December 4, 2025 • 19 mins
On Sports Fix with D'Arcy Waldegrave and Jason Pine for 4th December 2025, earlier today an open letter signed by a number of former Black Cap international cricketers was sent out with concerns around the NZ20 competition being proposed in New Zealand.
This privately backed competition is one of the four proposed options for the future of T20 franchise cricket in New Zealand.
Don Mackinnon is the Chairman of the NZ20 establishment committee and he joined D'Arcy to respond to the claims
D'Arcy shares his thoughts on Mitch Hay looking to be the next test wicket keeper for the Black Caps
And D'Arcy and Piney discuss the Rugby World Cup draw that was announced last night, and the pink ball ashes test that begins today.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hello there, and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast for
Thursday to fourth of December and association with GJ. Gardner Holmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder. As we charge headlong
towards another sporting weekend, I'm Jason Pine.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
My name is darc Walter Grave. I have my head
down as I charge toward the incomingin. He needs that saying.
We're going to walk towards pressure. Dad back in the
All Black days, I have I believe you run it
pressure and then tackle it before it's got a chance
to respond.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
So this is where I'm skirt I'd skirt around the
pressure I'd be I'd be ducking and diving and trying
to avoid any contact with pressure.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
We're a very different mindsets us.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You know I'm running it straight, bro.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
All right, Fair enough.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
A busy old Sports Fix podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
To come for you. As always.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Want to kick around a couple of things in the
chamber with your dars, including the All Blacks World Cup
draw and the pink fall test starting at the gather tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
In terms of a guest on Sports Fixs today.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Who are hearing from Piney will be talking to Don McKennon.
He's the chairman of the Z twenty Establishment Committee as
we look deeper into this rather bizarre T twenty situation
in New Zealand cricket looking.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Forward to that and the latest and sports news too.
So let's get into it. Ed's do it in other news, let's.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Kick things off whether look at some of the big
sports stories around today. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson down
playing a daunting possible quarter final matchup at the twenty
twenty seven Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and South Africa
would meet in the final eight, provided both teams top
their polls and negotiate the round of sixteen.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
You know you're coming into a World Cup. You didn't
have to face someone in their their FORMUNNA to win it.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So you have to quarter final fits work works out there,
It's just part of the drawer to embrace it. Parker
Jackson Cartwrights monster three pointer with eight seconds to go
has given the Breakers a ninety five ninety win over
the Sydney Kings in the Australian Basketball League.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Decides to pull up.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
And Liverpool's Premier League football frustrations continue, dropping more points
at home in a one to one draw with Sunderland
and leaves the igning champions ninth with just six wins
from thirteen matches. Midfielder Curtis Jones sees the foundations are
there for the team to perform.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
I've got the guys in the team, they duck and squad.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I can assist and what we'll just ask for more aggressiveness.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Use and avinion. It's Sports Fix with Jason Hine and
Dussy Walter Grave.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
We're joined now by Don mckinnie's the chairman of the
n Z twenty Establishment Committee. Don, welcome to the program.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
Hey, good evenings chat.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
It's been an odd couple of weeks in this We've
heard from Richard Peach on the show about the losing
control of T twenty and about your new proposition and
who's engaged and who hasn't. I suppose we start off
first and foremost. You're involved in this. Why is this
n Z twenty in a state where it might want
to climb into New Zealand Cricket like, what's the point
(03:23):
behind this.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Well, the point behind the concept is, you know, frankly,
a group of us who care about the game, love
the game, have had thought the time is right that
we could really do with this competition to boost interest,
to get fans in love with the game again at
our domestic level. So you know, it's a concept that
(03:46):
we think the time's right, we think the money is available,
and therefore we became quite excited about the possibility of
bringing this to New Zealand Cricket and saying hey, can
you put this on your list of options because we
think we've got a hell of a deal for you.
And that's all it is. It's why some of the
fallout and some of this quite left criticism has come
(04:09):
as such a surprise to us, because it's simply an idea,
a concept that we think could really help the gun.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
And that's always at the moment, it's conceptual. You're looking
through your process and go will this work? Will someone
back at will New Zealand Cricket be involved? What are
the players situations? So I'm presuming you've canvas everybody concerned.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Don Well, we've canvas everybody concerned in terms of New
Zealand stakeholder. So we've talked extensively with a New z
Own credit board, We've talked extensively of the major associations,
the Players Association, that those are the main stakeholders in
New Zealand. And we've had extraordinary interest from potential investors overseas.
