October 22, 2025 • 32 mins
This week we head across the Tasman and we're joined by former Aussie spinner Xavier Doherty to assess the likely make up of the Aussie team for the first Ashes test.
Later, we discuss whether Australian cricket would accept a New Zealand team in the BBL.
Your views welcome: onthefrontfoot20@gmail.com
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, taken on the pad. Now we don't get in.
It's your trick.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
It is out, The test is over. Couldn't smokes a beauty,
It is out and here you goes. This delivery has
in the.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
News of Revolved.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Coney,
powered by News Talks dead B at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Hello, We're back on the front foot. The rainy season
has disruptive international programs, not only at the Women's World
Cup don in christ shit and also in Perth they
had a rained off game.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Or a shortened game.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Cricket's trying to jam as much as possible into twelve months.
The black Caps now can only square the TEA twenty
series with England. I may have to rely on the
ad I squad name this week to improve the results.
As our white ball program continues, England and Australia prepare
for the Ashes. What will the test lineups look like?
(01:21):
Does Australia want a new Zealand team in the BBL?
We can probably try and answer those questions with our
special guest from across the Testament, man I had the
pleasure of working with when the Australian Test Tour was
out Here on the commentary with the ABC former Test
spinner Xavier Doherty who joins us from Tazzy before we
talk the eshes, you got a new job with the
(01:46):
pregod Australia, a match referee.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Now, yeah, thank you, thank you so much for having me.
I'm yeah, I've turned to the dark side, so all
that all the players are telling me.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Just at the moment, I'm sitting up in the in
the air conditioned box and seeing the game from a
different point of view.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
So I've just sat through a Shield game.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Over here in Hobart which finished with a three run victory,
and we had ninety Klimeter wins. We had bad light,
we had bad overrates, we didn't have any players descent
or anything like that. But aside from that, I saw
every part of the game a new match, a new
match referee would want to see. So yeah, like I said,
(02:25):
it's still in touch with the game, but from a
very different point of view.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Just at the moment, I.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Bet he's got a whole lot of new friends.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Jerry I want to Betty, I tell you what his pockets.
Pockets won't be bulging. Though I didn't tell you that.
I don't see sending us all this crep whther too,
will you.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
Yeah, it's it's blowing that way. It's blowing that way.
We had we had a one Day Cup game on
Monday which the w A teams came off and Jordan Silk,
the tazzy captain, came off and said he's never played
anything worse it was. I think we had ninety climate
of gusts And yeah, we're sending it your way.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
So it should hit you anytime soon.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
If I suppose trying to get games played and these
sort of conditions, I mean, you sound as are you're
talking New Zealand conditions. We don't think that in Australia,
but it just seems to happen. And I suppose we've
got to fit so much game time in, do we.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Well, that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It was the earliest game Hobut's ever hosted in the
Shield middle of October.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
But yeah, like you say, with all this other cricket
that's going on, and.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Let's be honest, it's the it's the cricket that makes
the money that needs to be played in December and January.
Then we've got to squeeze these other I wouldn't I
don't want to say less important games, but maybe less
profile games, you know, earlier and earlier, and just try
and get them in.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And they're very important games. As far as selection goes.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
There's there's all sorts of permutations for Ash's selections, so
they are very important.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, that's one of the things that Australia has to
worry about it because we have always sat on this
side of the Tasman and oh the Guzzi squad. The
eleven will be pretty straightforward. But it isn't quite that
straightforward now, is it.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
No, it's nice. Haven't quite filled the void that David
Warner left. You know, they tried.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I don't know if Marcus Harris did try in that
little period, but they went straight to Steve Smith. We've
had Marnas, we've had Sam Constace and none of those
options that have worked. So we go into a big
series not really knowing well, not just our opener.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
But our number three as well.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
So they're mixing and matching and you know, I guess
the schedule has worked out well that they get four
shield games, which is a decent body of work to
try and pick their eleven. And there are some guys
that have put their hands up and a few guys
who have probably just been left behind a little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Who do you see is the opener? Constance hasn't quite
cut at has he? But there's, as you say, there
are a number of names being put forward. They've got
to get a settled combination, don't they.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
They do, they do, and I I think from the
outset they were maybe just thinking of one spot, and
you know, if that was going to be Manus or
Constace or weather alled there are a few others maybe
a little further back, you know, then you know there's
probably only one spot up for grabs. But the way
that Marnus Laboushaan's come out, he's demanded, not just demanded,
(05:28):
a spot at the top.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
I think he gets to pick his preferred spot with him.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
I think he's scored four hundreds in five Knox for Queensland,
so he's done everything that's been asked and more so,
I actually think he comes in and the order gets
shuffled again. I think he comes in at three, which
is his preferred spot, and we're still looking for an opener.
And like you say, Sam Constace is a talent which
(05:53):
we've all seen, but he just hasn't put out the
numbers to warrant a spot, in my opinion, at at
the top of the order. So I don't see him
in the initial squad. I think Jake Weatherwold's a man
who plays in a similar vein today. Even Warner takes
the game on, loves the short ball, which there will
be plenty of that coming the top orders way this summer.
(06:15):
He scored a thousand runs in the Shield. He's gone
fifty and sixty in the first Shield game. He got
a ninety in a thirty eight or something in tough
conditions in Hobart this week. So without scoring that Shield hundred,
Jake weather Or I think has done enough to secure
a spot at the top of the order. And Marnus
comes in at three and then it just means that
(06:35):
they can only play one of Green or Webster at six.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
So I know there's been a few shots fired.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
From the UK on the worst eleven that's been put
out in a few years, but if you actually look
at the names that are putting their hands up, it
doesn't look too bad.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
One of the interesting choices sort of suggestions Jerry, was
that that of Michael Vaughan, who's always got a suggestion
about something that any team in the world can do,
and he reckons that miss Marsh should be the opener.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
There.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
See, that is a like less jury.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No, I don't, no, I don't at all. Wadds and
Cadets ay, look, I agree, I mean whether all certainly
in terms of the matches that I've had a quick
look at. I mean, and he's got the age on
his side, hasn't he He's thirty now, he got averaged
about fifty last year in the Shield. He's got a
sixty and a fifty at Brisbane, to be fair, and
(07:32):
then played in that Hobart match and obviously got a
good ninety in that sort of second innings as well.
So he seems to be the obvious leading man at
the moment. I think Constance to be honest, He's played
in two pretty tough matches. He played at the Whacker,
which looked a really tough game, I thought, scores of
(07:54):
one hundred and sixty, one hundred and seventy the first innings,
and then he played it. I think was it in
was it Middlebourne? Yeah? Yeah, Junction Oval and even that
didn't look easy either. And he obviously got a duck
in the first innings, another LBW in the first innings
and then had obviously a bit of a slog and
(08:16):
the second had got a quick fifty. But look, he's
he's really I watched him against India and the West Indies.
