lot better going into the
(01:45):
longer formats now. And they've already had a day, haven't
they they? I saw sort of two twenty for eight.
Is that about right? I didn't see any of it yesterday.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, the four day game played on the same venue, Selects,
which is sort of just south of Daka, getting a
little bit closer to the coast as well. But the
fact that they had that win was significant for them
changing the team around. I've given everybody a run. I
like the idea of Ashok and Lenox getting plenty of
(02:16):
bowling and getting work. It's Dean Foxcroft has come to
the forefront as a all rounder offspinner and somebody who's
providing good runs. We've thought of him as a sort
of a big hitter and a man who can score
at a fast pace. But you know, we may be
seeing the best part of his game because in the
first day of the four day he was one of
(02:38):
the saviors along with Mitch Hay.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, he's He's not runs every time he's batted, hasn't he? Foxcroft?
Speaker 4 (02:44):
He's more I've so far thought of him as sort
of top top order almost three and four, hasn't he
where he's batted for Otago and for New Zealand A
in the past. Here they're using him presumably as an
all rounder more, batting down at sort of eight, and
(03:07):
it seems to be he, you know, working very well
and he's also picking up wickets with his off spinners
in the one day as anyway, so he's having a
good tour. Mitch Hay's got a couple of innings now
under his belt. We know what he's like as a
keeper as well. Some of the bowlers they have done
(03:27):
Lennox you mentioned. I think he's looked interesting as a
left arm orthodox and Addie Ashock. You always like to
have one legie, don't you if you can in your country,
to to sort of challenge things and do differently when
you need, perhaps those Asian tours. So's he's a fairly
important young man as well. So yeah, I think things
(03:49):
are you know, well, let's wait and see how this
one goes. They got put in on what on a
on a rainy kind of day? Was it because it's
coming near, it's coming near, you know, the monsoons isn't
it really over there?
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, and it was difficult conditions, but you know that's
the important part of these tours, that they are being
forced to work a little bit harder, and you know
that's I think it's great and we'll get a chance
at some stage. It's difficult to get through and have
a conversation with Paul Wiseman about how they're going, but
certainly these are the players we've got to watch. I
(04:23):
don't know if you had a chance to have a
look at it. I know you've been resting up and
looking after your body for a long winter. Stince, Jerry,
did you see Did you see the five penalty runs
in that third salt? You must have seen it.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
I did once. I did see it.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
Very very unusual position for a keeper to take up
looking for it, because there was also a slip there
wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yes, Well, the keeper.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Who was standing at first slip.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
It's just extraordinary.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
The keeper left his post and went over to a
first slip position and there was also a slip beside
him as well as a second slip if you like. Yeah,
and so lying on the ground, well, he forgot to
take the helmet with him, didn't he yeah, not normally,
I suppose. And of course I wasnt Mario batting or
(05:26):
someone like that, wasn't it who just let the ball go?
Yeah and yeah, and through she went, took the helmet
that but bounced and away it went. So five runs,
dead ball, And okay, it's quite weird.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
The whole thing. Obviously the keeper forgot to take it,
take it with him.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
There wasn't only so much that he forgot to take
it with him. He didn't even make an effort to
dive and stop. He just stood there. It was like
those social games we used to play with a wicket keeper,
unless the ball came directly to him, you know, it
was waved on the way down of the boundary as
it went past.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah, yours, Well, there is a bit of that.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
I've heard Parkerd tell the story when he was standing
at slip one stage and it just got a wee
bit wide for the keeper and he didn't come across.
And he did he cried out yours quite early, and
Parks has.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Let it go, I think.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
But it's an interesting one because where else would you
put the helmet? I thought to myself, you could leave
it immediately behind the stumps, But then there might be
a trouble, mightn't there with the keeper safe for a
runout running up to the stumps or moving around the
(06:45):
stumps to collect the throw, that might disturb the helmet
and then the bales. Or you could leave it maybe
behind the umpire. You want to have it fairly close
because it's for a close in fielder, isn't it really.
