Why the Australian summer of cricket schedule makes no sense

The schedule for the 2019-20 summer of cricket is full of mystifying decisions that simply will not maximise the game’s exposure writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.

Fans of the Australia team cheer on their players during the one-day international cricket match between Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on January 26, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Brenton Edwards / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE --

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What’s got a soft start, a weird finish and big hole inside it?

It’s Australia’s wacky mens international cricket summer which has been beaten out of shape by conflicting forces and come off second best … not simply to India but to publicity hungry football codes who love cutting cricket’s lunch in the first few months of the year.

Unlike the AFL or rugby league seasons which are masters of their own destinies, cricket is a giant game of scrabble where a large group of nations sharing the same summer scramble for the best bits of it.

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For the first time in many years there will be no game on Australia Day. AAP Image/Mark Dadswell.

It’s hard work for everyone.

Traditionally Australia has won most battles but the issue is becoming more complex with new Test and 50 over championships making matters more complex because countries are less in charge of their own schedule.

This is a weirdly disjointed summer from which many lessons can be learnt from including:

START BIG:

If you have two Test match visitors (New Zealand and Pakistan) who are not traditionally mega-crowd pullers (even though the Kiwis are currently world No 2) try and box the ears off the rest of the schedule by getting India, South Africa or England in the white ball stuff.

Sadly, none of them will be here in the men’s format this summer which will open with a T20 series against Sri Lanka, not quite in the Queen-Elton John bracket when it comes to pulling the crowds.

New Zealand’s tour has been poorly arranged. Photo by Marty Melville.

THE DAY-NIGHT-NIGHTER:

Hands up anyone who cares about the viewing habit of Kiwi cricket fans … No-one?

We guessed that when the Perth Test against New Zealand was mysteriously made a day-night contest.

Perth has always been the one Test which should never have had to worry about becoming a day-night game because it was one anyway to the eastern states which worked beautifully, finishing around 9pm in the mass markets of Sydney and Melbourne.

But now, to the understandable surprise of many fans, it will finish around 11pm in the east, too late in Australia and far too late in Kiwiland.

The Perth timeslot should never have been permitted to change.

The day/night Test should never be played in Perth. Picture by Brenton Edwards.

STRIKE WHEN IT’S HOT:

For one of the rare times in history the Australian men’s team will disappear from our shores for two months from early January when they will play white ball series in India and South Africa.

Australia may have owed India a favour (I’m still not sure why because they toured there last summer) but this should never be allowed to happen again.

The Australian summer is short enough without having the national team vanish in the middle of it.

The India matches mean Big Bash games for those days will be scheduled during daylight hours which is not when the competition is at its best.

Australia are embarking on a bizarre tour to India. AAP Image/Darren England.

AUSTRALIA DAY SILENCE

For the first time in recent history there will be no game of international men’s cricket in Australia on Australia Day.

That’s a shame because the day had its own special cricketing flavour.

THE STRANGE FINISH

Next year will feature the truly odd event of the first NRL game played before the first 50 over international in Australia.

Because the Australian team will be out of the country for the first few months of the year they will not play a 50 over game at home until a bizarre three match series against New Zealand in mid-March.

This one makes about as much sense as the NRL opening their season on December 26 to clash with the Boxing Day Test.