I mean a level of interested is buying my mind. Really,
(04:48):
the game is so loved and respected. New Zealand cricket
are so loved and respected around the world that there
are there's real interest in private money coming into the
game to help just this one competition, you know, really
important to note doesn't affect the Black Caps, doesn't affect
the White Ferns, doesn't affect the Ford Trophy or anything
else of cricket. It's just this little though where we
(05:09):
could potentially do something really exciting to get people fizzing
about domestic cricket.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
The talk has been all coming from Roger Petree that
it is going to basically cripple New Zealand cricket in
the Test season, that's going to interfere with the Australian
New Zealand series, with the incoming Sri Lankan series, maybe
India later on in the piece. So how do you
set this T twenty league where it doesn't affect what
happens at a Test cricket level. Is this a problem?
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Look, I mean, I'll be as polite as I possibly
can here. You know, the letter from the players, I
have to say I found really surprising and disappointing the
former players, and that is because none of them. I mean,
the letter's addressed to myself and Stephen Fleming and two others.
It was never actually sent to us. It was sent
to the media for reasons that you know, I can
(06:03):
only speculate on. But you know, if anybody had bothered
to ask us, the first thing we could have said
to them is we have been really upfront with New
Zeland Cricket that while a competition like this really will
succeed if we can get a four week window for
the men and initially a two week woman for the
two week window for the women, let's be flexible around
where that is. You know, we'd love it to be
(06:24):
in January, is because we want this sort of grass
bank grounds during the heat of summer. But if the
black Caps are playing the fourth Test against Australia, you'd
be absolutely idiotic to try and set up a T
twenty to start during that Test and then say to
I don't know, Okayin Williamson or Daryl Mitchell. Oh, by
(06:45):
the way, you're not playing the Fourth Test. I mean,
nobody in their right mind would set up a competition
like that. In our discussions with New Zealand Cricket, it's
being you know, let's just sit down and while we'd
love that window, clearly we need to be flexible. If
you support this concept, we all need to be flexible
around start and end dates. There'll be sometimes when you
(07:06):
have ICC events where you can't release your best players.
No problem, we'll make that work. But let's work on
a concept of trying to get a full week window
for the men in two week window for the women
if we can around that December January period as often
as we can. It's just just frankly common sense financially wise.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
And we've talked about this or around the office about
where the money is coming from. There's nothing set in stone,
is there yet? But there is huge interest out there
is that right don Look.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
See the thing that surprised me, although Stephen Flemy told
me this on day one, is you know there has
never been more money involved in international cricket, and there's
never been more money available for investment. Now now we
can stay we can stay away from that. We can say, look,
we'll stay in our in our little world, or we
(07:58):
can say, okay, in the case of T twenty, why
don't we look at the learnings from just about every
other developed cricketing country around the world who have set
up one of these leads. Let's put the best from
each of those models and see if we can do
something really funky and fan friendly ourselves. And it's just
(08:18):
really hard to understand why we couldn't. Why we can't.
You know, I've been at point pains to point out that,
you know, international investment in our sport around our country
is good for the game. I mean, you won't get
a better example than AFC and football, where you know,
international money in the form of an incredibly generous American
(08:39):
has gone into AFC and it's done amazing things for
football in our country. So why wouldn't we look at
that in a cricket context if we can make it work.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
News and Opinion, it's Sportsfix with Dancy Valdegrave.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
All things done well and good for Mitch hey, he
will become a Test playing cricketer for New Zealand. He
should get the nod to wear the gloves and the
black cat for the second Test. This is the West
Indies next week. We know that Tom Blundell, who normally
has those gloves, has been ruled out for the rest
of the First Test and indeed the second Test in Wellington,
(09:18):
so they need a new keeper. Tom Latham can do
the job, as we know, but he is the Test skipper.