I mean you can put it anywhere you like on
the ground.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Could be the keeper's helmet as well. Sometimes they have
them and take them off too, don't they.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
They do, they do, And when a spinner is operating,
of course they usually got a helmet on, haven't they.
And sometimes if there's no close in fielder it's close
in catcher, they don't have a helmet there for the
field as they run it on. Yeah, it's an interesting one,
I suppose with the umpire again, it's the same thing
(07:31):
of him moving out of the way once runners taken
as well.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
It's a bit of an issue. So I think it's
probably in the best position.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
Behind the behind the keeper because that's where he's supposed
to be stationed.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
And strange part of it until he moves to first slip.
It looked weird. Didn't it look absolutely weird.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I can remember a game that I played in many
many years ago when a part time keeper or sorry,
a part time stopper was playing for the Wellington Wanderers,
and the Wanderers just happened to have a fellow called
Archie Taylor in his younger year, so you know how
far back we're going, and another guy called Jason J.
(08:15):
Parson John Parsons from John. Yeah, they were the quickest
around the Wellington region at the time. And the guy,
I won't mention his name when to put the gloves
on even though they had another couple of wicket teams
in this a guy called alis To Botting who was
a good, wicked killer and I wouldn't be surprised that
(08:35):
TG was there. But this fellow put the gloves on
it because he was going to be the key. It
didn't want to go running around the outfield, and he
stood up to the stumps to Archie Taylor and Archie
to stop. Halfway through his rap, he said, do you
know I bowled quite quick? And the keeper said, yeah,
I'll be right, I'll be able to cope, And of
course the first one went swinging down the leg side
(08:56):
and he just turned his head and watched it and
go down to the boundary for four and he took
a couple of places back. And that is a true story.
I kid you not. So wow, I've seen it happened.
But it was just amazing to see five penalty runs
because in a close game that can cost you dearly.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
The World Test Championship, we talked about it last week.
Was the editor Lawrence Booth joined on the front foot
and detailed in his review of the Cricket Year thing
called his editor's note it's anitatorial I suppose he had
some gathing criticism of the ICC. He suggested the plan
to a World Test Championship, called it a shambles masquerading
(09:41):
as a show piece. He wants to change things double
at SLINKs the four years, like football and rugby said,
and ensure the top nine in the rankings all play
each other, so that's a nine team competition. And he
wants a home and away over the series of at
least three years. Anything he said. But Barclay's mess, well
(10:04):
that's a reference to Greg Barclay, who was the president
before Jay Shah before we we have a bit of
a chair about it during It's Welcome Lawrence Beck because
he's glad that he was able to come and join
us again this week and explain how his plan was shaping. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (10:24):
I mean, look, I think there should be a World
Test Championship. I just don't like the way it's configured
at the moment. So as it stands, it's a league effectively,
but different teams play different numbers of games against different opponents.
Now that that isn't satisfactory as far as I'm concerned.
Every team should play the same number of matches against
(10:46):
the same opponents so that by the end of it
you have a symmetrical fair system where you can you
can say that the best two teams have risen to
the final as things stand. I mean South Africa, I
mean fair play to them. They beat the opponents in
front of them and have got to the final where
they play Australia. And it's not their fault that they
didn't get long Test series against Australia India, and that's
(11:09):
the greed of the Big three who carve it up
to suit themselves. But we still have a situation where
South Africa, who sent effectively a C team to New
Zealand at the start of the cycle of you'll remember
that well, of course, and gave the Zealand their first
ever series win against South Africa. Partly as a result
of that. They might have beaten them anyway, but it
devalued that series. And then South Africa in their fourth
(11:31):
coming home winter or home summer, do not play a
home Test match. They have five T twenties against West Indies.
We're talking here about the team that has reached the
final of the World Test Championship. Now what we need
is my suggestion in wisdom is to play, is to
expand the cycle to four years. It's currently two four
years works very well in rugby and football, and it
(11:53):
gives the World Cups a certain stature, certain scarcity value.
Expanded four years and that would allow each team, probably
i'd say the top nine to play each other home
and away in a series of a minimum of three tests.
