I couldn't be bothered watching it. I used to be a big cricket fan.... but I now can't stand watching the boorish and selfish Aussies. Ponting is the worst captain I can recall (and I do remember Yallop!!!) and should be sacked, and the selection policy (favouring experience over potential) needs to be discarded. The shortened 20-over form of the game also does nothing for me, it is dull and almost completely lacking in tactics or strategy.
In my opinion, cricket in this country is at a cross-roads - and if something isn't done soon, it is doomed to follow the path of increasing irrelevancy. It seems there are now only two seasons in Australia - footy season and footy pre-season.
Brookie
Piratekombi wrote:
I couldn't be bothered watching it. I used to be a big cricket fan.... but I now can't stand watching the boorish and selfish Aussies. Ponting is the worst captain I can recall (and I do remember Yallop!!!) and should be sacked, and the selection policy (favouring experience over potential) needs to be discarded. The shortened 20-over form of the game also does nothing for me, it is dull and almost completely lacking in tactics or strategy.
In my opinion, cricket in this country is at a cross-roads - and if something isn't done soon, it is doomed to follow the path of increasing irrelevancy. It seems there are now only two seasons in Australia - footy season and footy pre-season.
Gilly , Hodge ,Langer & Roy boring?
Agree with Ponting comments but we have some new bright and good players coming through and as long as they get exposed in 20/20 or One Days it's good.
I think 20/20 will have similar effect as World Series did. It will bring in more watchers to learn about cricket and they will eventually appreciate Test cricket though if you haven't been brought up with it it is hard to understand. Play for 5 days and no one wins so it is a draw and a tie is entirely different.
Saw an interesting comment somewhere.
No country that plays cricket have been to war with each other.
Must have been said before partition of India
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Gabbo's Run
20/20 is great entertainment for the crowd. they are the ones who pay the money to go there. At the end of the day, its all about entertainment. i think its great the aussie side got their bums kicked from some has beens etc. i would love to be able to go and see a game like this. they only ever happen in the big smoke.
Piratekombi
If it draws in the crowds and generates interest, then it is a good thing.... but I prefer Tests, and one-day series (when it isn't one-sided).
To me, the 20 over game, with its constant 4s and 6s, is a little like basketball - yeah, it might have more goals than say AFL, but it does so by shortening plays to seconds rather than minutes, and therefore (to me) removes most of the play-by-play tension.
I am willing, though, to be convinced of the merits of 20 over cricket - the players are likely to improve their tactics over time, and exciting matches may persuade me.
I love a big hitter or a big personality (eg Viv Richards), so am looking forward to Symonds' return.
Piratekombi
I am still flabbergasted that Australia is playing again without a specialist spinner.... surely Krejza demonstrated the need in the last Test against India when he took 12 wickets. I can't imagine an AFL team dropping a player after he, say, kicks a big bag of goals.