I'm talking about Sam at this stage, and I just
got the feeling that he couldn't find an answer in
the West Indies. He didn't have the background. Maybe I
don't know, but I mean it's understandable. He just didn't
(08:36):
solve a problem. He's only just twenty and everyone's saying
he's the future. Well that may be, I don't know,
but he's still developing a temperament. It seems to me
about you know, it's under construction at the moment, and
it seems to me needs a few years, you know,
in the shield to work work himself out a bit,
because he doesn't have a reliable or a defendable in
(08:59):
defense of attack. You know, he just doesn't have a
defensive game and you need to have that. I think
as a test opener, he puts out fun, eye catching
kind of froth, if you know what I mean. He
needs some years of thinking about things, I think and
some application. So I don't see him getting there unless
(09:19):
he needs just what if he has a couple of
good innings.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Well, I think that's a fantastic point you make with
weather All's age. This is a big series and there's
going to be a lot of eyeballs on it. And
like you say, Constance at the moment has had small
amount of success at the top level, but also a
little bit of failure. I think he needs a bit
more failure in the background. You know, Weather it's had that.
(09:43):
You know, he's had the highs, he's had the lows.
You know, he's worked through it at shield level. Constance
hasn't done that. He needs to sort of.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Develop that game and learn how to fail and learn
how to bounce back.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And it's tough to do when there's you know, tens
of millions of people watching. So I think it's it'll
be a better thing for him to do, as you say, Jerry,
to do that in the background, just for now. And
like you say, he is the future and I think
everyone can see that. But just this ASHES series made
not be for him.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The other issue, of course is Kemon Green. Now how
long he's out for they don't know, do they. But
the obvious one to replace him would be Webster. See
the likely man. I mean, he hasn't done anything wrong
playing for Australia, has he well?
Speaker 5 (10:25):
As I touched on at the start, I think Green
and Webster at the start of the very start of
the summer, we're probably both in the team. You know,
Green bats at three and Webster comes in at six
or seven, depending on where they want to do with carry.
But the way it's worked out with Green not being
able to bowl at all, and the fact that Marnas
has scored so many runs and you know deserves that
(10:45):
number three spot, means they can only play one of them.
And obviously we've got the issue with Pat not being
fit that they might need some overs. So there's not
going to be a lot of spin bold I feel
in this series. I think Nathan Lyon obviously of the
two teams, is the lead spinner in the series, but
(11:06):
I can't see him having a huge amount of workloads,
so they're going to need the overs from from Webster.
So with Green not bowling, you know, I think he's
as he picked up a little side strain or something
like that. In the last few weeks he was pulled
out of Shield game and then then a one day
the one day series. So yeah, the fact that he
can't bowl and they're going to need some overs probably
(11:27):
puts Webster in the in the line about in the
middle order.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
What about Camen's replacement bowling quite clearly is the man
that doesn't affect their attech to any great degree. But
how much is Cummens missed in a leadership role and
in terms of you know the glue I suppose for
the bowling.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Lineup, Well, he's going to be missed, you know. Poland,
like we've seen, is a quality replacement. And without sounding
disrespectful to the next crop of bowlers that are going
to come in because I'll pick a couple of couple
of backup bowlers, they're not at the same level. You know,
these the three quicks, they're going to run with them
(12:09):
and come into the four quicks are once in a
there are generational bowlers, aren't they like? And their record
speaks for themselves. I think we go back a little
bit and it's Michael Messa would be the obvious one.
He's the one who's always sort of been around that
Test team, but he's I think he might be thirty
five now. So Nathan McAndrew is another one who's in
(12:31):
his early thirties who's been around the Shield for a
while now, who's I think he might have punched out
forty wickets bowling for South Australia led them to the
Shield last year. Xavier Bartlet's another one who they might
call upon who's played more short form cricket than Shield cricket,
so I don't know about his workloads. But like I say,
those three are quality cricketers, but they are a little
(12:53):
way back from the other quicks as far as the
leadership goes, I think this Test teams in a really
good place, like you hear about obviously the post Cape
Town things got pretty grim for the Australian cricket team
and it was a long way back, and certainly Pat's
got his fingerprints all over that culture. Within that change room,
it's you only hear good things and good vibes, and
(13:15):
you know they play a lot of golf and they
cop a lot of criticism for that and there's a
lot of family time on tour and all that sort
of stuff. But they back it up with playing some
really good cricket as well, so it's obviously an enjoyable
place to be. Pat's going to be around the team.
I think they're hoping that at some stage he'll come in,
so he'll still be around. But yeah, obviously going to
miss a little bit out on the park. Steve Smith's
(13:36):
a quality captain and a very decent replacement.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yep, I agree. I think from my perspective watching from
here about Ossie play, I think Cummins has done quite
a bit to tidy up that stuff, you know that
was going on. I think he plays with a smile.
I think that's important. He looks like a good guy.
In other words, you know, he bowls number three, comes
(14:02):
in when a partnership is building, and breaks. He got
over three hundred wickets Test wicket setters at twenty odd.
He's got a good economy rate. He does his job
and he scores a very hand. He runs at number eight,
that'll be an issue, I think a little bit, you know,
for Ossie after carey, it looks a little bit if
I could say, precarious, just a bit below that, doesn't it.
(14:27):
But things seem under control with Pat Cummins there. I
agree with you about Smith. I think he'll be fine.
Bowling's the obvious replacement they are missing to me. Ji Richardson.
I think he's a very useful guy coming back from
a shoulder injury, and I think he might even be
getting close as heavier. I don't know about that, but
(14:49):
he's he's got a bit of pace about him and
you know he's short of skiddier kind of bowler too.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Yeah, I think I think he was hoping to get
some sheld cricket in. He's had obviously had a lot
of shoulder issues. I think he popped his shot her
out was it last summer or the summer before, just
doing a high five.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
So he's on his bowling arm as well.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
So he's obviously they love to they'd love to have
him in the frame, but he's just not going to
have the workloads under his belt. The WA team were
in Hobart this week, I didn't he wasn't around the squad,
so you'd imagine if he was close, he'd at least
be traveling. Spencer Johnson's another one who's played some short
form cricket who's he's out for long term. Riley Meredith,
(15:27):
who's another one that was Yeah, Tim Paine mentioned his
name during the week.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
We saw him.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
You know, he's someone who can get up into the
one forties. Again, his consistency and ability to stay on
the park has been an issue for Riley as well.
So Nessa's the man I feel that they'll go with.
