Call from Adam Crosthwaite: let’s get play underway
The former first-class player says that with the season to start late Cricket Victoria officials should play Round 1 as soon as possible. They’re aiming for Saturday, November 21.
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Let’s play!
St Kilda captain and former first-class player Adam Crosthwaite has urged Victorian officials to get the Premier Cricket season started as soon as possible.
Crosthwaite said he was bemused at suggestions players needed at least four weeks to prepare for Round 1.
He said most First and Second XI players would have been working on their fitness and skills privately and would be “ready to go’’ at the earliest opportunity.
“I think it’s an excessive build-up for Premier level,’’ Crosthwaite.
“The season is already going to be shortened. Let’s get out and play some cricket.’’
Cricket Victoria is aiming to the season away on Saturday, November 21, on the proviso cricket gets the all-clear to return to training after October 26.
CV’s high performance division has recommended that players would need pre-season “bat versus ball’’ workloads of between three and five weeks to play T20 cricket, four to six weeks to play one-dayers and six to eight to play two-day matches.
The season is shaping up as 17 rounds of one-dayers, allowing each team to play each other once. Five rounds before Christmas will be “local matches’’ to limit cross-town travel.
The women’s fixtures need to be finalised but there will be 14 rounds.
Local cricket has been told to earmark November 14 as the start of the season.
Crosthwaite said it made no sense for metropolitan cricket to be returning ahead of Premier Cricket.
He said Premier players should be better prepared given they were playing the highest level of club cricket and were only one step away from first-class ranks.
Crosthwaite said he understood the threat of injuries to players but bowlers would not be required to put in long spells in one-day fixtures.
“If I asked my guys, they’d be ready to go now,’’ he said.
“I think it falls back on the individual to be ready.
“Everyone I speak to is the same. Play as soon as we can. If the games are 150 versus 150 because no one has had a hit, so be it. You’ve got to adapt. We’re talking Premier Cricket. We’re talking guys who are wanting to play for Victoria, guys who want to push their careers. They’re going to be sitting on the sidelines when, if you’re talking about the elite level, the rest of the country is playing.
“We play cricket because we want to play, not train. No one likes pre-season.’’
Crosthwaite said he had raised the issue with St Kilda when the possibilities for the season were announced.
Cricket Victoria competitions manager Darren Anderson said CV believed a four-week preparation was necessary not only for the players, but for clubs to come to terms with the new protocols brought on by COVID-19.
He said it was an “integrity issue’’ with Premier Cricket, with a high standard expected, and injury concerns for players, particularly bowlers.
Anderson said that under Victoria’s COVID-19 restrictions, no one was meant to be bowling or bowling in outdoor nets.
“You’re allowed to exercise – going for a run, a jog or riding your bike – not doing recreational activities,’’ Anderson said.
“That will still be in place until we get feedback from the State Government that it’s changed. At this stage that may not be until October 26.’’
He said a November 21 start would also allow clubs to play one or two practice matches and test the COVID-19 procedures and protocols.
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