Shane Warne looks at the pluses and minuses in Australian cricket
Yes, Australia is embroiled in a cricketing crisis, but there are still plenty of areas worth celebrating. And SHANE WARNE says there will be more - and they could come quickly - once key areas are addressed.
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There’s so much negative noise around Australian cricket at the moment and it’s not enjoyable.
Everyone, including ex-players, are passionate about the game and we are desperate to get behind the Australian team.
We are all here to help in any way we can — to support the team, at any time, if we are asked and we have all put up our hands to do so.
But as commentators our job is to give opinions plus be constructive and while we would much rather be saying positive things, it’s hard finding some in recent times about the performances of the past 12 months both on the field and off the field at administration level.
Here’s a look at the areas worth celebrating, and also a look at the areas that need attention to get Australia back on track again.
THE TICKS
1 BOY WONDER
You can’t go past the selection of Will Pucovski for the Test series against Sri Lanka. The selectors have got this absolutely right. It’s been great to see a young player perform so well in Sheffield Shield cricket. I’m a massive believer that you don’t always have to play 20 or 30 games to prove yourself. If the young player displays the goods then get him in. Players such as Glenn McGrath, Michael Clarke, plus many others had only played a handful of first-class games before being picked for Australia, and that worked out OK. I applaud the selectors for picking Will and I think he could be the future of Australian cricket.
2 AUSTRALIA’S NEW HERO
Pat Cummins has become the most popular member of the Australian cricket team and I think down the track he’s a future captain. The way he plays the game, and his never-say-die attitude is exactly what cricket fans want to see in their national players. With the ball, with the bat, or even in the field, he never gives up. He should step up to the leadership group immediately and he needs to be given the new ball. Now.
3 SPIN KING
Nathan Lyon’s improvement has been massive. Right now he’s only being challenged by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah as the best spinner in the world. I also think he can raise his game to another level if he continues to believe batsmen should be worried about him, and not the other way around. He needs to keep being an attacking bowler by holding his line wide of off-stump and challenging the inside and outside edge of the batt. That’s how he got all his wickets in the Perth and Adelaide Tests. That’s the message for Nathan: Don’t go defensive, and you’ll only get better.
4 CAPTAIN STEADY
Tim Paine understands where Australian cricket is at right now, and has shown himself to be the right captain for these tough times. He’s currently the best keeper in the world and he’s got one of the best batting techniques in the Australian team, too. I really like his demeanour, his humour, and the way he carries himself. He’s earned universal respect — from his players and the outside world. But I would like to see more runs. He has probably underperformed with the bat. So this year, we must see at least one Test hundred from Paine.
5 WELCOME BACK
The return of Steve Smith and David Warner is something everyone should look forward to. Both players should be welcomed back with open arms. I’m sure it’s going to be awkward at times, but Australian cricket desperately needs their class and experience in the team. I spent a year out of the game and I know how hungry they will be when they get their chance to play again. They will also be very determined to prove themselves. This has to be good for the team and Australian cricket. While their comebacks won’t solve all of our problems, it is a massive opportunity for Australia with a World Cup and an Ashes series on the horizon. Nothing defines you more as an Australian cricketer than performing on the two biggest stages of world cricket. Both trophies are right there for the players’ taking.
DISLIKES
1 SCHEDULING
I think the Big Bash should replace the domestic one-day competition, and be played in October and November. That would mean the Sheffield Shield starts at the end of the Big Bash, and gets played right through summer, right through the Test series. Shield games should be played from Tuesday to Friday, with a one-day game on Sunday after a day’s rest on Saturday. I understand that CA wants to play the Big Bash on school holidays, but the games start at 7pm. It doesn’t matter if people are on holidays or not. How would it be if as soon as the football codes finish, as soon as the finals are over, we can jump straight in to the Big Bash? What a way to start the summer. More importance has to be placed on making Australia the best Test team in the world again and to do that the schedule has to change.
2 SELECTION
I think the captain has to become a selector, be that Tim Paine for the Test team or Aaron Finch for the one-day team. I like Trevor Hohns and I like Greg Chappell. They have great cricket brains and great experience. But I don’t think the coach should be a selector. How do you go to the coach if you are a player with a problem if he’s a selector? The coach is there to make the players better. People are calling for a modern day player to get on the selection panel. Making the captain a selector solves that issue. And the captain should always get the team he wants as it’s his team, not the coaches.
3 THE PATHWAY
We have always been admired and copied around the world, for having the best pathway programs. But we’ve lost our way. The importance of Shield cricket has been thrown out the window. It’s now used as a playground for players to come in and out. It’s lost its intensity. The biggest difference between first class cricket and international cricket is the intensity levels. Shield cricket used to prepare you for that. Not any more. Cricket Australia has to make Shield cricket a battleground, where we produce hard, tough cricketers that are ready for international cricket. You can’t mess around with it. If you play a Shield game, you play all four days. And international players should play more Shield cricket.
4 COACHING
More money has to be invested into coaching. Right now the best coaches, mainly ex-players, earn better money for a six-week stint in the Indian Premier League rather than taking up a full-time role at first-class level in Australia. Former players get all sorts of gigs in T20 competitions, including commentating, and are paid more than they would earn from a 12-month contract to coach a state side. I know so many ex-players with a passion for coaching, and who understand the modern game and want to get involved, so CA has to start putting significant amounts of money aside to get them back involved.
5 THE UNDER 23 PROGRAM
It’s a dud. I don’t know how that could possibly have come in to play. And whoever came up with that idea should be publicly stoned. As a young cricketer playing a few second XI games, you realised what you needed to be successful by playing against hardened, tough, experienced first-class cricketers. Now it’s kids playing kids. What’s the point? How do they learn? I also think the Australian A program should be running 12 months of the year. They need more games, that’s how the fringe players get more exposure, and a greater test of how good they are.
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