BERRY: CAN ANYONE SAVE THE SHIELD?
Competition needs a big dose of love
THE Sheffield Shield competition is underway and not for a long time has there been more interest in the competition, given the instability of positions in the Australian team.
After a turbulent off-season of posturing, animosity, hotly debated negotiations and undoubtedly some irreparable damage to relationships, finally we have our best cricketers on the park. Or do we?
There has been a clear change in focus in Australian cricket in recent years and the state competition has sadly become more an experimental tool and development league where state teams are regularly manipulated and players withdrawn halfway through matches to manage their workloads. Give us all a break, what a load of Werribee sewerage farm.
The JLT state one-day competition has become irrelevant.
Western Australia won the title last week against South Australia, a match played in Hobart in front of 13 people, which is an embarrassment and insult to quality players.
The concept of centralising the competition had some merit in a tournament leading into a World Cup a few years back, but why now?
The recently completed farce was played in Queensland, Sydney, Perth and then the finals in Hobart.
The reasoning was AFL strong states could not provide suitable grounds and wickets at this time of year. Another load of sewerage.
What is its purpose and why are cricket lovers denied the opportunity to watch their state team live in their home state? The honest answer is because the administrators of the game don’t care about it.
It doesn’t raise any money for the Cricket Australia coffers and the Australian selectors ignore it. Television networks don’t even acknowledge its existence any more.
I still hold hopes that the lifeblood of Australian cricket, the Sheffield Shield, will remain significant, but I seriously doubt it with the decisions made at the selection table this week. It is clear if you’re a high-achieving player taking truckloads of wickets or scoring a mountain of runs but your birth certificate reads pre-1990, you are deported.
How else can anyone explain the omission of Ed Cowan from NSW and Michael Klinger from the WA teams this week? Not to mention Cameron White and Tim Paine also left out of their respective teams at the expense of younger underperforming players.
The obsession with youth is out of control.
Cowan was the leading runscorer in the competition last summer and is still fit, strong and mentally tough. He may be considered a nicker and nudger but he knows how to make runs, 959 of them at 72 last season is testament to that. In his mind and aspirations he was preparing to put pressure on Matt Renshaw for an Ashes berth. The selectors however have stamped his cards, much in the same fashion White’s have been stamped.
“Too old, we must unearth new talent” is the catchcry. Potential over-performance is the modern, very dangerous way of thinking.
Australian captain Steve Smith wields too much power at the selection table and it seems the NSW mafia is back stronger than ever.
Nic Maddinson’s (NSW) premature Test call-up last summer was clear evidence of it and Jackson Bird (Sydney Sixers) ahead of Chadd Sayers (SA) was another reminder. The shock selection of Stephen O’Keefe (NSW) ahead of Jon Holland (Vic) recently for the Bangladesh Test, while O’Keefe was serving suspension, beggars belief.
My late mentor David Hookes famously and prophetically said when you get picked for NSW you are handed a blue baggy cap and a green baggy one.
The problem is no one working in the system will stand up and say anything against the hierarchy, because if they do, they will be shown the same door as Cowan and White. It is tearing at the fabric of what was once a strong, robust competition played by proud men who held selection for their state as a huge honour.
Players toiled away in grade cricket for years on end to earn the right. Now a couple of big hits over the Big Bash fence and you are earmarked for greater things.
Sam Heazlett. Who remembers that name? He was selected for Australia in one-day cricket in January without even representing his state (Qld) in that format. He was chosen on a few fireworks in the Big Bash.
Victoria has more talent and depth than most and has a chance to create some serious cricket history with four Sheffield Shield wins a row.
I hope someone still cares.