They forget these two tests, nonsense, three tests. You have
a proper test series and by the end of it
we'll know that it's a fair it's a fair draw.
(12:15):
At the moment they are muddling through. Look, it's better
than nothing. An imperfect World Test Championship it's better than
no World Test Championship. And I accept that we have
a problem now increasingly so with India against Pakistan and
what to do about that. You could play those on
neutual territory, but I can see that lots of people
in Indian cricket are saying we shouldn't play them, play
Pakistan at all in any form of cricket after the
(12:35):
Kashmir atrocity from a few weeks ago. So that is
clearly a logistical problem. But I think as a basic
principle it should be fairer and more symmetrical.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
It's interesting because a four years there's still got to
be enough windows to play test cricket. Danger they seem
to struggle to find that window. Is there a danger
that they might shorten Test matches to four days in length?
There's been talk about that in the past, It's been dismissed.
Sometimes there are only four days in the Test, but
(13:07):
five days as of WOWED, so that you can complete
a Test match in it, and we've seen some wonderful
results over that period of time. Is there going to
be enough time? Will the world cricketing bodies want to
go with that format?
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Well, as you say, I think four day cricket might
might end up being a solution, whether we like it
or not. What you could do then clearly is you
could have Test matches in three successive weeks with a
bit of time in between for rest and recuperation, and
if a day is lost to rain, you just tag
it on to the end. You know, you say we
turn it into a fifth day. You'd have to get
(13:41):
overrates up. I mean at the moment. You know, if
you're a seam if you're a seam bowling side like
England or New Zealand, you're struggling to get more than
eighty two eighty three overs in a day. If you're
a spin bowling team, that that's fine, But so you'd
have to say, look, you've got to get through overs
more quickly because you'd probably need ninety six overs a
day rather than the current ninety. That may be the
(14:02):
way it has to go to fit it in. Again,
it's imperfect, but it might be better than the scenario
we have where teams are playing two match series and
they're there's kind of they feel meaningless. But it comes
back to the earlier point as making about the spread
of money in a Test match. Fund And if teams
(14:22):
are allowed to make a bit of a loss in
Test cricket because they knew they were financially supported and
that they were that money was coming in from a
white ball game, you could tolerate a three match series
more easily. It just needs a bit of collaboration between
the boards. It can be done if there's a will.
The problem is everyone's chasing money, Brian, Everyone's chasing their
own T twenty solution. You know, New Zealand cricket getting
(14:43):
into bed with Major League cricket is the latest example
of how teams are trying to future proof themselves against
the loss of bilateral TV rights. So I'm frobly talking
idealistically here when the cricketing world is getting on pragmatically
with the problem.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, it's interesting because it's just starting point anyway for
the discussion from your discussions around the U. Okay, how
many people are of a similar opinion or are they
a divided group of people who want to do something else?
Speaker 5 (15:16):
No, I mean Test cricket still is the format here.
I mean, you know, you watch a Test match in
England and the grounds are packed out. Now the grounds
in England aren't as big as the grounds in Australia,
but you're still talking about thirty thousand at Lord's and
twenty six twenty seven thousand at the Oval. The English
Test cricket still routinely sells out and that is the
format that people want to see thrive. The problem we've
(15:39):
got is that the ECB, the English and Wales Cricket
board know very well that the easiest solution to that
is to play five match series against India in Australia.