He has a job with the bat and yet he'll
make a great makeshift replacement. But as far as pressure
on a man, do you really want him high up
the order and captaining and wicket keeping as well, No,
I don't think you do. Devin Conway doesn't cut the
(09:41):
mustard as far as I'm concerned. So it leaves pretty
much in opening for Mitch Hay, who's well regarded as
the next big thing in wicket keeper batsman in New Zealand,
specifically for the Black Caps. He's not played Test cricket,
but he has played T twenty cricket and One day
International cricket as well, so he's had a taste of
(10:02):
the international scene. Remember back in the day B Jay Watling,
the man of the hour, that tower of power. Well,
Mitch Hay is shaping to be that next guy. And
as we've seen from head coach of the black Cats,
Rob Walter seems a little on the careful side when
it comes to player selection. Here is the opportunity for
(10:24):
Rob Walter to wave in the next generation of New
Zealand Test cricketers. It's perfect, It's Mitch Hay. He can
do it all. And if they choose not to go
with Mitch Hay, I find that head scratching, to say
the least.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
The Chamber is now in session on sportsfax er the.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Chamber we go a couple of things. I'd like to
get your take on, Darson. I guess I can give
my take as well. This is an equal opportunities chamber, after.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
All, always doing this, it always set me up and
sit back and go, well, you blew that one, didn't you.
So thank you very much for taking this on your
shoulders and carrying this. I'm not gonna say anything.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
The Rugby World Cup drawer was made last night and
the All Blacks for the first time grouped in Paul
play with Australia. So that's an exciting prospect, which, if
they've got any brains, will be the opening match of
the Rugby World Cup. The match schedule not confirmed until
next year, the actual tournament not till twenty twenty seven,
of course. But they've got any brains, Wallaby's All Blacks
(11:23):
the opening match in Perth. I think it's the first
of October twenty twenty seven. The deeper question, or the
deeper conversation today has been looking down the line a
bit and working out that should things go to form,
than the All Blacks could meet South Africa at the
quarter final stage.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
How do you feel about.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
This, Well, there's a couple of things that strike me immediately.
One of them is we had a terrible time in
the quarter finals a few years back. I'm sure you
remember that. I do when the team I don't do.
We need to really go over this again, No, we
don't ah out. That was awful for the All Blacks.
But also we've done well in quarterfinals, and we did
(12:03):
really well in a quarter final just recently where the
Irish were a better team and was supposed to be
beat us, and the All Blacks pulled out one of
the best performances of all time to smash them. So
in order to win a World Championship the World Cup,
don't you have to beat all the best teams And
it's good maybe to get them out of the way
(12:23):
early doors. It's not like a surprise, and that's if
it goes to the script of course.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Yeah, And look, I think you're right to us if
you're going to lift that trophy at the end of
the Rugby World Cup, chances are along the way you
would have had to have beaten well at least two
and maybe three of the other top six teams in
the world, depending on which side of the drawer you're
on and what the rankings look like. The other really
pertinent point that Scott Robertson made this morning when heeded
media on this is that before we even get to
(12:50):
the Rugby World Cup in twenty twenty seven, we will
have played South Africa six times. We've got four next
year alone and this tour over there, and then two
more on the Rugby Championship. Well maybe just one in
the Rugby Championship in twenty twenty seven, but there's a
large body of work between now and then. I think
everybody's just looking at South Africa and where they sit
(13:11):
right now December twenty twenty five and saying no one's
going to want to play them in two years time.
Who knows what the situation might be. But take it
back to your point. You're so right, you've got to
beat everybody to lift the trophy, don't you.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I know, unless you're England. Because the way it's been
group with them, they probably don't have to come across
anyone of any consequence until the final, so they're going
to skate the way around should it go to form,
that's the nature of the draw.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Australia could Australia could beat us in that opening match,
opening match of their own home Rugby World Cup, they
would have had two more years to continue to build.
They had a pretty wretched sort of a twenty twenty
five all things considered.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
But who knows.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I mean, they could well beat us in that first
game of the Rugby World Cup, which would mean that
we'd probably finished second in the group.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
And this whole.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Conversation has completely ever done that We've be checked on
the other side of the drawer.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
We just simply don't know. But look it's out there.
We've got a rough idea two years away, but it's
all about I'm quite big on living in the now,
and what Robertson's got to do is worry about the
season coming and how he's going to work that through.
Don't worry about something's having in two years down the track,
because as we know, Poney, you can have a four
year program to try and win the World Cup and
(14:25):
it can fall apart just like that. Whereas the South
Africans they basically throw a team together with six months
to go and come up with a master plan and
win the thing. So let's not get too choked up
with what we don't quite know about or understand what's
relevant here and now, and it's not a game in
two years.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It seems so odd to me as well that we're
having the draw now. You know, we can contrast it
with the FIFA World Cup drawer, which is taking place
in a couple of days from now, with a tournament
that's six months away. That feels right, you know, you
make the drawer and then six months later you play
the tournament. We're two years away from the Rugby World
Cup and we've got.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
The drawer already here, Poney. He used to be three
years and was based on world rankings and why do
I argue that we need to look at hotels and
accommodation at flights for the fans to come and so
on and so forth. So they need to know what
group and where they're going to be. But as you
just said to me, what the draw's not finalized till
(15:20):
what next year? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
The match schedule next year?
