March 22, 2026 • 38 mins
This week on On the Front Foot, Bryan Waddle and Jeremy Coney chat about the looming decision for NZ Cricket; is it BBL or NZ20?
Is crickets integrity under threat from below strength teams playing meaningless series?
And, sad farewells for Trevor 'TG' McMahon.
Your thoughts and views welcome at onthefrontfoot20@gmail.com
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sat B.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, take another prick, it is out. The test is over.
Don't smoke a beauty, it is out here he goes.
This delivery has in the user to gool.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Cody
powered by News Talks d B at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
This week on the Front Foot, what does the future
hold for the young cricket facing a tough decision on
domestic T twenty opinions are divided. He's even to set
to earn big in the one hundred Our BT moves
to South Africa b in a T twenty opener. Then
they write the ship for a couple of wounds. But
is the integrity of international cricket the diminished? A blanket
(01:10):
shield down to the wire with a round to go
and some fond memories of a good mate who passed
away last week and you'll remember him well, Jeremy Cady
tg is we knew him. You knew him as Silvery.
I think he had a couple of nicknames, but Trevor
McMahon was just a wonderful friend to us all and
(01:33):
as was mentioned that his funeral service on last week,
a life well a fun man.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Absolutely right, Brian good Man. Yes, Silvery to me always
looked forward to playing against him as a club. At
a club level, you had a little glimpse, you know,
at just how good keepers used to be when you
played against him, and it was always actually just a
(02:01):
very quick couple of sentences in a team meeting. We
even mentioned him watch out for Silvery's you know, he
would always he would virtually every club match you'd go
through and there would be stump McMahon Bold Taylor or
stump McMahon Bold Harry, you know, I mean it was,
(02:25):
it was. It was a brilliant He was brilliant, and
it was always mentioned. The second sentence was if you
are at the non striker's end and he creeps up,
you stop the bowler bowl and throw your bat across
in front.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Save that.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah. If I get stumped, oh I'm going to get
you later on. Gee was good, wasn't he?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You always read.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Down leg side and you overbalanced slightly and the backfoot
came up bang. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I had the pleasure of playing both with and against him,
at club level, and he was he was an interesting character. Yeah.
He What he used to do was he used to
hide behind the batsman and sneak up down excited. You're
not allowed to do that now, and so they've killed that.
But I always remember him, and he denied it when
I said it to him, but his sons agreed with
(03:18):
me at the funeral that he had a hardware store
in the Eastern Suburbs and when they started playing cricket
at midday, he was struggling to get there for the
start of play. He always got there just on time.
But he arrived in his car. He's in his whites,
He's got his pads on because if it was the
(03:38):
first day, he knew he was either going to hope.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
He had automatic words.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I think it might have been a manual.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I I bet he doesn't. I bet he didn't. I
bet he didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But he had the pads on because he knew he
was either keeping wickets if it was day one or
day two, and he'd be opening the batting, so it
didn't it didn't really matter. And I always remember when
I first played against me, he had a vicious square
cut like most wicket keepers, you know, you think of
all the keepers around the world, they all seem to
know how to play the cut stroke.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
They do they do, you quite right, and he was
I mean the other aspect, I mean, apart from his
playing on the field, which she was. You know, I
don't is there any problem with the keepers moving up? Yes,
of course the batsman can't see you, but the non
striker can. Yeah, you know, I don't have really not
(04:35):
a huge problem with that. Yeah, it's a bit sneaky,
but lots of sneaky things happen over the years, so
I mean, and if he's good enough to get it,
If he's good enough to get it, A lot of
keepers wouldn't pick that up on you know, they wouldn't
pick the line up or the batsman's in the way
(04:55):
of the ball, or it's full, you know, as you
try and clip it away to the leg side, and
that's why you lift the back foot. So you know,
he's got to be a good keeper to do that
as well. Just sneaking up alone is not really the
point of it, is it, really, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It was a skill.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
It was skill, yeah, And of course, you know, you
think back to those sides fifty five fifty six that
he went on that tour to Pakistan and India, was
it or was it just India? I can't hope, yeah,
both of them. And he played his first Test there,
didn't he he did, I think, and that he came
(05:38):
back also to New Zealand and might have had one
further test. Yes, but they batted number eleven, number ten
and eleven, didn't they the keepers?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, well, he he did the first Test at the
NEED and I think it was against the West Indies
in fifty six and then he was dropped in favor
of Sammy Gillen And there was also Ian Kahuna around
then and I think they probably thought that they were
better bat at batting than the TG. But you know,
(06:12):
he was a long servant of the domestic game, the
club game. He played a club senior game I think
when he was fifty and played either with or against
his sons, one of his sons, and it was you know,
I mean that that was just the TG. And he
got through to be the second oldest living Test player, yes,
(06:35):
and he was a good friend of the oldest living
Test player, who was Neil Harvey ninety seven. But it's
interesting to think about you know New Zealanders who have
survived through into the nineties. Ian Leggett is coming up
ninety six in June, still alive. Bob Blair in England
turns ninety four this tune. And John Guy.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
He was in that side, wasn't he fifty five?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
He's the only surviving member of that too, got one
hundred and that game an underrated player, John Guy, and
he's still alive in his nineties as well. So you know,
it's nice to remember and reflect and pay our respects
to those people because they have been wonderful servants of
the game and the you know, the forerunner of what
(07:26):
you became and what other people have become. Have they?
I mean you would have did you play Plunket Shield
with TG? Or was he the selector?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Ian Sirkleson was the Wellington keeper at that time, but
I you know, TG would not have disgraced himself in
the slightest at that level. I mean he was a
very very good mover, great hands and better than that. Actually,
as you look back, it tends to be the sort
(07:55):
of person he was on the field. You know, he
was a decent bloke and he he always always was
there to have a chat too after and there would
you know, irrespective of the result or any tensions on
the field, you know, Silvery would always come over and
have a quick beer and then shoot away, you know.
(08:15):
But he was a good guy. And imagine playing against
your sons, I mean, and things like that. I mean,
it's a shame his wife didn't play, you know, really well.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
She had to bring up not only TV.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Imagine cleaning all those green stains off trousers for years.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Oh yeah, for a long long time. Plunket Shield was
of course something that he will remember with fondness. And
we're talking about the Plunket Shield. It's coming down to
the wire now, and you have got an interest because
grandson is playing in Otago and they've got a big
(08:57):
chance of picking up the trophy. There's four in with
a hunt for the Plunket Shield and Otago had just
quiet worked themselves up to second spot and they play
Wellington in the final round. That's coming up.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
They do and at home I think they're playing down
in Otago University of which is a pitch that just
gives a little bit to the bowlers. So it is
a kind of semi result pitch if you like. Yeah,
it's It's interesting, isn't it. Otago have always been a
younger team. I think because it's a university town, and
that's not a bad thing. I think they introduce younger
(09:37):
players and we see how they develop and how they
go and if they're good enough. I don't have any
problem with that at all. But what it's meant is
it's been difficult for them to get Reno, to win
a Plunket Shield or to be up there in contention
for what forty years? I remember we won in eighty seven.