He's the safety. You know, they know what they're going
to get from him. He's got the experience. He's, like
I said, he's thirty five. It's a big series. You
(15:55):
don't want to be throwing someone into the mix that
hasn't got some scars under their belt. I guess, you know,
they need to be thinking on the run and learning
on the run, you know, and dealing with this England
team as it hits them. So I'd be hesitant to
throwing an inexperienced player.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
So which is why I think Nasa will be the
man who they call upon.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Yeah, I used to like playing in Australia. I thought
the pictures and my question, I suppose is regarding home
advantage a little bit. You know, Optus. I didn't play
it obviously, but I saw the bounce and the one
day there a little bit Brizzie. It's the day night
game there, the pink ball that'll bounce and seem usually
(16:39):
just a wee bit there in Brisbane. I don't know
whether that's changed. Adelaide's Flat Melbourne nips a bit nowadays.
I watched the India stuff there and Sydney. I'm not
sure it used to spin. You Do you see any
of that or they just prepare their own pictures?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
No, that that's pretty fair.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Obviously, the perf pitches is got that has still got that,
you know, the perf speed and bounce and that sort
of thing. The Aussies last year got skittled by India
straight up, which I think hit them between the eyes.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
They weren't expecting that they were. I think they the.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Australians just expected to roll out to a fast, bouncy
pitch and roll the the Indians, who would obviously be
used to slow and low, and that wasn't the case.
So the Indians came prepared. The English would be the exact,
you know, exactly the same. They're going to have wood
and archer and carts and a few others. They're going
to have their quicks ready and ready and going as
(17:33):
well so Australia's top order, which is why I think
Weather it's the man. You know, there's going to be
some short stuff, it's going to be some fast stuff
you want to I don't think the reverse lap sweep
as you go to which is which is where Constance
looks like is you know, I don't think that's going
to help them on these fast and bouncy wickets. And
then the Brisbane Yeah, pink ball Test matches another interesting one.
(17:55):
Usually Adelaide get that one and you know it's a
very even contest. But I think there's there only been
thinking off the top of my heady, I think there's
only been one pink ball Test in Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You know you already get the the prodigious, prodigious swing.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
You know, a pink ball in Brisbane, you know, in
what's going to be late November, early December, very humored.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
That could be a real bowl a paradise. So that
throws another spanner in the works.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Who do you see as dangers for England?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
For England, it's the quicks, no doubt, it's the quicks.
If they can get Archer and Wood, two guys who
can bowl one hundred will high one forties. Really, I
think this top order of Australia. You know they've been
tested before. Kowaja Smith not so much. You know, he
battles with it, but he finds away.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Smith.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
Travis Head another one who you know, just stepping back
and trying to swipe at it on these bigger Australian
grounds will only work for so long. Webster's a good
player of the short ball. Marnus is a good player
of the short ball. But I think I think it's
the English quicks. I don't think they'll pick a frontline
spinner England. I think you know, they've brought the sheer
(19:07):
in their squad, but aside from that, they brought Will Jacks,
who's more a bad at at Bosom. Off's being Bethel
is he more a bad at at Bostom left arm
off is and Joe Rude will play every Test match obviously,
and he'll his Test records better than part time. So
I don't think they'll play an off spinner. I think
they're going to hit Australia with with all out pace.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
So Australia know that, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
I think they they've they've been watching they watch that
England India series I'm sure during our winter which was
an absolute belt up, so I think they're going to
be prepared for what's coming. And yeah, it'll be it'll
be those those fast you know, the physios and the
S and C staff of the English team are going
to have a big saying in the end result.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
I think.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I agree. The interesting will be for me will be
Archer against the two lifties at the top because he plays,
he bowls nicely and he comes round the wicket. He
likes bowling to lift his He's had good success against them.
He calls Jay Swell and Punt lots of difficulties in
that India series and got them out a couple of times,
(20:13):
both of them. I don't think they'll play a lot
of bushiere. If they do, I think the ossies all
they've got to score four to four plus an over
to place pressure on the on the other England quicks.
So that'll be that'll be an interesting one to watch,
I think. And I don't know if to complement Kowaja,
(20:33):
I mean they say he's resolved in it's a decision. Yeah,
I guess that's makes sense. Is that A would they
pick a right hander to go in there with you know,
with or would they pick a left or a righty
whose scores maybe a little because he tends to absorb
bowlers a bit with both thinking whether all there has
done enough, don't we and he's the age and you've
(20:54):
mentioned the short ball.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Yeah, yeah, I don't think they're in a position where
they can pick and choose whether it's a writing or
a lefty. They've just got to go with who's the
best option and who's going to fit their team best.
I don't think they can look at the opposition and
see what they would prefer, because we just don't really
have that many options, you know, it's it's constant suit.
(21:18):
At the end of that West Indies series, you say
he's you know, he's done and dusted, but he's you know,
scored some Massie a runs.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
He's he's looked okay in the Shield games. Probably just
doesn't have the numbers.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
He's got two more so you know, maybe things will change,
But I think they're just in a position where they've
got to just pick their best options, which in my
eyes is Jake weather Ord.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah, interesting stuff to look ahead. If we spoke to
Glenn McGrath, he would say that Australia are going to
win five and mill I think he said that just
about every series that they've played against England. What about
Xavier Dirty, what does he think?
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Yeah? I think that's token from Glen mc graw, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And you all the off field bashing which which is
about to ramp up, I reckon every past player gets
to have their say and give their prediction. I think
it's going to be a much closer Test series than that.
And like I say, it's going to come down to
how often England can keep their their big three quicks
on the.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
Park, would Casts and and Joff Archard.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
They've got a few other guys who will be role players,
I feel Tongue and Atkinson and a few others that
they'll call upon. But it's it's really going to be
how how much cricket those three big quicks, those three
guys who can bowl one hundred and forty k an
hour can play if they can keep them up and firing.
It's it's it's going to be decided in Melbourne and Sydney.
I think I think England will pinch at.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
A Test or two.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
I do think Australia. I say they're they're bowling. They're
no mugs either bowling Hazelood and Stark. You know, I'm
throwing Webster who's six foot seven and it's got a
pretty good shield record to go with it.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And he's done.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
He's done everything that's been asked for him at Test
level as well taken some handy wickets. So I think
Australia are the favorites, but I feel like England are
going to pluck a Test or two and make it
really interesting, which which is what the cricket fans want
at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
You know, I'd love to.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
See Australia win five noil, but you, as a cricket fan,
that'd be pretty boring, I reckon.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah. Interesting.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Well, we'll have to wait and see that starts towards
the end of November. Nice to be talking with the
former Australian spinner Xavierdherity on cricket issues across the Testament.
One of the things that we're interested in here is
New Zealand applying or looking to apply to be part
of the BBL. Should they would Australia have them, want
(23:35):
them in the Big Bash League?
Speaker 5 (23:38):
Oh for the romance of it, Absolutely like I don't
honestly know what I'd love to know. The feeling on
that side of the Tasman is to having a to
do New Zealand one team in the BBL? Or is
that an administration thing.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
That they want?