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So see way to do it. Yeah, it's a.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Bit bitsy, it's a bit pitsy, but at least we
know the group that we are in now. Hey, depending
on people, when people are listening to this, listening to this,
the pink ball Test is either just about to start
or is underway.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
If it's underway, there might be three or four wickets
town already.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
We don't know, you know, given what happened in Perth,
and given the fact that pink ball tests have a
reputation of being over in less than five days, what
chance this pink ball Test gets to day four on
Sunday zero.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I'm not even going to try and hide my distaste
of pink ball day night Test cricket. I think it's
an aberration. I think it has no place in test cricket.
Test cricket is the only bastion of decency we've got
left in cricket. All the other clown divisions are carrying on.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
This is it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
We hardly play it. It's super important. It harks back
to the days where cricket meant something and now they've
gone and soiled it with this pink ball day night rubbish.
It's not Test cricket. It's it's clowns in a tiny
car cricket. I can't stand it. Over goes a day,
(16:37):
a gray area.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
There the pink ball for you.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
No, there's not. What about yourself?
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Well, I think I'll be I'll try and be a
little more pragmatic about it. I still love Test cricket
during the day. And you're right, it's gimmicky. It's I guess,
designed to try and get a nighttime audience either at
the ground or.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
On Taylor and watched wickets full left right and sending goes.
This is what cricket is, is it.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah, and add to it, Darce as well, the English
approach to Test cricket, which at best can be can
be called a leer, at worst absolutely suicidal reless. Yeah,
and you know, look put it this way of Australia
when the tyson seen England in you know, they might
only last two sessions, you know, and then Australia's batting
is actually, apart from that second innings in Perth, which
(17:23):
is almost entirely down to Travis Head, Australia's batting has
been shown to be pretty fragile, pretty brittle, So you know,
we're not talking about two great batting teams here. Look,
if you had tickets for Sunday, or if you were
planning on buying tickets for Sunday day four in this Test,
I'd be I wouldn't be buying them.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'd be waiting and seeing, wouldn't you who's taken.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
A bath for this anyway? After they missed out of
three days or two days of Test cricket last time
I rank, you don't get to the fifth people are
going to be hurting financially. And it's ossie cricket, isn't
it yep?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
It is, and all those associated with it, as well,
cater as broadcast, as people who provide the services to
to you know, test cricket. Expecting five days work and
getting two and a half day's work. There's a lot
of collateral damage outside of the reputation of Test cricket.
But I guess we can reconvene tomorrow Dars and maybe
talk about how the first day night went.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Indeed, what I did like out of that sorry tale
of Perth though, is that all of the extra food
that that shipped on in, like containers and containers, truckloads
of it, it didn't get thrown away. They distributed it
out to an organization that gives food a way to
people who need it. So there is one shining light
in that whole horrid affair.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Indeed, well, let's hope that we need the five days.
I can't see it happening. I know you can't see
it happening. Let's see what happens hit the Gabba over
the next little while. That's us in the Chamber today.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Vain and Darcy Waldergrave.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
And that's us on Sports Fix for today as well.
We greatly appreciate you tuning in. We appreciate the support
of GJ. Gardner Homes New Zealand's most trusted home builder.
And you can get a new episode, a fresh episode
then your podcast speed tomorrow if you subscribe Fixed.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
And also tell you mates to do it as well,
Tell your family, tell anyone on the street, I'm not fast.
We want as many ears on this as possible. Otherwise,
what's the point, right, So if you can do and
if you want to listen to sports talk that you
can engage with, you can do that on News Talk
zb seven and eight pm weekday evenings. Jason Pine's got
(19:29):
the Monday shift. I've got Tuesday, Wednesay, Thursday, Friday, and
then over the weekend it's the big dog with a
big dance. What have you got for us, Jason, Well.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Not too much dance ago, believe you me try that
weekend sports Saturday and Sunday between midday and three.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Thanks for listening, see tomorrow to us to look after.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yourself team For more from News Talk ZEDB, listen live
on air or online, and keep our shows with you
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You're listening to a podcast from News Talks EDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
This is Sportsfix Howard by News Talks EDB.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hello there, and welcome into the Sports Fix podcast for
Thursday to fourth of December and association with GJ. Gardner Holmes,
New Zealand's most trusted home builder. As we charge headlong
towards another sporting weekend, I'm Jason Pine.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
My name is darc Walter Grave. I have my head
down as I charge toward the incomingin. He needs that saying.