I think we won the Plunket Shield Wellington. I don't
(10:00):
think they've won since then, have they? No?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
They won the next year I think was yeah, yeah,
so you know, and in of course in times gone by,
Wally Lee's and the bracelets and the Blairs and all
sorts made up there name. There's no household names as
such when you think about Otago, but one household name
(10:24):
will be Shane O'Connor his son Tom.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Oh. Yes, what a debut.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
He's got twenty three wickets at eleven.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
You know, he left arma two wads left arm.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
They say he's just picked up a yard or two
of pace as well, which will help him get the
ball to swing. And the other thing is he played
a beginning of the bat. They won the game against
Northern Districts and he got eighty odd to help them
through to that. So you know, these young players and
you know you were Tom and some of the other
(10:58):
young players that are playing for Otago have really worked
pretty hard and that they could well win it. It would
be encouraging if they because the Canterbury playing Auckland. Canterbury
leading at the moment and they're playing Auckland in Auckland,
anything could happen there, couldn't it.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Could?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
That'll be the number two ground, won't it on? So
that's usually a reasonably decent pitch. Small boundaries of course,
so runs become you know, the currency there and leaving
and both teams will want to win, so there will
be there'll be some striving going on in fact between
those two games, won't there great It's a great finish
(11:40):
to the local season, which is you know, it's it's
it's encouraging. I think that we've got, you know, those
sides together at the top. I think Otago a third
at the moment and maybe Auckland just behind. But look,
it's it's going to be a good a good match
(12:01):
because every side could potentially get there. They've got bonus
points on the first innings only now and then you've
got to crack on, don't you. So it was a
good game. Otago needed something like three hundred and fifty odd,
didn't they? They do, and that's a big chase to
(12:23):
keep going for that length of time, and they managed
a couple of partnerships of fifty and a couple of
one hundred, so it was kind of a team effort
when you think of it in those terms. So enough
of them were just good enough. I think O'Connor at
four consecutive sixers, didn't they. They got to the point
where Jeep Reval went to short pitched, bought bowling and
(12:47):
he loved them over to very good support apparently from
the boundary from all the local club players who had
finished their match and were then sitting and watching as well.
And even Jeep Reval went across and sank them. I
think he's in about his second to last match before
he retires. I'm not sure, but he was over and
(13:08):
said thanks so much. You know, you presented such a
really good atmosphere and a lot of humor and he
enjoyed it and good on him for doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yes, and we won't mention Wellington, who are bringing up
the rear of the competition at the moment they will return.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, absolutely, They've got some dangerous players, you know. And
Sneddon Snedden's coming be got a five for, didn't he
And he'll be better for that runout, won't he?
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yes he will.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Brian Waddell Jeremy Cooney on the front foot the.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
T twenty competition is something we're going to talk about
today before we do. The interest in the T twenties
against South Africa B featuring New Zealand B has been
pretty minimal. I'm disappointed that the New Zealand side have
come home with silver medals from the World T twenty.
They're sharing over a million dollars about one point four
(14:13):
million US dollars and prize money, so they get about
one hundred and fifty thousand each. I don't know how
they saught that to the coaches if we get any
share of the prize winning money, do the players contribute
in any way?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
To God? I would I couldn't tell you. We didn't
have coaches. We got a what at which we used
to sell and split the money up. Padal's got a
car once and split the money on that and got
a car the second time, and fair enough he decided,
I've given it to you once, fellas. But really we
(14:47):
weren't with a very different game nowadays, let's put it
that way. So but yeah, I can understand your view
about you know, international cricket. I'm afraid it is a
way of the world now days. We kind of are
(15:09):
told we have to live with this. We don't necessarily
see the marquee players all the time, and that's going
to continue. I think, whils, it's not going to get better,
it's probably going to get worse. And it means you've
got to have more players who can play international cricket,
don't you. That's really effectively what it means. And he
(15:30):
twenties are probably of the three formats the better one
to enter, I would guess through that. I mean, the
worst part would be as if you were a red
bull cricketer only.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yes, well, yeah, I've got to have Yeah, you've got
to have wider skills, don't you. What I mean what
gets at me is that you have a competition, you're
selling it to the local market. Here, people aren't going along.
What do they want to go along for? Well, they
want to go and see Tim Seifertt, they want to
go and see Fanellen, and they want to see the
stars playing here at home. It's all very well seen
(16:05):
on TV. But if you're going to go to a ground,
you want to see those players. They've featured pretty prominently
in the one hundred in England in terms of being
signed up. I mean, Mitchell Center has been playing and
he's the highest paid New Zealander there one hundred and
seventy five thousand. But you know, these guys are all
getting upwards of one hundred thousand in contracts, and even
(16:28):
the women are getting contracts that are substantial as well.
Sophie Devine is getting two hundred and ten thousand pounds
for goodness sake, merely kure eighty thousand. But at least
we're seeing those women playing in New Zealand, We're not
seeing the men. So that's the issue that I take
with it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, well, I don't know. We haven't got an answer
to this, have we. There's no as in fact, there's
no answer. The players just make their selections and they
move on and they go and they try and I
guess carry out their contracts that they that they are,
you know, legally obliged to do. But they can get
out of those as well.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Some times they seem to be able to. And we
have a number of them playing in various competitions and
there's going to be a lot more of than but
T twenty, well, are we destined to have the best
part of our summer overrun by T twenty tests being
played either overseas or in the rainy season? October November
(17:28):
December is when we had the last lot and it
seems that's the way it's going to be. But it's
an issue that's being addressed by New Zealand Cricket at
the moment. Is the New Zealand twenty T twenty competition
or team in the Big Bess League or any other
prospect available, what should they be thinking about? We don't
(17:52):
hear too much, Dury. We don't know what is being
put forward as a case study.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Do we No, don't. It's the details we don't know,
And I mean it obviously appears that the current options
have been limited now to two. One of them obviously
(18:17):
the Big Bash Australian option and the other one the
n Z twenty, the Indian kind of backed league. But
we're short on details. You're absolutely right, and that's why
there's all this kind of speculation that goes on about it.