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Is there Honey involved? That would be good for New
Zealand cricket. I think from the romance point of view,
I think it'd be great. But what does it take
away from New Zealand cricket and what do you get
back in return?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Would be the big question I feel, Jerry.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
We talked about it last week, didn't we. It's a
fifty to fifty in terms of people in New Zealand.
I think, isn't it well?
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It was between us. You were less certain than I was,
and I can understand that. Yes, it will take a
few away. I think Xavier a few players we're talking about,
and does that weaken the domestic competition here too much?
(24:36):
I personally I'm not with that one quite so much.
I thought the makeup of a side, if you look
at it for New Zealand, it would be a composite
of players. There will be an international component for sure
every side, and that Xavier seems to have about three
overseas players, whether they're from England or Pakistan. Is that right?
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah, that sounds about right given the availability, which is
harder and harder to get those real top line stars
these days with other leagues going on. But yes, there's
a good tinge of English and Pakistan players just at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah. And I think the other components for a New
Zealand side would be maybe Ozzie might say to us, look,
we're going to need say three of your top New
Zealand players. I don't think they'll get all the New
Zealand Blackcats players from the top side, but there certainly
could be a number that. You know, we would expect
(25:34):
this to draw a marquee players, to draw a crowd in,
and there'll be enough New Zealanders over there. Most of
us are leaving in droves to come over there. Now. Look,
there's also going to be some New Zealand players who
are already playing in the big Bash leagues. You know,
players like Ferguson and like Adam Milnan, fin Allen and
(25:56):
Colin Munro Seifer has played there before as well. Maybe Nichsham.
Those guys on casual contracts here hold casual contracts now
there maybe four or five of those, So once you
add in international three, perhaps New Zealand players three, four
or five players already there from New Zealanders. The rest
(26:19):
could be a grade players eighteen players, which really for
me would be the developmental perspective that is of real
interest for New Zealand in our T twenty. You know,
perhaps there's a younger Phillips who's an opener coming through.
There's a guy called Folks, Zach Folks, who's a bowler
(26:40):
and a bit of a hitterer. There's Muhammada Bas who's
a middle order batsman and a left armor as well.
There's Mitch Hay, you know, a wicket keeper and a hitter.
So there are a few around and it would be okay.
I think even if we had sixteen or seventeen, we're
only three hours away. It's only half the flight to purse,
for Heaven's sake, you know. So I don't see I
(27:04):
don't see it bleeding our local competition as much as
some people do. But wat you certainly feel that that's
a danger, don't you.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
I think it is one of the issues that they
have to consider. And the cost of course, because they're
selling the franchises now or they're selling them as franchises now,
aren't they. And so there's going to be big money
in terms of buying a big beat league, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
No.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
I think that they're working through that, the power brokers
that enjoy them onto working through that just at the minute,
how they go about breaking up the teams and become
privately owned or at least a percentage of it being
privately owned. And I think that at the end of
the day will be the decision that's made. What's going
(27:49):
to line the pockets of cricket Australia the best? And
is it, like I said at the start, is it
the romantic side of it of having a new Zealand team,
in which if you ask the everyday cricket fan in Australia,
I think they'd love to see that.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
But at the end of the day, they're going to
want new dollars. I want new viewers, they want new sponsors.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
And you know, if I tend to think that that's
probably going to come from a different part of the world,
maybe somewhere in Singapore or or you know, Indonesia somewhere
around that, which is probably a bit left field as
far as a cricket sense goes. But if you can
drag players from from around the world to base them
in Singapore for six weeks, there won't be an issue
(28:34):
finding the players and if you can manage there's a
lot of people that live in that part of the world. Yeah,
it's not the it's not the mainstream thinking, but it is.
It is money that talks at the end of the day.
So it'll be an interesting couple of years to decide
on what and they have well, they've publicly stated that
expansions on the cards, so there will be new teams.
(28:55):
Canbra's an obvious one, but again it doesn't bring new
viewers in because you know everyone in canber already watches
the Big Bash. I don't know what the New Zealand
viewership's like. I'm assuming there's some following of it and
that'll pick up if there's a local But is it
enough to to get cricket Australia over the line.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
There's city an interesting factor here in the New Zealand
and New Zealand cricket. I think they are considering it
pretty seriously and in the near future we may well
know what the plans are. Just before we go Xavier
the Women's World Cup in India. Anybody beat Australia to
take the title.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Ah No, I don't think so. No, they've they've been good. Australia.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
Well, it's just it's been as good a campaign as
you could ask for and not but not in the
sense that they've just come out and dominated. I think
it's you know they've had they've won every game with
a what and one washout which everyone's had a washout
in Schranka by the sound of it. But they've done
it by using every player on the list. You know,
(29:59):
the New Zealand game, they were in strife and Gardener
got one hundred. You know, they end up winning by
ninety runs. But it wasn't it wasn't you know, the
Tale of h You know, that wasn't the story. It
was a pretty far hard fort nine. They beat Pakistan
who were spirited, and it was it was Mooney and
Atlanta King who've got the runs in that game. And
then the best game they chased down two hundred and
(30:20):
none down so that you know, and.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
He really got the runs. But you know, they've got
all the all the balls have had a good crack.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
The spinners have taken wickets, so they've they've managed to
find a way Australia, but you know, not by not
by dominating from start to finish.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
So they're certainly ticking the boxes. Just at the moment.
They've got a couple of big games to come, so you're.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Still a bit to play out, but they've ticked they've
ticked most of the boxes so far.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Yeah, unfortunately the weather has had a player in New Zealand.
Have got to only beat India and England, that's all,
and they'll be into the last four.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
We will wait and see on.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Zavier Lovely to head.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
You've got India have got some work to do too,
haven't they.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Yeah, that's well, I've got to beat New Zealand and Bangladesh,
so that that is right. Yeah, thanks very much for
sparing some time, and it's nice to hear your viewpoint
from across the Testsaman. I hope someday we can catch
up with you again. You never know, you might have
the old red card out on the field of play
and we might have to talk to you about why
(31:23):
you deliver the red card.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
That's right, Yeah, I'll try. You've got one of ours
over there at the minute.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
So I'll try and get myself on an exchange program
over there and yeah, start throwing my weight around at
some stage.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
My pleasure, my player. Always always great to talk cricket.
And it's a big summer coming up.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, excellent, thanks mate, Thank you, Jeremy.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Cheers yeah, cheers mate.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Summer.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on IR Radio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, taken on the pad. Now we don't get in.
It's your trick.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
It is out, The test is over. Couldn't smokes a beauty,
It is out and here you goes. This delivery has
in the.
Speaker 4 (00:33):
News of Revolved.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Coney,
powered by News Talks dead B at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Hello, We're back on the front foot. The rainy season
has disruptive international programs, not only at the Women's World
Cup don in christ shit and also in Perth they
had a rained off game.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Or a shortened game.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Cricket's trying to jam as much as possible into twelve months.