I mean this calendar year, England have a one off
four day Test actually against Zimbabwe in Nottingham at the
end of May, and after that their test program is
five home tests against India and five in Australia to
(16:00):
try and get the ashes back. So it is already
happening to a degree. They're talking the ECBER talking about
more longer Test series against other nations. We'll see, we'll
see whether that happens. But there is a will to
save Test cricket. It's just whether there can be a
kind of global will to do it.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Just a last word on the Test Championship, do you
see it being run in two groups? A group and
then a lower tier Because there's been a resistance to
vet from the sides that would come in to the
lower tier and the likes of West Indies we're talking
about that, wren't.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
They Yeah, I don't like tears. I think there's Test
cricket is more competitive than the people realize. You know,
West Indies squared the series against Australia last year. In Australia,
no one gave them a chance. In hell Bangladesh one
in Pakistan, no one thought that would happen. Sermnanka won
a Test match at the Oval against England New Zealand
(16:53):
as we're talking earlier, winning three nil in India. West
Indies squared the series in Pakistan. It's far more competitive
than people give it credit for. So I think if
we go down the two tiers system, we will exacerbate
the gap between the haves and the have not. That
is precisely the scenario I would like to see Test
cricket avoid. I think we all need to work together
to promote Test cricket and if we can convince people
(17:17):
that it's a marketable, watchable format, then maybe the TV
companies will get more involved as well and more money
will come in that way. Let's not give up on
Test cricket. If we go down two divisions, two tiers,
whatever they decided, that gap will grow and it will
simply hasten the demise of the smaller nations.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yes, will be interesting. We will be looking to have
a discussion about that in this part of the world
because I think there is a group of people that
are traditionalists to the heart and they love the game.
We love it when England coming out because they bring
the Bami Army in all the tour groups and we
have a wonderful time. We wish England could come out
every year because the last two was successful. This year
(17:57):
we've got kiss matches against Zimbabwe and I think a
couple against the West Indies. That's basically it. And you
mentioned South Africa in terms of their home program and
you're gearing up for a test mat against Zimbabwe very shortly.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
That's right. And you know it's nice they're playing Zimbabwe
for a one off test. I mean, I don't know
exactly what it will achieve in the long run, but
at least it's England. I mean, it's our first Test
against Zimbabwe for twenty two years, so at least that
shows they haven't forgotten them. But of course it might
just be window dressing. I don't know what you know,
how all the Zimbabwean players, how are they going to
become proper test players if they just play a one
(18:32):
off test here and there and then a couple against
Bangladesh or Ireland. I mean, it's a problem that the
World Cricket hasn't got to grips with.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Oh well, the good thing is that New Zealand are
hitting over there for a couple of Test matches and
then they'll get that opportunity. And I think that the
likes of Zimbabwe and even Afghanistan are on the future
program for New Zealand or so we just have to
hope that those sides can take part.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Brian Waddell Jeremy Coney on the front foot.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Interesting concept from Lawrence Bruth and thanks very much Lawrence
for joining us once again. I tend to think we
probably agree in many aspects of what's needed to be done.
But how to achieve it, I think is going to
be the challenge, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
Well totally I'm with you on that. I have sympathy
for the proposal. Why it's fair all sides, It's easy
to follow.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
You get a feeling that after the four year cycle
that the two best sides.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
Will contest the final.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
The four year term doesn't bother me really, It's like,
as you say, World Cut, ODIs and a lot of
other competitions around tournaments.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
And so on, lots of them use it.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
So I guess I would also have to admit that
it's because I played Test cricket and because I've always
regarded Test cricket as this of the challenge that a
player confronts, and you know, I prefer to follow it
as a format over others. I would have to say, so,
(20:19):
not everybody's that, and I appreciate that. How do you
feel a little bit the same way? I suspect that's
a guest from me.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah. No, well, I think we've talked about these things
in the past, and you know, the players will always
tell you this is the truest form of the game.
It's the real challenges. As you point out that that's
why it's called a test. It tests more of your
game than any other aspect of white ball cricket. And
(20:49):
you know, I mean I enjoy the cut and thrust
of the Test match, which you don't see in T
twenty to a certain extent. You can see it inn
ODI cricket at times, but the test matches is what
really gives you the chance to really how the game
(21:09):
is developing and changing.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Home and Away.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Three test series, four year period. Is there going to
be enough time You're more of a mathematician than I am.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Yeah, that comes under the heading I mean after stating yeah,
I'm with this. I think it's very fair and it's easy,
and it removes some of the problems that exist with
the current setup playing a different number of games each
or all those things, the points system, all those stuff
is difficult. So the calendar congestion, which is I think
(21:48):
what you're talking about. I see the events, a burgeoning
number of T twenty leagues, bilateral arrangements that'd probably go.