The BBL. We know that they are offering one New
(18:39):
Zealand side with the prospect of a second depending upon
various KPIs and whether they reach those, a second team
could go in. So if they reach those, yeah, they
would be playing. We'd have two teams playing in front
of a large and well established, you know, competition and
(19:02):
the large crowds good grounds. The women's game, I do
hear in the there's my understanding is that an offer
has been made for the women as well to join
and give it a bit of a boost and maybe
protect a little bit in the future. Whether that's an
immediate one with the men's side, I don't know whether
(19:24):
that's going to happen. The other thing is that they
will be known and the New Zealand is as locals
in other words, and not internationals. In other words. They
will become if you are on the New Zealand team,
a local Australian player, and therefore they would not take
up the other international players' positions in the squads for
(19:47):
the BBL. So that's actually quite an advantage, isn't it.
If they are good enough and you don't make the
New Zealand Big Bash, say team, you can still go
through another route, which is you could become a local
player and play for the Sydney Sixers or whatever as
a local Australian player. So that's quite another little option.
(20:13):
I think that option also allows for the opportunity to
still play international tests. You were mentioning that a moment
ago in what is the kind of the January and
a bit of fab which is generally a better time
to play test cricket, isn't it. The weather is a
(20:33):
bit more consistent, The pitchers are a little bit better
certainly than the cooler and the windier November December you
talk about when you've got to pack as a supporter
a coat and a rug and get a thermos. But
and you know that's what I'm afraid Test cricket could
(20:55):
be consigned to where the margins of our summer. You know,
New Zealand Cricket may feel they've got to make some
cash out of n Z twenty. Well you can understand that,
but they could also lose out on tests, I think
even more than they do now with just November December.
It's not it's not the better times a year and
(21:20):
it is it. I mean, they don't really market the tests,
to be honest, I don't know what I'm assuming. The
Big Bash, despite the large crowds and established competition, is
losing a bit of cash, I would say, while they
want to sell it otherwise.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, it's an interesting scenario and we should be looking
across the Tasman to see what's going on because this
is an important decision that New Zealand cricket have to
make private investment buying equity and the lasting implemation implications.
They can't afford to get it wrong. I was just
reading Mel Farrell, who will know, a journalist who does
a lot of work around the cricketing world, had a
(22:02):
tweet interesting times for Australian cricket running at a loss
for several years and all the eggs are in the
home test BBL, WBBL Broadcast Basket, other domestic competitions all
but invisible. And Daniel Breedegan, another journalist, has written an
article about the same thing and one of the interesting
(22:22):
points he makes is estimates of the value of the
sale of these franchises in Australia based around the concept
of selling say forty nine percent stake in six of
the clubs and one hundred percent stake in one of
the other two Melbourne and Sydney. They've got two teams
in both those places. Have ranged between six hundred million
(22:44):
and eight hundred million. You know, that's the money they're
talking about now that that money is obscene when you
think about it in New Zealand terms.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Isn't it? It is? Well? Yeah, well where do New
Zealand Cricket make their money? For a start? Do they
make it basically from the ICC? Don't they there hand
out their percentage?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
World championships have sponsorship, they'll have sponsorship. And one might
as well ask we've had the A n Z, you know,
consistent solid supporters of the game. I'm not sure you'd
want to be supporting as an A and Z. You know,
(23:29):
an Indian owned or who does own it? We don't
know who owns this tournament, but an Indian driven league,
do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
It seems to be the plan does what's that? Would
you want that I.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Mean, what did I mean? New Zealand Cricket get their
cash from those three main avenues plus the broadcasting of course,
and with that they fund all our local competitions planket
shield under nineteen, under seventeen, all that and two of
us going away.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
That's right, that's what we want them, that's what is
best for the game.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
YEP and A and Z come under the sponsorship of course,
but I'm not sure whether they'll be quite so keen
in sponsoring that they're coming from, you know. And what
about the time seeing we've mentioned broadcasting, what about the
time for eyeballs Indian eyeballs? You know, we've basically got
(24:28):
when are we going to play these games? If you
go at seven pm, that's eleven twenty in cold Cutter.
Now most people are at work. If you've got a
job at eleven twenty in the morning, if you want
to get them for their best time, of course, it's
after six when once they've got home that's two am
in New Zealand. So you kind of need lights. And
(24:52):
can you see in the South Island University of Otago
ground they don't have lights. Difficult to play a match there.
Then you've got. We've been downsizing the size of our
stadia throughout New Zealand for some time, and that's you know,
we've got Hagley, a wonderful ground, both in the university
(25:13):
ground as too lovely ground, intimate and banks and so on.
So about would you say nine thousand nine to ten
thousand is fair for a size of Hagley?
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Pretty much? I would think. I mean the basin reservers
are the same, and that they used to get crowds
of about twelve thousand in the days when they were
having big numbers. But of course health and safety now
prevents any more than say around about eight or nine
thousand at many of those grounds, and you know, up
and down the country those have got even in Bay Oval.
You know there's a limitation. It's not a it's not
(25:49):
a ground where there are stands. You sit on the bank,
don't you say that? You know they have to limit
the numbers. I mean the other thing too, is you see.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
What I mean though, Yeah, they are relying on bums
on seats as a component of money and fandom and
buying them dies and all that kind of stuff. I
just wonder how does it work, because there's only really
you could only you could play day games at University Oval.
(26:19):
I don't know how many would be there. It's not
a big ground one stand basically, isn't it. And then
you've got one stand at you know in christ Church
as well. That's not They're not big numbers compared to
even the big Bash. And if they are losing money,
I just I just because they always look quite big
(26:40):
crowds fifteen twenty twenty five thousand have yes, I just
wonder about some of that.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yeah, you have to have atmosphere with the fans. There's
no point in playing these games in front of the
limited numbers. And you know that there's limited numbers in
this South African tour. That that is just one of
the things that they will have to be honing up on,
won't they when they make their decision. I mean, yeah,
well they had a beating this recent week, but we
(27:09):
still haven't heard anything about what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Well, that says quite a lot too to me. You
know a number of things, doesn't it how big this
decision is. But yeah, I mean even the players, what
sort of players are they going to attract to this competition?
The SA twenty is a competitor. The Big Bash is
a competitor both played during January and a little bit
(27:33):
of February, and then I think it might even hit
the start of the Dubai as well. But the South
Africa twenty has seemingly captured the better English players. You
need labor, don't you. You need good labor to make
these things work to attract players, and the Big Bash
(27:57):
has got some Pakistan players, you know, and they also
had what you might call second tier English players, you know,
Billings and co. But you know, the reason the Big
Bash works for me was that it was it's the
Australian component, isn't it. It's the local players that have
(28:18):
an impressive you know, they're quite high quality and competitive,
and so that works because of that. The other thing
I think that should be mentioned about that Big Bash
is that they are offering back in New Zealand because
they're still going to have to be a Super Smash,
even though the Indian think you need to have the
(28:40):
Super Smash going on underneath that to provide some player development,
and the Australians have offered three Australian players into each
of those Super Smash New Zealand sides as well, and
they've also taken not a big steak, but they've also
taken a small steak out of the Super into the
(29:03):
Super Smash as well. So it's not a huge out
of money, but that's there, as I suppose, a bit
of a token kind of thing to keep it going.