The black Caps now can only square the TEA twenty
series with England. I may have to rely on the
ad I squad name this week to improve the results.
As our white ball program continues, England and Australia prepare
for the Ashes. What will the test lineups look like?
(01:21):
Does Australia want a new Zealand team in the BBL?
We can probably try and answer those questions with our
special guest from across the Testament, man I had the
pleasure of working with when the Australian Test Tour was
out Here on the commentary with the ABC former Test
spinner Xavier Doherty who joins us from Tazzy before we
talk the eshes, you got a new job with the
(01:46):
pregod Australia, a match referee.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Now, yeah, thank you, thank you so much for having me.
I'm yeah, I've turned to the dark side, so all
that all the players are telling me.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Just at the moment, I'm sitting up in the in
the air conditioned box and seeing the game from a
different point of view.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
So I've just sat through a Shield game.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Over here in Hobart which finished with a three run victory,
and we had ninety Klimeter wins. We had bad light,
we had bad overrates, we didn't have any players descent
or anything like that. But aside from that, I saw
every part of the game a new match, a new
match referee would want to see. So yeah, like I said,
(02:25):
it's still in touch with the game, but from a
very different point of view.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Just at the moment, I.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Bet he's got a whole lot of new friends.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Jerry I want to Betty, I tell you what his pockets.
Pockets won't be bulging. Though I didn't tell you that.
I don't see sending us all this crep whther too,
will you.
Speaker 5 (02:49):
Yeah, it's it's blowing that way. It's blowing that way.
We had we had a one Day Cup game on
Monday which the w A teams came off and Jordan Silk,
the tazzy captain, came off and said he's never played
anything worse it was. I think we had ninety climate
of gusts And yeah, we're sending it your way.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
So it should hit you anytime soon.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
If I suppose trying to get games played and these
sort of conditions, I mean, you sound as are you're
talking New Zealand conditions. We don't think that in Australia,
but it just seems to happen. And I suppose we've
got to fit so much game time in, do we.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
Well, that's the thing.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
It was the earliest game Hobut's ever hosted in the
Shield middle of October.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
But yeah, like you say, with all this other cricket
that's going on, and.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
Let's be honest, it's the it's the cricket that makes
the money that needs to be played in December and January.
Then we've got to squeeze these other I wouldn't I
don't want to say less important games, but maybe less
profile games, you know, earlier and earlier, and just try
and get them in.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
And they're very important games. As far as selection goes.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
There's there's all sorts of permutations for Ash's selections, so
they are very important.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Yeah, that's one of the things that Australia has to
worry about it because we have always sat on this
side of the Tasman and oh the Guzzi squad. The
eleven will be pretty straightforward. But it isn't quite that
straightforward now, is it.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
No, it's nice. Haven't quite filled the void that David
Warner left. You know, they tried.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I don't know if Marcus Harris did try in that
little period, but they went straight to Steve Smith. We've
had Marnas, we've had Sam Constace and none of those
options that have worked. So we go into a big
series not really knowing well, not just our opener.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
But our number three as well.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
So they're mixing and matching and you know, I guess
the schedule has worked out well that they get four
shield games, which is a decent body of work to
try and pick their eleven. And there are some guys
that have put their hands up and a few guys
who have probably just been left behind a little bit.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Who do you see is the opener? Constance hasn't quite
cut at has he? But there's, as you say, there
are a number of names being put forward. They've got
to get a settled combination, don't they.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
They do, they do, and I I think from the
outset they were maybe just thinking of one spot, and
you know, if that was going to be Manus or
Constace or weather alled there are a few others maybe
a little further back, you know, then you know there's
probably only one spot up for grabs. But the way
that Marnus Laboushaan's come out, he's demanded, not just demanded,
(05:28):
a spot at the top.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
I think he gets to pick his preferred spot with him.
Speaker 5 (05:33):
I think he's scored four hundreds in five Knox for Queensland,
so he's done everything that's been asked and more so,
I actually think he comes in and the order gets
shuffled again. I think he comes in at three, which
is his preferred spot, and we're still looking for an opener.
And like you say, Sam Constace is a talent which
(05:53):
we've all seen, but he just hasn't put out the
numbers to warrant a spot, in my opinion, at at
the top of the order. So I don't see him
in the initial squad. I think Jake Weatherwold's a man
who plays in a similar vein today. Even Warner takes
the game on, loves the short ball, which there will
be plenty of that coming the top orders way this summer.
(06:15):
He scored a thousand runs in the Shield. He's gone
fifty and sixty in the first Shield game. He got
a ninety in a thirty eight or something in tough
conditions in Hobart this week. So without scoring that Shield hundred,
Jake weather Or I think has done enough to secure
a spot at the top of the order. And Marnus
comes in at three and then it just means that
(06:35):
they can only play one of Green or Webster at six.
Speaker 4 (06:38):
So I know there's been a few shots fired.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
From the UK on the worst eleven that's been put
out in a few years, but if you actually look
at the names that are putting their hands up, it
doesn't look too bad.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
One of the interesting choices sort of suggestions Jerry, was
that that of Michael Vaughan, who's always got a suggestion
about something that any team in the world can do,
and he reckons that miss Marsh should be the opener.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
There.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
See, that is a like less jury.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No, I don't, no, I don't at all. Wadds and
Cadets ay, look, I agree, I mean whether all certainly
in terms of the matches that I've had a quick
look at. I mean, and he's got the age on
his side, hasn't he He's thirty now, he got averaged
about fifty last year in the Shield. He's got a
sixty and a fifty at Brisbane, to be fair, and
(07:32):
then played in that Hobart match and obviously got a
good ninety in that sort of second innings as well.
So he seems to be the obvious leading man at
the moment. I think Constance to be honest, He's played
in two pretty tough matches. He played at the Whacker,
which looked a really tough game, I thought, scores of
(07:54):
one hundred and sixty, one hundred and seventy the first innings,
and then he played it. I think was it in
was it Middlebourne? Yeah? Yeah, Junction Oval and even that
didn't look easy either. And he obviously got a duck
in the first innings, another LBW in the first innings
and then had obviously a bit of a slog and
(08:16):
the second had got a quick fifty. But look, he's
he's really I watched him against India and the West Indies.
I'm talking about Sam at this stage, and I just
got the feeling that he couldn't find an answer in
the West Indies. He didn't have the background. Maybe I
don't know, but I mean it's understandable. He just didn't
(08:36):
solve a problem. He's only just twenty and everyone's saying
he's the future. Well that may be, I don't know,
but he's still developing a temperament. It seems to me
about you know, it's under construction at the moment, and
it seems to me needs a few years, you know,
in the shield to work work himself out a bit,
because he doesn't have a reliable or a defendable in
(08:59):
defense of attack. You know, he just doesn't have a
defensive game and you need to have that. I think
as a test opener, he puts out fun, eye catching
kind of froth, if you know what I mean. He
needs some years of thinking about things, I think and
some application. So I don't see him getting there unless
(09:19):
he needs just what if he has a couple of
good innings.