We're going to walk towards pressure. Dad back in the
All Black days, I have I believe you run it
pressure and then tackle it before it's got a chance
to respond.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
So this is where I'm skirt I'd skirt around the
pressure I'd be I'd be ducking and diving and trying
to avoid any contact with pressure.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
We're a very different mindsets us.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
You know I'm running it straight, bro.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
All right, Fair enough.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
A busy old Sports Fix podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
To come for you. As always.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Want to kick around a couple of things in the
chamber with your dars, including the All Blacks World Cup
draw and the pink fall test starting at the gather tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
In terms of a guest on Sports Fixs today.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Who are hearing from Piney will be talking to Don McKennon.
He's the chairman of the Z twenty Establishment Committee as
we look deeper into this rather bizarre T twenty situation
in New Zealand cricket looking.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Forward to that and the latest and sports news too.
So let's get into it. Ed's do it in other news, let's.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Kick things off whether look at some of the big
sports stories around today. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson down
playing a daunting possible quarter final matchup at the twenty
twenty seven Rugby World Cup. New Zealand and South Africa
would meet in the final eight, provided both teams top
their polls and negotiate the round of sixteen.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
You know you're coming into a World Cup. You didn't
have to face someone in their their FORMUNNA to win it.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So you have to quarter final fits work works out there,
It's just part of the drawer to embrace it. Parker
Jackson Cartwrights monster three pointer with eight seconds to go
has given the Breakers a ninety five ninety win over
the Sydney Kings in the Australian Basketball League.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Decides to pull up.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
And Liverpool's Premier League football frustrations continue, dropping more points
at home in a one to one draw with Sunderland
and leaves the igning champions ninth with just six wins
from thirteen matches. Midfielder Curtis Jones sees the foundations are
there for the team to perform.
Speaker 5 (02:39):
I've got the guys in the team, they duck and squad.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
I can assist and what we'll just ask for more aggressiveness.
Speaker 6 (02:45):
Use and avinion. It's Sports Fix with Jason Hine and
Dussy Walter Grave.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
We're joined now by Don mckinnie's the chairman of the
n Z twenty Establishment Committee. Don, welcome to the program.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
Hey, good evenings chat.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
It's been an odd couple of weeks in this We've
heard from Richard Peach on the show about the losing
control of T twenty and about your new proposition and
who's engaged and who hasn't. I suppose we start off
first and foremost. You're involved in this. Why is this
n Z twenty in a state where it might want
to climb into New Zealand Cricket like, what's the point
(03:23):
behind this.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Well, the point behind the concept is, you know, frankly,
a group of us who care about the game, love
the game, have had thought the time is right that
we could really do with this competition to boost interest,
to get fans in love with the game again at
our domestic level. So you know, it's a concept that
(03:46):
we think the time's right, we think the money is available,
and therefore we became quite excited about the possibility of
bringing this to New Zealand Cricket and saying hey, can
you put this on your list of options because we
think we've got a hell of a deal for you.
And that's all it is. It's why some of the
fallout and some of this quite left criticism has come
(04:09):
as such a surprise to us, because it's simply an idea,
a concept that we think could really help the gun.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
And that's always at the moment, it's conceptual. You're looking
through your process and go will this work? Will someone
back at will New Zealand Cricket be involved? What are
the players situations? So I'm presuming you've canvas everybody concerned.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Don Well, we've canvas everybody concerned in terms of New
Zealand stakeholder. So we've talked extensively with a New z
Own credit board, We've talked extensively of the major associations,
the Players Association, that those are the main stakeholders in
New Zealand. And we've had extraordinary interest from potential investors overseas.