So I think those are quite decent kind of thoughts.
At least we've got some some idea, But when it
(29:25):
comes to the in z twenty, I don't think we
have much at all. We know how it's come about.
There's a bit of fractured stuff, there's some uncertain stuff,
there's some stuff going on behind in the background, let's
put it that way. And then we got six teams
(29:50):
New Zealand rugby probably our main game, working hard to
remain there. I think you'd probably say, but they can
only get five professional sides, they can't get six. Can't
hold that. We've talked about the timing of this. Certainly
(30:11):
this option wants to confirm a window of January and
ferry that's slightly different and sending some players over. We
could still, in other words, play test cricket with the
first option, but not with the second, not during January.
In a bit of February. So that's that's selling summer
(30:33):
to me in New Zealand and it consigns cricket to
those margins for tests. So but who was funding this words,
who owns this competition?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Well, that's the issue that I think we need to know.
And it seems very much as though it's going to
be an Indian franchise scenario, which is what is going
on and creating discussion in Australia. And you look at
the sides that they have in South Africa. Of course
(31:07):
they're named after the IPL sides, aren't they're owned by
the IPL franchises as such.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Yet six out of six all owned by the Indians.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, I'm not sure whether I'm for or against that.
What I'm for is what is best for the entire
New Zealand game. Not the matter of the rich getting
richer and the rest just taking the crumbs, which is
sometimes the case when you think about the money that's
being talked about in terms of franchise leagues. But what
is best for the New Zealand game. That's what New
(31:38):
Zealand Cricket has the responsibility to do. It happens, whatever
happens competition wise, they have to take a cut and
they have to approve it, don't they.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
The other question over who runs it? We don't know
who owns it. We don't know who runs it. I mean,
is New Zealand Cricket part of this or will there
be another company?
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Yes, have to be a part another company, wouldn't it?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Well? Is the resignation, for example, of Mills, is that
a sign that he might be part of that company?
That's just my mind working that way. May not? Oh
that's fair? And would some of the people on the
board be some of those other people involved, the Flemings
and the Vottories as board members. We just don't know. Look,
(32:27):
I don't mind the money. I'm with you on that.
I don't mind that. But where does it go? That's
the issue, isn't it? Does it just go to Santner's
and Mitchell's and all the New Zealand top players. I'm
not quite so keen on that. We've talked about sponsorship
in New Zealand. Who's the broadcaster awards? I suppose it's
Sky is it?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Wow? That's another thing that hasn't been described or confirmed correct.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
And we don't and we know that the time zones
are not going to be easy for the number of eyeballs,
So I don't know. And we've talked about where the
games will be played. South Island not so easy obviously,
Hamilton Wellington, which is a bit sterile sometimes Wellington, isn't it,
Let's be fair, But it's a stadium that can handle
bums on seats, and also Auckland obviously as well. That's
(33:17):
where the bulk of it would be played, wouldn't it.
That's all I can see. And then the other point,
my last, my last point would be about player development.
Isn't that That comes to the heart of what you
were saying. We need to have players who can be
the best they can be and given the opportunities to
become as good as they can in the tree twenty format. Now,
(33:40):
is it going to involve these teams? Christian Clark? Is
it going to evolve you mentioned O'Connor. I meant, you know,
a moment ago, Tim Robinson, the Namick Kelly's, the Muhammad Abbass,
the rich Hayes, those kinds of people, Lenox, you know
as it those So I think we'll see Bolt. I
(34:01):
think we'll see we'll see Trent Bolt. It's those kinds
of players. I think that are be going to be
coming down so loads of questions I have in my mind.
No answers yet, No, but it's a very big decision.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yes indeed, and we're waiting for those answers. Surely they're
going to have to make a decision at some stage.
I can understand them not making it straight after their meeting.
The initial inference I got was it was sort of
fifty to fifty cut on the board, which makes it
difficult to get consensus. We've got to get everybody on
the same page. We know the page the players are on.
(34:39):
We've heard from Rutch and Ravender, We've heard from Daryn Mitchell,
We've heard from Tom Latham that they are in favor
of the New Zealand twenty competition. That tends to suggest
that they have already decided within the player ranks. There
was some talk on the news during the week about
a player strike if they don't get what they wanted.
(35:01):
I hope goodness doesn't occur. But it was a question
that was posed, and that was a posed was posed
to Susie Bates. So there's quite clear evidence that there's
women's cricket involved in this some way or another. It's
just hard to know. But you know, the last thing
we want is for talk of strike or any of those.
(35:22):
We want everybody on the same page. And it's a
matter of however the vote goes. You've got to accept it,
whether you're opposed to it, and move on and make
it work. Isn't that fair?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Yeah? I think that is fair. I mean I don't.
It feels a bit like I once saw a cartoon
from Tom Scott with a guy holding a knife at
his neck. There's a little bit like that for the
players too, because if the ones who aren't, if they're
not in this in these teams, these six teams, and
they and New Zealand Cricket are slightly bypassed. What we'll
(35:57):
hear is of course in conjunction with New Zealand Cricket.
That's the sort of thing I think that will be released.
But how much will New Zealand Cricket be getting from this?
We don't know anything like that. A lot percentage, We
won't know anything about that. So how are they going
to fund the game? This is supposed to be the
(36:19):
main part of the money when they take January out.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Of action, that's what they're going to have to tell
us when they make the decision, and I guess that's
in the very near future. We'll have a chance to
discuss I'm sure the final decision at some stages. I say,
over seven days ago. They had a meeting, so it's
been discussed. They've had the report from the Lutes that
(36:44):
they were expecting, They've got all the material in front
of them. As we are led to believe, it's now
making the right decision and achieving some unanimity with it.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Big decision. We'll just wait to see what happens, and then,
as you say, it'll annoy some people, other people will
be very pleased, and let's see if it works.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Won't be the last time we're talking about this.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Will not? We'll go it won't.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We'll go away and give it some thought, and perhaps
next week we may know a little more and be
able to discuss the value and merits of what they are. Thanks,
thanks for your time, Keep working hard, enjoying.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, well yeah, doing the harvest wads. It's a funny
thing when you start wabbling around because you're a bit tired.
But however, twelve hour shifts and from picton I'm us
two ten. My alarm goes off two am.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Two.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Yeah, so that's that's it. It's busy, it's busy. It's
not for too long.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
It would be next week.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Oh what's good Man.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Summer?