Speaker 5 (09:23):
Well, I think that's a fantastic point you make with
weather All's age. This is a big series and there's
going to be a lot of eyeballs on it. And
like you say, Constance at the moment has had small
amount of success at the top level, but also a
little bit of failure. I think he needs a bit
more failure in the background. You know, Weather it's had that.
(09:43):
You know, he's had the highs, he's had the lows.
You know, he's worked through it at shield level. Constance
hasn't done that. He needs to sort of.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Develop that game and learn how to fail and learn
how to bounce back.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
And it's tough to do when there's you know, tens
of millions of people watching. So I think it's it'll
be a better thing for him to do, as you say, Jerry,
to do that in the background, just for now. And
like you say, he is the future and I think
everyone can see that. But just this ASHES series made
not be for him.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
The other issue, of course is Kemon Green. Now how
long he's out for they don't know, do they. But
the obvious one to replace him would be Webster. See
the likely man. I mean, he hasn't done anything wrong
playing for Australia, has he well?
Speaker 5 (10:25):
As I touched on at the start, I think Green
and Webster at the start of the very start of
the summer, we're probably both in the team. You know,
Green bats at three and Webster comes in at six
or seven, depending on where they want to do with carry.
But the way it's worked out with Green not being
able to bowl at all, and the fact that Marnas
has scored so many runs and you know deserves that
(10:45):
number three spot, means they can only play one of them.
And obviously we've got the issue with Pat not being
fit that they might need some overs. So there's not
going to be a lot of spin bold I feel
in this series. I think Nathan Lyon obviously of the
two teams, is the lead spinner in the series, but
(11:06):
I can't see him having a huge amount of workloads,
so they're going to need the overs from from Webster.
So with Green not bowling, you know, I think he's
as he picked up a little side strain or something
like that. In the last few weeks he was pulled
out of Shield game and then then a one day
the one day series. So yeah, the fact that he
can't bowl and they're going to need some overs probably
(11:27):
puts Webster in the in the line about in the
middle order.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
What about Camen's replacement bowling quite clearly is the man
that doesn't affect their attech to any great degree. But
how much is Cummens missed in a leadership role and
in terms of you know the glue I suppose for
the bowling.
Speaker 5 (11:48):
Lineup, Well, he's going to be missed, you know. Poland,
like we've seen, is a quality replacement. And without sounding
disrespectful to the next crop of bowlers that are going
to come in because I'll pick a couple of couple
of backup bowlers, they're not at the same level. You know,
these the three quicks, they're going to run with them
(12:09):
and come into the four quicks are once in a
there are generational bowlers, aren't they like? And their record
speaks for themselves. I think we go back a little
bit and it's Michael Messa would be the obvious one.
He's the one who's always sort of been around that
Test team, but he's I think he might be thirty
five now. So Nathan McAndrew is another one who's in
(12:31):
his early thirties who's been around the Shield for a
while now, who's I think he might have punched out
forty wickets bowling for South Australia led them to the
Shield last year. Xavier Bartlet's another one who they might
call upon who's played more short form cricket than Shield cricket,
so I don't know about his workloads. But like I say,
those three are quality cricketers, but they are a little
(12:53):
way back from the other quicks as far as the
leadership goes, I think this Test teams in a really
good place, like you hear about obviously the post Cape
Town things got pretty grim for the Australian cricket team
and it was a long way back, and certainly Pat's
got his fingerprints all over that culture. Within that change room,
it's you only hear good things and good vibes, and
(13:15):
you know they play a lot of golf and they
cop a lot of criticism for that and there's a
lot of family time on tour and all that sort
of stuff. But they back it up with playing some
really good cricket as well, so it's obviously an enjoyable
place to be. Pat's going to be around the team.
I think they're hoping that at some stage he'll come in,
so he'll still be around. But yeah, obviously going to
miss a little bit out on the park. Steve Smith's
(13:36):
a quality captain and a very decent replacement.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yep, I agree. I think from my perspective watching from
here about Ossie play, I think Cummins has done quite
a bit to tidy up that stuff, you know that
was going on. I think he plays with a smile.
I think that's important. He looks like a good guy.
In other words, you know, he bowls number three, comes
(14:02):
in when a partnership is building, and breaks. He got
over three hundred wickets Test wicket setters at twenty odd.
He's got a good economy rate. He does his job
and he scores a very hand. He runs at number eight,
that'll be an issue, I think a little bit, you know,
for Ossie after carey, it looks a little bit if
I could say, precarious, just a bit below that, doesn't it.
(14:27):
But things seem under control with Pat Cummins there. I
agree with you about Smith. I think he'll be fine.
Bowling's the obvious replacement they are missing to me. Ji Richardson.
I think he's a very useful guy coming back from
a shoulder injury, and I think he might even be
getting close as heavier. I don't know about that, but
(14:49):
he's he's got a bit of pace about him and
you know he's short of skiddier kind of bowler too.
Speaker 5 (14:55):
Yeah, I think I think he was hoping to get
some sheld cricket in. He's had obviously had a lot
of shoulder issues. I think he popped his shot her
out was it last summer or the summer before, just
doing a high five.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
So he's on his bowling arm as well.
Speaker 5 (15:06):
So he's obviously they love to they'd love to have
him in the frame, but he's just not going to
have the workloads under his belt. The WA team were
in Hobart this week, I didn't he wasn't around the squad,
so you'd imagine if he was close, he'd at least
be traveling. Spencer Johnson's another one who's played some short
form cricket who's he's out for long term. Riley Meredith,
(15:27):
who's another one that was Yeah, Tim Paine mentioned his
name during the week.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
We saw him.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
You know, he's someone who can get up into the
one forties. Again, his consistency and ability to stay on
the park has been an issue for Riley as well.
So Nessa's the man I feel that they'll go with.
He's the safety. You know, they know what they're going
to get from him. He's got the experience. He's, like
I said, he's thirty five. It's a big series. You
(15:55):
don't want to be throwing someone into the mix that
hasn't got some scars under their belt. I guess, you know,
they need to be thinking on the run and learning
on the run, you know, and dealing with this England
team as it hits them. So I'd be hesitant to
throwing an inexperienced player.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
So which is why I think Nasa will be the
man who they call upon.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
Yeah, I used to like playing in Australia. I thought
the pictures and my question, I suppose is regarding home
advantage a little bit. You know, Optus. I didn't play
it obviously, but I saw the bounce and the one
day there a little bit Brizzie. It's the day night
game there, the pink ball that'll bounce and seem usually
(16:39):
just a wee bit there in Brisbane. I don't know
whether that's changed. Adelaide's Flat Melbourne nips a bit nowadays.
