Though I’m not against the phenomenon that is the Indian Premier League, I do worry about the future of international cricket with its introduction.
It’s hard to tell what effect the league is going to have on the game until a couple of seasons have been completed. But with the money involved, the players attracted and the attention from the media, it’s hard to see how it could be anything but a huge success.
Dimi Mascarenhas is the only English player to be playing in the league at the moment, but with the attraction as it is, I don’t see that lasting too long. English players are the most experienced in the 20/20 format, and this will probably mean the clubs of the IPL offering big bucks for English players’ signatures.
We’ve already seen that five of New Zealand’s key players will miss the first week of their tour to England due to the IPL, and the fear is the effects could be much more drastic in the future. When the league inevitably becomes successful, who is to say the organisers won’t expand it? Thus eating up more time of the English summer and a large proportion of the year? Could we be seeing second string international sides playing test matches in the not to distant future? Time will only tell.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Back With a Bang!
After a short break due to work commitments, Twelfth Man is back up and running (hopefully full-time!). Firstly, let me just point out the irony of me coming back following Sehwag's success this week! Before you ask, yes it is intentional! I finally have something to say I was right about!
However, my main focus of this post is on England's recent tour of New Zealand. Specifically looking at the test matches.
I was delighted England managed to swing the series round, and comeback to win 2-1. However, I can't help but feel the team is still not on the straight and narrow, and carrying some "dead wood". Bowling changes were made after England's defeat in Hamilton, one I agree with, and one I don't really understand. Harmison has been off the boil for a while now, so I wasn't suprised to see him dropped. However, I couldn't get my head around why Hoggard was dropped? I agree he bowled poorly in Hamilton, but unlike Harmison, he had been reasonably consistant to that point. Plus he would have had a ball in Wellington with the perfect bowling conditions.
The faith was kept with the England top 6, and this is where I see that "dead wood". Fair play to Andrew Strauss for hitting a fabulous 177, but should he have really played in that final test? Is he really the future of English cricket? Personally I can't see him hanging on to his place for too much longer. My other concern is Michael Vaughan. I'm a huge fan of his captaincy, but he has some major problems with the bat. He needs a good start to the season with Yorkshire, to get some form behind him going into that first test at Lord May 15th.
Now to the positives! All this negativity is cramping my style a little bit! Ryan Sidebottom, what can I say? I remember being at Headingly last summer. First day of the test match against the West Indies, and Sidebottom's return to the international scene. I said to my friend "surely he can't be playing". Needless to say, I was soon put in my place and eating my words (I've been doing a lot of that recently).
I was pleased for Monty Panesar aswell. He bowled England to victory, and hopefully he can do the same for England this summer against New Zealand, and then in the big test against a very South African side.
Ian Bell looked a class act throughout the series for me. Even though his average was shaped by a well crafted 110 in the third test, he always looks a classy player. And I would describe him as England's most consistant batsman.
Roll on Summer 2008!
However, my main focus of this post is on England's recent tour of New Zealand. Specifically looking at the test matches.
I was delighted England managed to swing the series round, and comeback to win 2-1. However, I can't help but feel the team is still not on the straight and narrow, and carrying some "dead wood". Bowling changes were made after England's defeat in Hamilton, one I agree with, and one I don't really understand. Harmison has been off the boil for a while now, so I wasn't suprised to see him dropped. However, I couldn't get my head around why Hoggard was dropped? I agree he bowled poorly in Hamilton, but unlike Harmison, he had been reasonably consistant to that point. Plus he would have had a ball in Wellington with the perfect bowling conditions.
The faith was kept with the England top 6, and this is where I see that "dead wood". Fair play to Andrew Strauss for hitting a fabulous 177, but should he have really played in that final test? Is he really the future of English cricket? Personally I can't see him hanging on to his place for too much longer. My other concern is Michael Vaughan. I'm a huge fan of his captaincy, but he has some major problems with the bat. He needs a good start to the season with Yorkshire, to get some form behind him going into that first test at Lord May 15th.
Now to the positives! All this negativity is cramping my style a little bit! Ryan Sidebottom, what can I say? I remember being at Headingly last summer. First day of the test match against the West Indies, and Sidebottom's return to the international scene. I said to my friend "surely he can't be playing". Needless to say, I was soon put in my place and eating my words (I've been doing a lot of that recently).
I was pleased for Monty Panesar aswell. He bowled England to victory, and hopefully he can do the same for England this summer against New Zealand, and then in the big test against a very South African side.
Ian Bell looked a class act throughout the series for me. Even though his average was shaped by a well crafted 110 in the third test, he always looks a classy player. And I would describe him as England's most consistant batsman.
Roll on Summer 2008!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