Speaker 1 (38:00):
For more from News Talks B listen live on air
or online, and keep our shows with you wherever you
go with our podcasts on radio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk sat B.
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Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, take another prick, it is out. The test is over.
Don't smoke a beauty, it is out here he goes.
This delivery has in the user to gool.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
On the Front Foot with Brian Waddell and Jeremy Cody
powered by News Talks d B at iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
This week on the Front Foot, what does the future
hold for the young cricket facing a tough decision on
domestic T twenty opinions are divided. He's even to set
to earn big in the one hundred Our BT moves
to South Africa b in a T twenty opener. Then
they write the ship for a couple of wounds. But
is the integrity of international cricket the diminished? A blanket
(01:10):
shield down to the wire with a round to go
and some fond memories of a good mate who passed
away last week and you'll remember him well, Jeremy Cady
tg is we knew him. You knew him as Silvery.
I think he had a couple of nicknames, but Trevor
McMahon was just a wonderful friend to us all and
(01:33):
as was mentioned that his funeral service on last week,
a life well a fun man.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Absolutely right, Brian good Man. Yes, Silvery to me always
looked forward to playing against him as a club. At
a club level, you had a little glimpse, you know,
at just how good keepers used to be when you
played against him, and it was always actually just a
(02:01):
very quick couple of sentences in a team meeting. We
even mentioned him watch out for Silvery's you know, he
would always he would virtually every club match you'd go
through and there would be stump McMahon Bold Taylor or
stump McMahon Bold Harry, you know, I mean it was,
(02:25):
it was. It was a brilliant He was brilliant, and
it was always mentioned. The second sentence was if you
are at the non striker's end and he creeps up,
you stop the bowler bowl and throw your bat across
in front.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Save that.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah. If I get stumped, oh I'm going to get
you later on. Gee was good, wasn't he?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
You always read.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Down leg side and you overbalanced slightly and the backfoot
came up bang. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I had the pleasure of playing both with and against him,
at club level, and he was he was an interesting character. Yeah.
He What he used to do was he used to
hide behind the batsman and sneak up down excited. You're
not allowed to do that now, and so they've killed that.
But I always remember him, and he denied it when
I said it to him, but his sons agreed with
(03:18):
me at the funeral that he had a hardware store
in the Eastern Suburbs and when they started playing cricket
at midday, he was struggling to get there for the
start of play. He always got there just on time.
But he arrived in his car. He's in his whites,
He's got his pads on because if it was the
(03:38):
first day, he knew he was either going to hope.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
He had automatic words.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
I think it might have been a manual.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
I I bet he doesn't. I bet he didn't. I
bet he didn't.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But he had the pads on because he knew he
was either keeping wickets if it was day one or
day two, and he'd be opening the batting, so it
didn't it didn't really matter. And I always remember when
I first played against me, he had a vicious square
cut like most wicket keepers, you know, you think of
all the keepers around the world, they all seem to
know how to play the cut stroke.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
They do they do, you quite right, and he was
I mean the other aspect, I mean, apart from his
playing on the field, which she was. You know, I
don't is there any problem with the keepers moving up? Yes,
of course the batsman can't see you, but the non
striker can. Yeah, you know, I don't have really not
(04:35):
a huge problem with that. Yeah, it's a bit sneaky,
but lots of sneaky things happen over the years, so
I mean, and if he's good enough to get it,
If he's good enough to get it, A lot of
keepers wouldn't pick that up on you know, they wouldn't
pick the line up or the batsman's in the way
(04:55):
of the ball, or it's full, you know, as you
try and clip it away to the leg side, and
that's why you lift the back foot. So you know,
he's got to be a good keeper to do that
as well. Just sneaking up alone is not really the
point of it, is it, really, I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
It was a skill.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
It was skill, yeah, And of course, you know, you
think back to those sides fifty five fifty six that
he went on that tour to Pakistan and India, was
it or was it just India? I can't hope, yeah,
both of them. And he played his first Test there,
didn't he he did, I think, and that he came
(05:38):
back also to New Zealand and might have had one
further test. Yes, but they batted number eleven, number ten
and eleven, didn't they the keepers?
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, well, he he did the first Test at the
NEED and I think it was against the West Indies
in fifty six and then he was dropped in favor
of Sammy Gillen And there was also Ian Kahuna around
then and I think they probably thought that they were
better bat at batting than the TG. But you know,
(06:12):
he was a long servant of the domestic game, the
club game. He played a club senior game I think
when he was fifty and played either with or against
his sons, one of his sons, and it was you know,
I mean that that was just the TG. And he
got through to be the second oldest living Test player, yes,
(06:35):
and he was a good friend of the oldest living
Test player, who was Neil Harvey ninety seven. But it's
interesting to think about you know New Zealanders who have
survived through into the nineties. Ian Leggett is coming up
ninety six in June, still alive. Bob Blair in England
turns ninety four this tune. And John Guy.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
He was in that side, wasn't he fifty five?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
He's the only surviving member of that too, got one
hundred and that game an underrated player, John Guy, and
he's still alive in his nineties as well. So you know,
it's nice to remember and reflect and pay our respects
to those people because they have been wonderful servants of
the game and the you know, the forerunner of what
(07:26):
you became and what other people have become. Have they?
I mean you would have did you play Plunket Shield
with TG? Or was he the selector?
Speaker 1 (07:34):
No?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Ian Sirkleson was the Wellington keeper at that time, but
I you know, TG would not have disgraced himself in
the slightest at that level. I mean he was a
very very good mover, great hands and better than that. Actually,
as you look back, it tends to be the sort
(07:55):
of person he was on the field. You know, he
was a decent bloke and he he always always was
there to have a chat too after and there would
you know, irrespective of the result or any tensions on
the field, you know, Silvery would always come over and
have a quick beer and then shoot away, you know.
(08:15):
But he was a good guy. And imagine playing against
your sons, I mean, and things like that. I mean,
it's a shame his wife didn't play, you know, really well.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
She had to bring up not only TV.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Imagine cleaning all those green stains off trousers for years.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Oh yeah, for a long long time. Plunket Shield was
of course something that he will remember with fondness. And
we're talking about the Plunket Shield. It's coming down to
the wire now, and you have got an interest because
grandson is playing in Otago and they've got a big
(08:57):
chance of picking up the trophy. There's four in with
a hunt for the Plunket Shield and Otago had just
quiet worked themselves up to second spot and they play
Wellington in the final round. That's coming up.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
They do and at home I think they're playing down
in Otago University of which is a pitch that just
gives a little bit to the bowlers. So it is
a kind of semi result pitch if you like. Yeah,
it's It's interesting, isn't it. Otago have always been a
younger team. I think because it's a university town, and
that's not a bad thing. I think they introduce younger
(09:37):
players and we see how they develop and how they
go and if they're good enough. I don't have any
problem with that at all. But what it's meant is
it's been difficult for them to get Reno, to win
a Plunket Shield or to be up there in contention
for what forty years? I remember we won in eighty seven.