I watched the India stuff there and Sydney. I'm not
sure it used to spin. You Do you see any
of that or they just prepare their own pictures?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
No, that that's pretty fair.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
Obviously, the perf pitches is got that has still got that,
you know, the perf speed and bounce and that sort
of thing. The Aussies last year got skittled by India
straight up, which I think hit them between the eyes.
Speaker 4 (17:09):
They weren't expecting that they were. I think they the.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
Australians just expected to roll out to a fast, bouncy
pitch and roll the the Indians, who would obviously be
used to slow and low, and that wasn't the case.
So the Indians came prepared. The English would be the exact,
you know, exactly the same. They're going to have wood
and archer and carts and a few others. They're going
to have their quicks ready and ready and going as
(17:33):
well so Australia's top order, which is why I think
Weather it's the man. You know, there's going to be
some short stuff, it's going to be some fast stuff
you want to I don't think the reverse lap sweep
as you go to which is which is where Constance
looks like is you know, I don't think that's going
to help them on these fast and bouncy wickets. And
then the Brisbane Yeah, pink ball Test matches another interesting one.
(17:55):
Usually Adelaide get that one and you know it's a
very even contest. But I think there's there only been
thinking off the top of my heady, I think there's
only been one pink ball Test in Brisbane.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You know you already get the the prodigious, prodigious swing.
Speaker 5 (18:10):
You know, a pink ball in Brisbane, you know, in
what's going to be late November, early December, very humored.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
That could be a real bowl a paradise. So that
throws another spanner in the works.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Who do you see as dangers for England?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
For England, it's the quicks, no doubt, it's the quicks.
If they can get Archer and Wood, two guys who
can bowl one hundred will high one forties. Really, I
think this top order of Australia. You know they've been
tested before. Kowaja Smith not so much. You know, he
battles with it, but he finds away.
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Smith.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
Travis Head another one who you know, just stepping back
and trying to swipe at it on these bigger Australian
grounds will only work for so long. Webster's a good
player of the short ball. Marnus is a good player
of the short ball. But I think I think it's
the English quicks. I don't think they'll pick a frontline
spinner England. I think you know, they've brought the sheer
(19:07):
in their squad, but aside from that, they brought Will Jacks,
who's more a bad at at Bosom. Off's being Bethel
is he more a bad at at Bostom left arm
off is and Joe Rude will play every Test match obviously,
and he'll his Test records better than part time. So
I don't think they'll play an off spinner. I think
they're going to hit Australia with with all out pace.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
So Australia know that, you know.
Speaker 5 (19:28):
I think they they've they've been watching they watch that
England India series I'm sure during our winter which was
an absolute belt up, so I think they're going to
be prepared for what's coming. And yeah, it'll be it'll
be those those fast you know, the physios and the
S and C staff of the English team are going
to have a big saying in the end result.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
I think.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
I agree. The interesting will be for me will be
Archer against the two lifties at the top because he plays,
he bowls nicely and he comes round the wicket. He
likes bowling to lift his He's had good success against them.
He calls Jay Swell and Punt lots of difficulties in
that India series and got them out a couple of times,
(20:13):
both of them. I don't think they'll play a lot
of bushiere. If they do, I think the ossies all
they've got to score four to four plus an over
to place pressure on the on the other England quicks.
So that'll be that'll be an interesting one to watch,
I think. And I don't know if to complement Kowaja,
(20:33):
I mean they say he's resolved in it's a decision. Yeah,
I guess that's makes sense. Is that A would they
pick a right hander to go in there with you know,
with or would they pick a left or a righty
whose scores maybe a little because he tends to absorb
bowlers a bit with both thinking whether all there has
done enough, don't we and he's the age and you've
(20:54):
mentioned the short ball.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Yeah, yeah, I don't think they're in a position where
they can pick and choose whether it's a writing or
a lefty. They've just got to go with who's the
best option and who's going to fit their team best.
I don't think they can look at the opposition and
see what they would prefer, because we just don't really
have that many options, you know, it's it's constant suit.
(21:18):
At the end of that West Indies series, you say
he's you know, he's done and dusted, but he's you know,
scored some Massie a runs.
Speaker 4 (21:22):
He's he's looked okay in the Shield games. Probably just
doesn't have the numbers.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
He's got two more so you know, maybe things will change,
But I think they're just in a position where they've
got to just pick their best options, which in my
eyes is Jake weather Ord.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Yeah, interesting stuff to look ahead. If we spoke to
Glenn McGrath, he would say that Australia are going to
win five and mill I think he said that just
about every series that they've played against England. What about
Xavier Dirty, what does he think?
Speaker 4 (21:50):
Yeah? I think that's token from Glen mc graw, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (21:52):
And you all the off field bashing which which is
about to ramp up, I reckon every past player gets
to have their say and give their prediction. I think
it's going to be a much closer Test series than that.
And like I say, it's going to come down to
how often England can keep their their big three quicks
on the.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
Park, would Casts and and Joff Archard.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
They've got a few other guys who will be role players,
I feel Tongue and Atkinson and a few others that
they'll call upon. But it's it's really going to be
how how much cricket those three big quicks, those three
guys who can bowl one hundred and forty k an
hour can play if they can keep them up and firing.
It's it's it's going to be decided in Melbourne and Sydney.
I think I think England will pinch at.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
A Test or two.
Speaker 5 (22:37):
I do think Australia. I say they're they're bowling. They're
no mugs either bowling Hazelood and Stark. You know, I'm
throwing Webster who's six foot seven and it's got a
pretty good shield record to go with it.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
And he's done.
Speaker 5 (22:49):
He's done everything that's been asked for him at Test
level as well taken some handy wickets. So I think
Australia are the favorites, but I feel like England are
going to pluck a Test or two and make it
really interesting, which which is what the cricket fans want
at the end of the day.
Speaker 4 (23:05):
You know, I'd love to.
Speaker 5 (23:06):
See Australia win five noil, but you, as a cricket fan,
that'd be pretty boring, I reckon.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah. Interesting.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Well, we'll have to wait and see that starts towards
the end of November. Nice to be talking with the
former Australian spinner Xavierdherity on cricket issues across the Testament.
One of the things that we're interested in here is
New Zealand applying or looking to apply to be part
of the BBL. Should they would Australia have them, want
(23:35):
them in the Big Bash League?
Speaker 5 (23:38):
Oh for the romance of it, Absolutely like I don't
honestly know what I'd love to know. The feeling on
that side of the Tasman is to having a to
do New Zealand one team in the BBL? Or is
that an administration thing.
Speaker 4 (23:54):
That they want?