I mean a level of interested is buying my mind. Really,
(04:48):
the game is so loved and respected. New Zealand cricket
are so loved and respected around the world that there
are there's real interest in private money coming into the
game to help just this one competition, you know, really
important to note doesn't affect the Black Caps, doesn't affect
the White Ferns, doesn't affect the Ford Trophy or anything
else of cricket. It's just this little though where we
(05:09):
could potentially do something really exciting to get people fizzing
about domestic cricket.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
The talk has been all coming from Roger Petree that
it is going to basically cripple New Zealand cricket in
the Test season, that's going to interfere with the Australian
New Zealand series, with the incoming Sri Lankan series, maybe
India later on in the piece. So how do you
set this T twenty league where it doesn't affect what
happens at a Test cricket level. Is this a problem?
Speaker 5 (05:39):
Look, I mean, I'll be as polite as I possibly
can here. You know, the letter from the players, I
have to say I found really surprising and disappointing the
former players, and that is because none of them. I mean,
the letter's addressed to myself and Stephen Fleming and two others.
It was never actually sent to us. It was sent
to the media for reasons that you know, I can
(06:03):
only speculate on. But you know, if anybody had bothered
to ask us, the first thing we could have said
to them is we have been really upfront with New
Zeland Cricket that while a competition like this really will
succeed if we can get a four week window for
the men and initially a two week woman for the
two week window for the women, let's be flexible around
where that is. You know, we'd love it to be
(06:24):
in January, is because we want this sort of grass
bank grounds during the heat of summer. But if the
black Caps are playing the fourth Test against Australia, you'd
be absolutely idiotic to try and set up a T
twenty to start during that Test and then say to
I don't know, Okayin Williamson or Daryl Mitchell. Oh, by
(06:45):
the way, you're not playing the Fourth Test. I mean,
nobody in their right mind would set up a competition
like that. In our discussions with New Zealand Cricket, it's
being you know, let's just sit down and while we'd
love that window, clearly we need to be flexible. If
you support this concept, we all need to be flexible
around start and end dates. There'll be sometimes when you
(07:06):
have ICC events where you can't release your best players.
No problem, we'll make that work. But let's work on
a concept of trying to get a full week window
for the men in two week window for the women
if we can around that December January period as often
as we can. It's just just frankly common sense financially wise.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
And we've talked about this or around the office about
where the money is coming from. There's nothing set in stone,
is there yet? But there is huge interest out there
is that right don Look.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
See the thing that surprised me, although Stephen Flemy told
me this on day one, is you know there has
never been more money involved in international cricket, and there's
never been more money available for investment. Now now we
can stay we can stay away from that. We can say, look,
we'll stay in our in our little world, or we
(07:58):
can say, okay, in the case of T twenty, why
don't we look at the learnings from just about every
other developed cricketing country around the world who have set
up one of these leads. Let's put the best from
each of those models and see if we can do
something really funky and fan friendly ourselves. And it's just
(08:18):
really hard to understand why we couldn't. Why we can't.
You know, I've been at point pains to point out that,
you know, international investment in our sport around our country
is good for the game. I mean, you won't get
a better example than AFC and football, where you know,
international money in the form of an incredibly generous American
(08:39):
has gone into AFC and it's done amazing things for
football in our country. So why wouldn't we look at
that in a cricket context if we can make it work.
Speaker 6 (08:51):
News and Opinion, it's Sportsfix with Dancy Valdegrave.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
All things done well and good for Mitch hey, he
will become a Test playing cricketer for New Zealand. He
should get the nod to wear the gloves and the
black cat for the second Test. This is the West
Indies next week. We know that Tom Blundell, who normally
has those gloves, has been ruled out for the rest
of the First Test and indeed the second Test in Wellington,
(09:18):
so they need a new keeper. Tom Latham can do
the job, as we know, but he is the Test skipper.
He has a job with the bat and yet he'll
make a great makeshift replacement. But as far as pressure
on a man, do you really want him high up
the order and captaining and wicket keeping as well, No,
I don't think you do. Devin Conway doesn't cut the
(09:41):
mustard as far as I'm concerned. So it leaves pretty
much in opening for Mitch Hay, who's well regarded as
the next big thing in wicket keeper batsman in New Zealand,
specifically for the Black Caps. He's not played Test cricket,
but he has played T twenty cricket and One day
International cricket as well, so he's had a taste of
(10:02):
the international scene. Remember back in the day B Jay Watling,
the man of the hour, that tower of power. Well,
Mitch Hay is shaping to be that next guy. And
as we've seen from head coach of the black Cats,
Rob Walter seems a little on the careful side when
it comes to player selection. Here is the opportunity for
(10:24):
Rob Walter to wave in the next generation of New
Zealand Test cricketers. It's perfect, It's Mitch Hay. He can
do it all. And if they choose not to go
with Mitch Hay, I find that head scratching, to say
the least.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
The Chamber is now in session on sportsfax er the.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Chamber we go a couple of things. I'd like to
get your take on, Darson. I guess I can give
my take as well. This is an equal opportunities chamber, after.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
All, always doing this, it always set me up and
sit back and go, well, you blew that one, didn't you.