I would think if you went into this new kind
of setup, if it actually occurred, I think that go,
wouldn't They briefly mean nine sides, so you'd play eight
(22:14):
opponents over two series, is what you're talking about Home
and Away.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
So that's eight opponents, that's sixteen series. You would play
two series for each side over the four years, three
tests in each of the series, so three sixteens forty
eight tests each side would play in the four years
spread out, so that's twelve tests per year on average,
(22:47):
on average, So New Zealand I went and had a quick.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Look, wads how many tests of say New Zealand played
in the last ten years May twenty fifteen to twenty five.
Sixty six is the answer, and they would have to
that's right over the ten years. So that's about half
(23:11):
six point six would be, wouldn't it. That's about half
what we're talking about getting the twelve tests per year,
and on average England over the same period one hundred
and thirty one tests they have played. They are the
only side that play that number. India ninety two, Australia
ninety eight tests. And then you get to sides a
(23:33):
little bit more like New Zealand. South Africa sixty two.
These are all ten year times. South Africa sixty two,
Pakistan seventy eight, interesting, Sri Lanka sixty nine, Bangladesh fifty six,
and the West Indies seventy three. So it gives you
an idea of those teams that have not played the
(23:55):
same number of tests that Lawrence Booth his plan suggests.
So I'd have to assume onds that in the twelve
tests a year, they would have to change to four tests.
They couldn't be five, which means then a discussion I
think about how many overs would there be in a day?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
How do you feel about those questions?
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Yeah, and I think that that's something he sort of
covered ninety six overs the day instead of ninety But
teams can't even bowl ninety in a day now, so
how they're going to bowl ninety six? But there would
have to be some effort made to do that. But
you also got to include in that England Australia ashes
test matches. They're five tests series, aren't they? And then
(24:40):
the matches that have played, you know against India they
seem to want five. There England to put you know,
in their home program five test matches, so you know
it's going to be a lot more Test matches. But
it just shows how New Zealand lag behind. I mean
they play less cricket by your figures than the West
(25:01):
Indies in tests.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
That's correct. I think there's a bit of West Indies
still holding.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
That sort of period where they played and there's a
feeling that they want to play against the West Indies
a different.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Way that they play. Perhaps the method they play. I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
I can't say more than that about the number seventy
three that they played in New Zealand's sixty six. I
guess the next question for me Wadds is player fatigue, starts.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
And burnout and injuries.
Speaker 4 (25:36):
With all the World Cups and the T twenties plus
these twelve tests, England have got quite a group, haven't they,
that they can use in different tests.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Would that mean that players would.
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Pick and choose a little bit the various tests that
they played of the twelve and would players prioritizing some
games over others?
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Would that weeken the league a little bit?
Speaker 4 (26:03):
So suddenly you arrive at watching what you anticipate as
a good test and you find that Williamson and Henry
aren't playing, or something like that.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
That's slightly different to New Zealand. Are slightly different to England,
don't they? I mean the players don't decide, it's the
selection panel that decides what they play. One day's T
twenty test matches. New Zealand doesn't have quite the depth
do they? In terms of numbers?
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Well?
Speaker 4 (26:31):
No, that's right, eighteen eighteen first class sides, don't they?
And then a nineteenth side because they don't really release
their test players that much back to those county sides
that they play for, so there's kind of nineteen sides.
Well you can just see the numbers are vastly different
(26:52):
from our six sides that we have, so that's a
bit of an issue I think a little bit around this.
So the calendar, then the players, I think costs for
all those teams I talked about the West and these
would certainly be one would boards struggle to pay for
(27:13):
hosting teams for their test for their sort of requisite
number of tests that they would have to they would
have to put on, and then of course the travel
to go to other places as well, and that leads
to where will the money come from exactly? Now, The
(27:33):
fact of it is, it's very clear in this system,
I think the big guys are going to have to
give money away.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
It can't be done otherwise.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
You could perhaps have an overall broadcaster who handled the
whole of the test matches that obviously sublet some of
those two other teams you know, to other broadcasters, but
they would do the main ones they saw and you'd
have to pull the money that that brought broadcast that
(28:09):
main broadcaster you paid for the right to broadcast those tests,
and the money from that pool would go out to
players and to playing airfares and to paying venues and
so on. This is a vastly different system than what
we've got operating at the moment. So I don't know
(28:31):
what you feel about those ideas. These are just my
ideas I see them as I see them as slightly
obstacles to this going ahead.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Well, they have to come into consideration when they're deciding
to do and they what they intend to do with
the World Test Championship. And I think that's the suggestion
Lawrence Booth was making to Jayshar. One of the important
jobs he faces is to decide what is going to happen.