Speaker 5 (23:55):
Is there Honey involved? That would be good for New
Zealand cricket. I think from the romance point of view,
I think it'd be great. But what does it take
away from New Zealand cricket and what do you get
back in return?
Speaker 4 (24:05):
Would be the big question I feel, Jerry.
Speaker 3 (24:09):
We talked about it last week, didn't we. It's a
fifty to fifty in terms of people in New Zealand.
I think, isn't it well?
Speaker 2 (24:16):
It was between us. You were less certain than I was,
and I can understand that. Yes, it will take a
few away. I think Xavier a few players we're talking about,
and does that weaken the domestic competition here too much?
(24:36):
I personally I'm not with that one quite so much.
I thought the makeup of a side, if you look
at it for New Zealand, it would be a composite
of players. There will be an international component for sure
every side, and that Xavier seems to have about three
overseas players, whether they're from England or Pakistan. Is that right?
Speaker 5 (24:59):
Yeah, that sounds about right given the availability, which is
harder and harder to get those real top line stars
these days with other leagues going on. But yes, there's
a good tinge of English and Pakistan players just at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah. And I think the other components for a New
Zealand side would be maybe Ozzie might say to us, look,
we're going to need say three of your top New
Zealand players. I don't think they'll get all the New
Zealand Blackcats players from the top side, but there certainly
could be a number that. You know, we would expect
(25:34):
this to draw a marquee players, to draw a crowd in,
and there'll be enough New Zealanders over there. Most of
us are leaving in droves to come over there. Now. Look,
there's also going to be some New Zealand players who
are already playing in the big Bash leagues. You know,
players like Ferguson and like Adam Milnan, fin Allen and
(25:56):
Colin Munro Seifer has played there before as well. Maybe Nichsham.
Those guys on casual contracts here hold casual contracts now
there maybe four or five of those, So once you
add in international three, perhaps New Zealand players three, four
or five players already there from New Zealanders. The rest
(26:19):
could be a grade players eighteen players, which really for
me would be the developmental perspective that is of real
interest for New Zealand in our T twenty. You know,
perhaps there's a younger Phillips who's an opener coming through.
There's a guy called Folks, Zach Folks, who's a bowler
(26:40):
and a bit of a hitterer. There's Muhammada Bas who's
a middle order batsman and a left armor as well.
There's Mitch Hay, you know, a wicket keeper and a hitter.
So there are a few around and it would be okay.
I think even if we had sixteen or seventeen, we're
only three hours away. It's only half the flight to purse,
for Heaven's sake, you know. So I don't see I
(27:04):
don't see it bleeding our local competition as much as
some people do. But wat you certainly feel that that's
a danger, don't you.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
I think it is one of the issues that they
have to consider. And the cost of course, because they're
selling the franchises now or they're selling them as franchises now,
aren't they. And so there's going to be big money
in terms of buying a big beat league, doesn't it.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
No.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
I think that they're working through that, the power brokers
that enjoy them onto working through that just at the minute,
how they go about breaking up the teams and become
privately owned or at least a percentage of it being
privately owned. And I think that at the end of
the day will be the decision that's made. What's going
(27:49):
to line the pockets of cricket Australia the best? And
is it, like I said at the start, is it
the romantic side of it of having a new Zealand team,
in which if you ask the everyday cricket fan in Australia,
I think they'd love to see that.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
But at the end of the day, they're going to
want new dollars. I want new viewers, they want new sponsors.
Speaker 5 (28:12):
And you know, if I tend to think that that's
probably going to come from a different part of the world,
maybe somewhere in Singapore or or you know, Indonesia somewhere
around that, which is probably a bit left field as
far as a cricket sense goes. But if you can
drag players from from around the world to base them
in Singapore for six weeks, there won't be an issue
(28:34):
finding the players and if you can manage there's a
lot of people that live in that part of the world. Yeah,
it's not the it's not the mainstream thinking, but it is.
It is money that talks at the end of the day.
So it'll be an interesting couple of years to decide
on what and they have well, they've publicly stated that
expansions on the cards, so there will be new teams.
(28:55):
Canbra's an obvious one, but again it doesn't bring new
viewers in because you know everyone in canber already watches
the Big Bash. I don't know what the New Zealand
viewership's like. I'm assuming there's some following of it and
that'll pick up if there's a local But is it
enough to to get cricket Australia over the line.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
There's city an interesting factor here in the New Zealand
and New Zealand cricket. I think they are considering it
pretty seriously and in the near future we may well
know what the plans are. Just before we go Xavier
the Women's World Cup in India. Anybody beat Australia to
take the title.
Speaker 4 (29:32):
Ah No, I don't think so. No, they've they've been good. Australia.
Speaker 5 (29:39):
Well, it's just it's been as good a campaign as
you could ask for and not but not in the
sense that they've just come out and dominated. I think
it's you know they've had they've won every game with
a what and one washout which everyone's had a washout
in Schranka by the sound of it. But they've done
it by using every player on the list. You know,
(29:59):
the New Zealand game, they were in strife and Gardener
got one hundred. You know, they end up winning by
ninety runs. But it wasn't it wasn't you know, the
Tale of h You know, that wasn't the story. It
was a pretty far hard fort nine. They beat Pakistan
who were spirited, and it was it was Mooney and
Atlanta King who've got the runs in that game. And
then the best game they chased down two hundred and
(30:20):
none down so that you know, and.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
He really got the runs. But you know, they've got
all the all the balls have had a good crack.
Speaker 5 (30:26):
The spinners have taken wickets, so they've they've managed to
find a way Australia, but you know, not by not
by dominating from start to finish.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
So they're certainly ticking the boxes. Just at the moment.
They've got a couple of big games to come, so you're.
Speaker 5 (30:39):
Still a bit to play out, but they've ticked they've
ticked most of the boxes so far.
Speaker 3 (30:43):
Yeah, unfortunately the weather has had a player in New Zealand.
Have got to only beat India and England, that's all,
and they'll be into the last four.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
We will wait and see on.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Zavier Lovely to head.
Speaker 4 (30:59):
You've got India have got some work to do too,
haven't they.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Yeah, that's well, I've got to beat New Zealand and Bangladesh,
so that that is right. Yeah, thanks very much for
sparing some time, and it's nice to hear your viewpoint
from across the Testsaman. I hope someday we can catch
up with you again. You never know, you might have
the old red card out on the field of play
and we might have to talk to you about why
(31:23):
you deliver the red card.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
That's right, Yeah, I'll try. You've got one of ours
over there at the minute.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
So I'll try and get myself on an exchange program
over there and yeah, start throwing my weight around at
some stage.
Speaker 4 (31:37):
My pleasure, my player. Always always great to talk cricket.
And it's a big summer coming up.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Yeah, excellent, thanks mate, Thank you, Jeremy.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Cheers yeah, cheers mate.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
Summer.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
For more from News Talks ed B, listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on IR Radio
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.