So thank you very much for taking this on your
shoulders and carrying this. I'm not gonna say anything.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
The Rugby World Cup drawer was made last night and
the All Blacks for the first time grouped in Paul
play with Australia. So that's an exciting prospect, which, if
they've got any brains, will be the opening match of
the Rugby World Cup. The match schedule not confirmed until
next year, the actual tournament not till twenty twenty seven,
of course. But they've got any brains, Wallaby's All Blacks
(11:23):
the opening match in Perth. I think it's the first
of October twenty twenty seven. The deeper question, or the
deeper conversation today has been looking down the line a
bit and working out that should things go to form,
than the All Blacks could meet South Africa at the
quarter final stage.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
How do you feel about.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
This, Well, there's a couple of things that strike me immediately.
One of them is we had a terrible time in
the quarter finals a few years back. I'm sure you
remember that. I do when the team I don't do.
We need to really go over this again, No, we
don't ah out. That was awful for the All Blacks.
But also we've done well in quarterfinals, and we did
(12:03):
really well in a quarter final just recently where the
Irish were a better team and was supposed to be
beat us, and the All Blacks pulled out one of
the best performances of all time to smash them. So
in order to win a World Championship the World Cup,
don't you have to beat all the best teams And
it's good maybe to get them out of the way
(12:23):
early doors. It's not like a surprise, and that's if
it goes to the script of course.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Yeah, And look, I think you're right to us if
you're going to lift that trophy at the end of
the Rugby World Cup, chances are along the way you
would have had to have beaten well at least two
and maybe three of the other top six teams in
the world, depending on which side of the drawer you're
on and what the rankings look like. The other really
pertinent point that Scott Robertson made this morning when heeded
media on this is that before we even get to
(12:50):
the Rugby World Cup in twenty twenty seven, we will
have played South Africa six times. We've got four next
year alone and this tour over there, and then two
more on the Rugby Championship. Well maybe just one in
the Rugby Championship in twenty twenty seven, but there's a
large body of work between now and then. I think
everybody's just looking at South Africa and where they sit
(13:11):
right now December twenty twenty five and saying no one's
going to want to play them in two years time.
Who knows what the situation might be. But take it
back to your point. You're so right, you've got to
beat everybody to lift the trophy, don't you.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
I know, unless you're England. Because the way it's been
group with them, they probably don't have to come across
anyone of any consequence until the final, so they're going
to skate the way around should it go to form,
that's the nature of the draw.
Speaker 3 (13:36):
Australia could Australia could beat us in that opening match,
opening match of their own home Rugby World Cup, they
would have had two more years to continue to build.
They had a pretty wretched sort of a twenty twenty
five all things considered.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
But who knows.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I mean, they could well beat us in that first
game of the Rugby World Cup, which would mean that
we'd probably finished second in the group.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
And this whole.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Conversation has completely ever done that We've be checked on
the other side of the drawer.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
We just simply don't know. But look it's out there.
We've got a rough idea two years away, but it's
all about I'm quite big on living in the now,
and what Robertson's got to do is worry about the
season coming and how he's going to work that through.
Don't worry about something's having in two years down the track,
because as we know, Poney, you can have a four
year program to try and win the World Cup and
(14:25):
it can fall apart just like that. Whereas the South
Africans they basically throw a team together with six months
to go and come up with a master plan and
win the thing. So let's not get too choked up
with what we don't quite know about or understand what's
relevant here and now, and it's not a game in
two years.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
It seems so odd to me as well that we're
having the draw now. You know, we can contrast it
with the FIFA World Cup drawer, which is taking place
in a couple of days from now, with a tournament
that's six months away. That feels right, you know, you
make the drawer and then six months later you play
the tournament. We're two years away from the Rugby World
Cup and we've got.