I just wonder, added to that, whether there is the
appetite within the administration of the game for this to
(29:03):
happen and to make those changes or just do as
he call the fact that it's a shambles masquerading as
a show piece.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
Yeah, well and it is a but he's kind of
he said it in a nice memorable kind of way,
in a phrase, he's good, he's good at doing that.
But yeah, absolutely, but he you know, but but basically
the idea behind the words I think a lot of
people would agree with, and that's what we have the
(29:38):
sympathy for his suggestion. There are political tensions odds, how
are we going to approach Pakistan India neutral grounds or
are we just going to cancel them playing each other?
In which case what happens to the points? Do they
both get zero? I don't think they'd be very happy
(29:59):
about that, But anyway, the viability of some grounds we
are obviously going to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, p away in
Siliette for example. And then there's the other last thing
I know, all a couple of things. Marginalization of Zimbabwe,
Ireland and Afghanistan. That's an issue I think, and to
(30:20):
exclude them as they are anyway at the moment, and
then the points system would have to be organized and
overrates and all that sort of thing. The main point
I would make Wads is something you've just picked up on,
is it would need a consensus from all the countries
(30:41):
to show the will and to value the format enough
to run a proper league. And this is a proper
league he's talking about, and a fair league and to
produce the best sides at the end of it. Booth
doesn't talk about the final, does he. I don't think.
I don't think you could just have one match after
(31:02):
four years a final. I think you'd have to have
three matches, perhaps one in each of the finalists place
and then a neutral place, and that might be decided
by the flick of a coin. I don't know, yep,
so a third venue, I think so. The last point
(31:24):
would be for the size of this and there's over
three hundred tests and all of it aren't there is.
You can't just layer it onto what's existing already. There
will have to be changes made to other parts of
the schedule. It's a seismic shift in developing. Also, the
(31:46):
selfishness that exists at the moment around board to board
to board and looking after things for themselves that would
have that attitude would have to change.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
Yeah, it makes it makes a real change. And that's
basically what is being suggested that some of these other
tours would be in its tess of that you'd be
then playing every side twice, one home, one away, so
you would get that to regular test contact. The issue
(32:19):
of Zimbabwe, Ireland, et cetera. That is a problem they
have to deal with because, as Lawrence Booth says, and
I think we probably agree, the tea system is probably
not a satisfactory way of going about it. But we
can't just have those extra countries Afghanistan, et cetera waiting
(32:43):
for the crumbs that drop their way because they have
to have an opportunity to get some experience. Twelve countries
makes it even harder to organize if you include those
in your group. So you know it is a challenge,
but I think it's a challenge that has to be
accepted and has to be dealt with. Otherwise the test
(33:05):
game is going to go into decline that some people
think it's inevitable. I don't want to get into that
inevitability club. But if something is not done to spread
the message amongst all the countries, then it will head
that way, won't it is?
Speaker 4 (33:25):
It will, And we're not really growing the game, are we.
The game is not growing, And you know my feelings
about this. I think anybody should be able to play
a test as long as they have venues that are
suitable and they have various leagues going on around the world.
(33:45):
But that's big changes to people's attitudes words I can't
quite see it happening and I'm whispering.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
That I can't quite see it.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
You whispering goodness me. Yeah, yeah, well yeah, I agree
with you on that. But that becomes a tear system,
doesn't it, But to you know, with Lagre. But you've
got to do something to allow those sides like to develop.
You know, they appear along with Kenyere and the Netherlands
at our short form whiteball competitions. They need to get
(34:20):
the opportunity to develop their game through the test match.