I think we won the Plunket Shield Wellington. I don't
(10:00):
think they've won since then, have they? No?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
They won the next year I think was yeah, yeah,
so you know, and in of course in times gone by,
Wally Lee's and the bracelets and the Blairs and all
sorts made up there name. There's no household names as
such when you think about Otago, but one household name
(10:24):
will be Shane O'Connor his son Tom.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Oh. Yes, what a debut.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
He's got twenty three wickets at eleven.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
You know, he left arma two wads left arm.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
They say he's just picked up a yard or two
of pace as well, which will help him get the
ball to swing. And the other thing is he played
a beginning of the bat. They won the game against
Northern Districts and he got eighty odd to help them
through to that. So you know, these young players and
you know you were Tom and some of the other
(10:58):
young players that are playing for Otago have really worked
pretty hard and that they could well win it. It would
be encouraging if they because the Canterbury playing Auckland. Canterbury
leading at the moment and they're playing Auckland in Auckland,
anything could happen there, couldn't it.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Could?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
That'll be the number two ground, won't it on? So
that's usually a reasonably decent pitch. Small boundaries of course,
so runs become you know, the currency there and leaving
and both teams will want to win, so there will
be there'll be some striving going on in fact between
those two games, won't there great It's a great finish
(11:40):
to the local season, which is you know, it's it's
it's encouraging. I think that we've got, you know, those
sides together at the top. I think Otago a third
at the moment and maybe Auckland just behind. But look,
it's it's going to be a good a good match
(12:01):
because every side could potentially get there. They've got bonus
points on the first innings only now and then you've
got to crack on, don't you. So it was a
good game. Otago needed something like three hundred and fifty odd,
didn't they? They do, and that's a big chase to
(12:23):
keep going for that length of time, and they managed
a couple of partnerships of fifty and a couple of
one hundred, so it was kind of a team effort
when you think of it in those terms. So enough
of them were just good enough. I think O'Connor at
four consecutive sixers, didn't they. They got to the point
where Jeep Reval went to short pitched, bought bowling and
(12:47):
he loved them over to very good support apparently from
the boundary from all the local club players who had
finished their match and were then sitting and watching as well.
And even Jeep Reval went across and sank them. I
think he's in about his second to last match before
he retires. I'm not sure, but he was over and
(13:08):
said thanks so much. You know, you presented such a
really good atmosphere and a lot of humor and he
enjoyed it and good on him for doing that.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yes, and we won't mention Wellington, who are bringing up
the rear of the competition at the moment they will return.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, absolutely, They've got some dangerous players, you know. And
Sneddon Snedden's coming be got a five for, didn't he
And he'll be better for that runout, won't he?
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yes he will.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Brian Waddell Jeremy Cooney on the front foot the.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
T twenty competition is something we're going to talk about
today before we do. The interest in the T twenties
against South Africa B featuring New Zealand B has been
pretty minimal. I'm disappointed that the New Zealand side have
come home with silver medals from the World T twenty.
They're sharing over a million dollars about one point four
(14:13):
million US dollars and prize money, so they get about
one hundred and fifty thousand each. I don't know how
they saught that to the coaches if we get any
share of the prize winning money, do the players contribute
in any way?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
To God? I would I couldn't tell you. We didn't
have coaches. We got a what at which we used
to sell and split the money up. Padal's got a
car once and split the money on that and got
a car the second time, and fair enough he decided,
I've given it to you once, fellas. But really we
(14:47):
weren't with a very different game nowadays, let's put it
that way. So but yeah, I can understand your view
about you know, international cricket. I'm afraid it is a
way of the world now days. We kind of are
(15:09):
told we have to live with this. We don't necessarily
see the marquee players all the time, and that's going
to continue. I think, whils, it's not going to get better,
it's probably going to get worse. And it means you've
got to have more players who can play international cricket,
don't you. That's really effectively what it means. And he
(15:30):
twenties are probably of the three formats the better one
to enter, I would guess through that. I mean, the
worst part would be as if you were a red
bull cricketer only.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yes, well, yeah, I've got to have Yeah, you've got
to have wider skills, don't you. What I mean what
gets at me is that you have a competition, you're
selling it to the local market. Here, people aren't going along.
What do they want to go along for? Well, they
want to go and see Tim Seifertt, they want to
go and see Fanellen, and they want to see the
stars playing here at home. It's all very well seen
(16:05):
on TV. But if you're going to go to a ground,
you want to see those players. They've featured pretty prominently
in the one hundred in England in terms of being
signed up. I mean, Mitchell Center has been playing and
he's the highest paid New Zealander there one hundred and
seventy five thousand. But you know, these guys are all
getting upwards of one hundred thousand in contracts, and even
(16:28):
the women are getting contracts that are substantial as well.
Sophie Devine is getting two hundred and ten thousand pounds
for goodness sake, merely kure eighty thousand. But at least
we're seeing those women playing in New Zealand, We're not
seeing the men. So that's the issue that I take
with it.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Yeah, well, I don't know. We haven't got an answer
to this, have we. There's no as in fact, there's
no answer. The players just make their selections and they
move on and they go and they try and I
guess carry out their contracts that they that they are,
you know, legally obliged to do. But they can get
out of those as well.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Some times they seem to be able to. And we
have a number of them playing in various competitions and
there's going to be a lot more of than but
T twenty, well, are we destined to have the best
part of our summer overrun by T twenty tests being
played either overseas or in the rainy season? October November
(17:28):
December is when we had the last lot and it
seems that's the way it's going to be. But it's
an issue that's being addressed by New Zealand Cricket at
the moment. Is the New Zealand twenty T twenty competition
or team in the Big Bess League or any other
prospect available, what should they be thinking about? We don't
(17:52):
hear too much, Dury. We don't know what is being
put forward as a case study.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
Do we No, don't. It's the details we don't know,
And I mean it obviously appears that the current options
have been limited now to two. One of them obviously
(18:17):
the Big Bash Australian option and the other one the
n Z twenty, the Indian kind of backed league. But
we're short on details. You're absolutely right, and that's why
there's all this kind of speculation that goes on about it.
The BBL. We know that they are offering one New
(18:39):
Zealand side with the prospect of a second depending upon
various KPIs and whether they reach those, a second team
could go in. So if they reach those, yeah, they
would be playing. We'd have two teams playing in front
of a large and well established, you know, competition and
(19:02):
the large crowds good grounds. The women's game, I do
hear in the there's my understanding is that an offer
has been made for the women as well to join
and give it a bit of a boost and maybe
protect a little bit in the future. Whether that's an
immediate one with the men's side, I don't know whether
(19:24):
that's going to happen. The other thing is that they
will be known and the New Zealand is as locals
in other words, and not internationals. In other words. They
will become if you are on the New Zealand team,
a local Australian player, and therefore they would not take
up the other international players' positions in the squads for
(19:47):
the BBL. So that's actually quite an advantage, isn't it.