Speaker 4 (14:59):
The drawer already here, Poney. He used to be three
years and was based on world rankings and why do
I argue that we need to look at hotels and
accommodation at flights for the fans to come and so
on and so forth. So they need to know what
group and where they're going to be. But as you
just said to me, what the draw's not finalized till
(15:20):
what next year? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
The match schedule next year?
Speaker 4 (15:23):
So see way to do it. Yeah, it's a.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Bit bitsy, it's a bit pitsy, but at least we
know the group that we are in now. Hey, depending
on people, when people are listening to this, listening to this,
the pink ball Test is either just about to start
or is underway.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
If it's underway, there might be three or four wickets
town already.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
We don't know, you know, given what happened in Perth,
and given the fact that pink ball tests have a
reputation of being over in less than five days, what
chance this pink ball Test gets to day four on
Sunday zero.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I'm not even going to try and hide my distaste
of pink ball day night Test cricket. I think it's
an aberration. I think it has no place in test cricket.
Test cricket is the only bastion of decency we've got
left in cricket. All the other clown divisions are carrying on.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
This is it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
We hardly play it. It's super important. It harks back
to the days where cricket meant something and now they've
gone and soiled it with this pink ball day night rubbish.
It's not Test cricket. It's it's clowns in a tiny
car cricket. I can't stand it. Over goes a day,
(16:37):
a gray area.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
There the pink ball for you.
Speaker 4 (16:40):
No, there's not. What about yourself?
Speaker 3 (16:42):
Well, I think I'll be I'll try and be a
little more pragmatic about it. I still love Test cricket
during the day. And you're right, it's gimmicky. It's I guess,
designed to try and get a nighttime audience either at
the ground or.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
On Taylor and watched wickets full left right and sending goes.
This is what cricket is, is it.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah, and add to it, Darce as well, the English
approach to Test cricket, which at best can be can
be called a leer, at worst absolutely suicidal reless. Yeah,
and you know, look put it this way of Australia
when the tyson seen England in you know, they might
only last two sessions, you know, and then Australia's batting
is actually, apart from that second innings in Perth, which
(17:23):
is almost entirely down to Travis Head, Australia's batting has
been shown to be pretty fragile, pretty brittle, So you know,
we're not talking about two great batting teams here. Look,
if you had tickets for Sunday, or if you were
planning on buying tickets for Sunday day four in this Test,
I'd be I wouldn't be buying them.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
I'd be waiting and seeing, wouldn't you who's taken.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
A bath for this anyway? After they missed out of
three days or two days of Test cricket last time
I rank, you don't get to the fifth people are
going to be hurting financially. And it's ossie cricket, isn't
it yep?
Speaker 3 (17:54):
It is, and all those associated with it, as well,
cater as broadcast, as people who provide the services to
to you know, test cricket. Expecting five days work and
getting two and a half day's work. There's a lot
of collateral damage outside of the reputation of Test cricket.
But I guess we can reconvene tomorrow Dars and maybe
talk about how the first day night went.
Speaker 4 (18:14):
Indeed, what I did like out of that sorry tale
of Perth though, is that all of the extra food
that that shipped on in, like containers and containers, truckloads
of it, it didn't get thrown away. They distributed it
out to an organization that gives food a way to
people who need it. So there is one shining light
in that whole horrid affair.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Indeed, well, let's hope that we need the five days.
I can't see it happening. I know you can't see
it happening. Let's see what happens hit the Gabba over
the next little while. That's us in the Chamber today.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Dissecting the sporting agenda.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
It's Sportsfix with Jason Vain and Darcy Waldergrave.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
And that's us on Sports Fix for today as well.
We greatly appreciate you tuning in. We appreciate the support
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And you can get a new episode, a fresh episode
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Speaker 4 (19:08):
And also tell you mates to do it as well,
Tell your family, tell anyone on the street, I'm not fast.
We want as many ears on this as possible. Otherwise,
what's the point, right, So if you can do and
if you want to listen to sports talk that you
can engage with, you can do that on News Talk
zb seven and eight pm weekday evenings. Jason Pine's got
(19:29):
the Monday shift. I've got Tuesday, Wednesay, Thursday, Friday, and
then over the weekend it's the big dog with a
big dance. What have you got for us, Jason, Well.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Not too much dance ago, believe you me try that
weekend sports Saturday and Sunday between midday and three.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Thanks for listening, see tomorrow to us to look after.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Yourself team For more from News Talk ZEDB, listen live
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