So you know, there are challenges there, and if any
listener has an opinion on what we've been talking about,
then send us an email on the front foot twenty
at gmail dot com. On the Front Foot twenty at
gmail dot com. It's an interesting one because there are
different outcomes, aren't there. You're not going to get universal
(34:45):
agreement until you discuss it. You know, here we are
discussing Laurence Spoon's point of view and you know our agreement.
But there are things that have to be taken into
consideration and hopefully our international administrators will do that, not
just think about the money that's going into their pocket
because of some good deal they've done with some good company. Yes,
(35:11):
the World Test Championship isn't far away because the teams
or the squads for both countries have been chosen just quickly.
I don't know if you've seen the squads, but I
fancy Australia just at the moment in terms of the
balance that they've got. But you can never discount South
Africa in any form of the competition. But they don't
have a history of winning the big ones, do they.
Speaker 4 (35:33):
They don't fighters all the way, aren't they? Though they're
very competitive people generally. I think i'd agree if you
wanted to put a favoritism tag to either of the side,
you'd probably say Australia slightly. Yeah, the Australia seem to
have a little question mark about who will be in
(35:55):
their top three? Will they for example, while Constance is there,
will they choose them? And if they choose them, they
can't kind of fit Green into the side, and they
will want to do that if he is fit. He's
come back into the the squad. Hummins's course has come
(36:16):
back as well. So Webster Webster, well, bo Webster has
been there and he kind of covers Green, doesn't he
He's a tall lad.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
He bowls with me. He bats and he's kick. He
also feels in the slips quite useful. So it's just
a question of who's.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
Going to open with Kwaja. Are you going to push
Laboshane up or are you going to put someone like
Ingless who's been around for a while. You're going to
put head up there after the moving ball or leave
him at five. So Labershane, Smith, Green Webster carry then
right down you can. You know. The people who are
(36:57):
going to miss out probably are people like Doggett, who's
who's people.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Might not know him.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
He's a wicket taker in the final. Wasn't he poon
him in the left left arm spinner Constance. I've mentioned Engless,
the keeper and the batsman, and then Boland Boland they
might feel might come and may be for Hazelwood. Don't
know whether he's completely fit yet or not. Well, yeah,
(37:24):
he he is, that's right, and he's very direct and.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
At you the whole time.
Speaker 4 (37:32):
So so yeah, so it's an interesting one. The South
Africans ones very quickly. Top ordered Desaucei, the left hander
Ryan Rickleton and Aden Markram and then in the middle
order timber Bavooma, David Beddingham who came out here. You know,
the right handed bat's quite nicely, and the younger hand Tristan, yeah,
and Tristan Stubbs Veraina the keeper, and then the two
(37:56):
all round is Marco Jansson. People will know the left
armor tall and we are molder a right arm Seemer
and then Rabarda's back there now and also Gide is
there as well, Maharaj. They you know, they've got some
good players, but whether they've got players that can grab
(38:18):
a match like a Head, you know, Travis Head, I'm
not quite so sure they have that. And the bowling
I think from coming Stark Hazlewood or Bowland and Lion
just a little bit perhaps more threatening than the South
(38:39):
Avenge without North here.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Yes, interesting, we will look a little bit more closely
at that. There's an opportunity for you to be there,
I think too, isn't he Yep.
Speaker 3 (38:51):
I'll be there once hopefully if I can limp the
way there.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Oh, I'm sure you'll be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
It's set off for a little bit, yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Like tomorrow. It's an event, look, just a quick one finally,
and it's come from the title in cricket you've never
seen at all. The Asia qualifier for the twenty twenty
six Women's Tea twenty World Cup in Thailand, the UAE
were getting twitchy because of the weather conditions. They got
to one hundred and ninety two for none and sixteen
(39:21):
ovens against Kuta, but rain was looming. They wanted to declare,
they weren't allowed to. You can't declare in a short
form game. So what they did was they retired all
their bats when they walked out to the middle, retired
and came out and so they were able to win
the game. They dispatched Qatar for something like thirty two
I think it was. It was. It wasn't a very
(39:43):
good performance, but it brings to mind some of those
incidentss of how you can manufacture the result of a game.