If they are good enough and you don't make the
New Zealand Big Bash, say team, you can still go
through another route, which is you could become a local
player and play for the Sydney Sixers or whatever as
a local Australian player. So that's quite another little option.
(20:13):
I think that option also allows for the opportunity to
still play international tests. You were mentioning that a moment
ago in what is the kind of the January and
a bit of fab which is generally a better time
to play test cricket, isn't it. The weather is a
(20:33):
bit more consistent, The pitchers are a little bit better
certainly than the cooler and the windier November December you
talk about when you've got to pack as a supporter
a coat and a rug and get a thermos. But
and you know that's what I'm afraid Test cricket could
(20:55):
be consigned to where the margins of our summer. You know,
New Zealand Cricket may feel they've got to make some
cash out of n Z twenty. Well you can understand that,
but they could also lose out on tests, I think
even more than they do now with just November December.
It's not it's not the better times a year and
(21:20):
it is it. I mean, they don't really market the tests,
to be honest, I don't know what I'm assuming. The
Big Bash, despite the large crowds and established competition, is
losing a bit of cash, I would say, while they
want to sell it otherwise.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, it's an interesting scenario and we should be looking
across the Tasman to see what's going on because this
is an important decision that New Zealand cricket have to
make private investment buying equity and the lasting implemation implications.
They can't afford to get it wrong. I was just
reading Mel Farrell, who will know, a journalist who does
a lot of work around the cricketing world, had a
(22:02):
tweet interesting times for Australian cricket running at a loss
for several years and all the eggs are in the
home test BBL, WBBL Broadcast Basket, other domestic competitions all
but invisible. And Daniel Breedegan, another journalist, has written an
article about the same thing and one of the interesting
(22:22):
points he makes is estimates of the value of the
sale of these franchises in Australia based around the concept
of selling say forty nine percent stake in six of
the clubs and one hundred percent stake in one of
the other two Melbourne and Sydney. They've got two teams
in both those places. Have ranged between six hundred million
(22:44):
and eight hundred million. You know, that's the money they're
talking about now that that money is obscene when you
think about it in New Zealand terms.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Isn't it? It is? Well? Yeah, well where do New
Zealand Cricket make their money? For a start? Do they
make it basically from the ICC? Don't they there hand
out their percentage?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (23:07):
World championships have sponsorship, they'll have sponsorship. And one might
as well ask we've had the A n Z, you know,
consistent solid supporters of the game. I'm not sure you'd
want to be supporting as an A and Z. You know,
(23:29):
an Indian owned or who does own it? We don't
know who owns this tournament, but an Indian driven league,
do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (23:38):
It seems to be the plan does what's that? Would
you want that I.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Mean, what did I mean? New Zealand Cricket get their
cash from those three main avenues plus the broadcasting of course,
and with that they fund all our local competitions planket
shield under nineteen, under seventeen, all that and two of
us going away.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
That's right, that's what we want them, that's what is
best for the game.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
YEP and A and Z come under the sponsorship of course,
but I'm not sure whether they'll be quite so keen
in sponsoring that they're coming from, you know. And what
about the time seeing we've mentioned broadcasting, what about the
time for eyeballs Indian eyeballs? You know, we've basically got
(24:28):
when are we going to play these games? If you
go at seven pm, that's eleven twenty in cold Cutter.
Now most people are at work. If you've got a
job at eleven twenty in the morning, if you want
to get them for their best time, of course, it's
after six when once they've got home that's two am
in New Zealand. So you kind of need lights. And
(24:52):
can you see in the South Island University of Otago
ground they don't have lights. Difficult to play a match there.
Then you've got. We've been downsizing the size of our
stadia throughout New Zealand for some time, and that's you know,
we've got Hagley, a wonderful ground, both in the university
(25:13):
ground as too lovely ground, intimate and banks and so on.
So about would you say nine thousand nine to ten
thousand is fair for a size of Hagley?
Speaker 2 (25:26):
Pretty much? I would think. I mean the basin reservers
are the same, and that they used to get crowds
of about twelve thousand in the days when they were
having big numbers. But of course health and safety now
prevents any more than say around about eight or nine
thousand at many of those grounds, and you know, up
and down the country those have got even in Bay Oval.
You know there's a limitation. It's not a it's not
(25:49):
a ground where there are stands. You sit on the bank,
don't you say that? You know they have to limit
the numbers. I mean the other thing too, is you see.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
What I mean though, Yeah, they are relying on bums
on seats as a component of money and fandom and
buying them dies and all that kind of stuff. I
just wonder how does it work, because there's only really
you could only you could play day games at University Oval.
(26:19):
I don't know how many would be there. It's not
a big ground one stand basically, isn't it. And then
you've got one stand at you know in christ Church
as well. That's not They're not big numbers compared to
even the big Bash. And if they are losing money,
I just I just because they always look quite big
(26:40):
crowds fifteen twenty twenty five thousand have yes, I just
wonder about some of that.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yeah, you have to have atmosphere with the fans. There's
no point in playing these games in front of the
limited numbers. And you know that there's limited numbers in
this South African tour. That that is just one of
the things that they will have to be honing up on,
won't they when they make their decision. I mean, yeah,
well they had a beating this recent week, but we
(27:09):
still haven't heard anything about what's going to happen.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
Well, that says quite a lot too to me. You
know a number of things, doesn't it how big this
decision is. But yeah, I mean even the players, what
sort of players are they going to attract to this competition?
The SA twenty is a competitor. The Big Bash is
a competitor both played during January and a little bit
(27:33):
of February, and then I think it might even hit
the start of the Dubai as well. But the South
Africa twenty has seemingly captured the better English players. You
need labor, don't you. You need good labor to make
these things work to attract players, and the Big Bash
(27:57):
has got some Pakistan players, you know, and they also
had what you might call second tier English players, you know,
Billings and co. But you know, the reason the Big
Bash works for me was that it was it's the
Australian component, isn't it. It's the local players that have
(28:18):
an impressive you know, they're quite high quality and competitive,
and so that works because of that. The other thing
I think that should be mentioned about that Big Bash
is that they are offering back in New Zealand because
they're still going to have to be a Super Smash,
even though the Indian think you need to have the
(28:40):
Super Smash going on underneath that to provide some player development,
and the Australians have offered three Australian players into each
of those Super Smash New Zealand sides as well, and
they've also taken not a big steak, but they've also
taken a small steak out of the Super into the
(29:03):
Super Smash as well. So it's not a huge out
of money, but that's there, as I suppose, a bit
of a token kind of thing to keep it going.
