Shield season in limbo

Biosecurity costs threaten domestic comps

THERE is a renewed push to reduce the number of Sheffield Shield games and some believe a strong chance the one-day Marsh Cup competition may not be played at all as cricket counts the cost of the pandemic.

The Sheffield Shield and all elements of Australia’s domestic state cricket fixtures are under pressure with states baulking at requests from Cricket Australia to contribute to the biosecurity bill in a meeting this week.

Victorian cricket is the most vulnerable, but NSW is not far behind, with teams from both states facing the prospect of having to set up a training base outside their home to avoid quarantine restrictions.

States and head office are sorting priorities and counting costs in an ever-changing environment.

The BBL and WBBL will survive unscathed, but the Shield, Marsh Cup, WNCL and other competitions are under scrutiny as the expense of putting players into biosecurity bubbles becomes apparent.

The one-day tournament looks least likely to proceed.

The WBBL will go ahead in September to fulfil broadcast commitments, but will be conducted in a hub with Tasmania one of a few states hoping to host the event. NSW and Victoria are out of contention, but Queensland remains a possibility. South Australia and Western Australia are both positioning to host the Indian Test side in a lockdown situation, but could also come into play.

NSW is the only state association not to lay off staff but the majority have no spare money and were not happy to hear head office asking for contributions to cover biosecurity when the expense of that had been used as part of the argument to reduce grants.

State associations said yesterday they were surprised to be asked to contribute when they do not know what their budgets look like this year. Cricket Australia is yet to reach a deal with them over reductions to the grants.

At this point, round one of the Sheffield Shield is pencilled in for early October but no fixtures have been released.

Victoria faces the prospect of moving its players out of the state soon or they will be hamstrung by quarantine regulations and NSW is rapidly facing the same position.