And you and I both thought of seventy seven runs
from and over about how to manufacture a result Bert
vance Bowling against Canterbury in nineteen ninety.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Yep, looking for a result on the last day.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
They fed them runs with Bert Bowling deliberate no ball
keeping the thing going. And I think who was the
wicketkeeper who captain for New Zealand as well?
Speaker 3 (40:15):
He got about a hundred and sixty.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
Yeah, got one hundred and sixty odd not out, didn't
he in that innings as well? Yeah, ittis it's an
interesting one. Quite clever work by you know the UAE captain.
Wasn't it ready to go out and say to the amps, look,
can we declare no you can't. Well, then I'm going
to retire all my batsmen out because they were numbed
(40:37):
down at that point for about Yeah, they had about
one hundred and ninety and the rain was coming. I
think there are two ways of retiring.
Speaker 3 (40:48):
Of course.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
You can be either injured or ill, and you get
the umpire's permission. In that case, off you go, and
if you get better you can come back out again,
can't you. The other way, of course, is to be
retired out, nothing to do with the amp. You retire
yourself out, doesn't need umpire permission at all. If you're
(41:14):
retired not out, of course the umpire has he can
stop you. He said, I don't believe you. I think
you're fine, you're not ill at all. He can do that.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
So, but if you're retired out you can't and you're
not allowed to return.
Speaker 4 (41:32):
But if suddenly was the rain that was coming in
this match. Suddenly a vicious wind came in and blew
it all away. And suddenly the batting captain who's retired
them all out wants to change their decision. In their mind,
they seek to reinstate some of the retired batsmen. You
(41:56):
can ask for that, but you've got to ask the
opposing captain, and that captain, the one in the field,
has the final say, and I'm not sure they. I'm
not sure they would say yeah, go ahead. So that's
that's the rule as it happened. It has happened. In
(42:17):
Test cricket two thousand and one, Marvin Artapatu and mahala
Jaia Wardener both retired themselves out against Bangladesh two thousand
and one. They'd got their runs and they wanted the
rest of the team to have some batting practice. And
it was thought very poorly of the whole thing. They
(42:39):
should have either missed a straight one or hit one
up in the air or whatever you like. But you
don't retire yourself out, I don't think too in order
for other batsmen to have a crack. And the other
time I could find that used wads was this quite
a nice one actually, West Indies playing India nineteen.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
Eighty two.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Fifth Test match. Gordon Greenwich got one hundred and fifty
four not out. Overnight he got new that his two
year old daughter was critically ill and so he retired
retired out because you know, there was no injury to
him and he wasn't ill. And so he flew off
(43:23):
that night from Antigua where the game was being played,
to Barbados, where his daughter was in hospital, and he
visited them. She was being treated there, but she died
two days later and Greenidge took no further part in
the match. And then as a mark of respect, keppel
(43:44):
Dev the Indian captain, granted an exemption to Greenwich and
he was recorded retired not out. So the difference was
he didn't have the average. You know, it wasn't counted
as out, if you know what I mean. So those
are the two things. It's more tactical in t twenties,
isn't it. People can retire themselves out because they're not
(44:05):
scoring fast enough.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
And the reason why declarations weren't allowed that it stems
back to nineteen seventy nine when Brian Rose in Somerset
declared at one without loss against Glenn Turner's Worcestershire who
got one of the runs to win the game. It's
a long story and we haven't got time to go
through it, but that's why the English County Cricket Board
(44:29):
decided that declarations were not the required thing. I don't
know whether it's a possibility that it may come back,
who knows. But on that note, Jerry, we come to
an end of another on the front foot. I hope
you're resting well and we'll be able to talk again
next week. To enjoy some more of crickets, many happenings.
Speaker 4 (44:52):
Thanks words, enjoyed it and quite unusual things happen in cricket,
don't they. I mean, you couldn't really make it up
some of these things.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
Ease Upsoma sing do do
Speaker 1 (45:16):
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