So I think those are quite decent kind of thoughts.
At least we've got some some idea, But when it
(29:25):
comes to the in z twenty, I don't think we
have much at all. We know how it's come about.
There's a bit of fractured stuff, there's some uncertain stuff,
there's some stuff going on behind in the background, let's
put it that way. And then we got six teams
(29:50):
New Zealand rugby probably our main game, working hard to
remain there. I think you'd probably say, but they can
only get five professional sides, they can't get six. Can't
hold that. We've talked about the timing of this. Certainly
(30:11):
this option wants to confirm a window of January and
ferry that's slightly different and sending some players over. We
could still, in other words, play test cricket with the
first option, but not with the second, not during January.
In a bit of February. So that's that's selling summer
(30:33):
to me in New Zealand and it consigns cricket to
those margins for tests. So but who was funding this words,
who owns this competition?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Well, that's the issue that I think we need to know.
And it seems very much as though it's going to
be an Indian franchise scenario, which is what is going
on and creating discussion in Australia. And you look at
the sides that they have in South Africa. Of course
(31:07):
they're named after the IPL sides, aren't they're owned by
the IPL franchises as such.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Yet six out of six all owned by the Indians.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, I'm not sure whether I'm for or against that.
What I'm for is what is best for the entire
New Zealand game. Not the matter of the rich getting
richer and the rest just taking the crumbs, which is
sometimes the case when you think about the money that's
being talked about in terms of franchise leagues. But what
is best for the New Zealand game. That's what New
(31:38):
Zealand Cricket has the responsibility to do. It happens, whatever
happens competition wise, they have to take a cut and
they have to approve it, don't they.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
The other question over who runs it? We don't know
who owns it. We don't know who runs it. I mean,
is New Zealand Cricket part of this or will there
be another company?
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Yes, have to be a part another company, wouldn't it?
Speaker 3 (32:05):
Well? Is the resignation, for example, of Mills, is that
a sign that he might be part of that company?
That's just my mind working that way. May not? Oh
that's fair? And would some of the people on the
board be some of those other people involved, the Flemings
and the Vottories as board members. We just don't know. Look,
(32:27):
I don't mind the money. I'm with you on that.
I don't mind that. But where does it go? That's
the issue, isn't it? Does it just go to Santner's
and Mitchell's and all the New Zealand top players. I'm
not quite so keen on that. We've talked about sponsorship
in New Zealand. Who's the broadcaster awards? I suppose it's
Sky is it?
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Wow? That's another thing that hasn't been described or confirmed correct.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
And we don't and we know that the time zones
are not going to be easy for the number of eyeballs,
So I don't know. And we've talked about where the
games will be played. South Island not so easy obviously,
Hamilton Wellington, which is a bit sterile sometimes Wellington, isn't it,
Let's be fair, But it's a stadium that can handle
bums on seats, and also Auckland obviously as well. That's
(33:17):
where the bulk of it would be played, wouldn't it.
That's all I can see. And then the other point,
my last, my last point would be about player development.
Isn't that That comes to the heart of what you
were saying. We need to have players who can be
the best they can be and given the opportunities to
become as good as they can in the tree twenty format. Now,
(33:40):
is it going to involve these teams? Christian Clark? Is
it going to evolve you mentioned O'Connor. I meant, you know,
a moment ago, Tim Robinson, the Namick Kelly's, the Muhammad Abbass,
the rich Hayes, those kinds of people, Lenox, you know
as it those So I think we'll see Bolt. I
(34:01):
think we'll see we'll see Trent Bolt. It's those kinds
of players. I think that are be going to be
coming down so loads of questions I have in my mind.
No answers yet, No, but it's a very big decision.
Speaker 2 (34:17):
Yes indeed, and we're waiting for those answers. Surely they're
going to have to make a decision at some stage.
I can understand them not making it straight after their meeting.
The initial inference I got was it was sort of
fifty to fifty cut on the board, which makes it
difficult to get consensus. We've got to get everybody on
the same page. We know the page the players are on.
(34:39):
We've heard from Rutch and Ravender, We've heard from Daryn Mitchell,
We've heard from Tom Latham that they are in favor
of the New Zealand twenty competition. That tends to suggest
that they have already decided within the player ranks. There
was some talk on the news during the week about
a player strike if they don't get what they wanted.
(35:01):
I hope goodness doesn't occur. But it was a question
that was posed, and that was a posed was posed
to Susie Bates. So there's quite clear evidence that there's
women's cricket involved in this some way or another. It's
just hard to know. But you know, the last thing
we want is for talk of strike or any of those.
(35:22):
We want everybody on the same page. And it's a
matter of however the vote goes. You've got to accept it,
whether you're opposed to it, and move on and make
it work. Isn't that fair?
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Yeah? I think that is fair. I mean I don't.
It feels a bit like I once saw a cartoon
from Tom Scott with a guy holding a knife at
his neck. There's a little bit like that for the
players too, because if the ones who aren't, if they're
not in this in these teams, these six teams, and
they and New Zealand Cricket are slightly bypassed. What we'll
(35:57):
hear is of course in conjunction with New Zealand Cricket.
That's the sort of thing I think that will be released.
But how much will New Zealand Cricket be getting from this?
We don't know anything like that. A lot percentage, We
won't know anything about that. So how are they going
to fund the game? This is supposed to be the
(36:19):
main part of the money when they take January out.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Of action, that's what they're going to have to tell
us when they make the decision, and I guess that's
in the very near future. We'll have a chance to
discuss I'm sure the final decision at some stages. I say,
over seven days ago. They had a meeting, so it's
been discussed. They've had the report from the Lutes that
(36:44):
they were expecting, They've got all the material in front
of them. As we are led to believe, it's now
making the right decision and achieving some unanimity with it.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Big decision. We'll just wait to see what happens, and then,
as you say, it'll annoy some people, other people will
be very pleased, and let's see if it works.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
Won't be the last time we're talking about this.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
Will not? We'll go it won't.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
We'll go away and give it some thought, and perhaps
next week we may know a little more and be
able to discuss the value and merits of what they are. Thanks,
thanks for your time, Keep working hard, enjoying.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, well yeah, doing the harvest wads. It's a funny
thing when you start wabbling around because you're a bit tired.
But however, twelve hour shifts and from picton I'm us
two ten. My alarm goes off two am.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
Two.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
Yeah, so that's that's it. It's busy, it's busy. It's
not for too long.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
It would be next week.
Speaker 3 (37:48):
Oh what's good Man.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Summer?
Speaker 1 (38:00):
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