Gilly - Test Crickets first 20/20 casualty

[Rik E Boy]

Greetings peoples, it's no secret I reckon that 20/20 is absolute rubbish and that it could lead to the ruination of the great game of Cricket all the sake of the all mighty dollar.

People have said to me 'come on REB you old stick in the mud, get with the times mate, after all it won't effect Test Cricket'. In the past I have said to this 'yeah right, tell that to the bowlers' but now I believe we have witnessed the first ripples in the Test Cricket pond that has been caused by the 20/20 pebble.

As recently as December last year I remember hearing words from Adam Gilchrist how he was 'keen to continue for two years' or something similar to that. OK, maybe not an exact quote but that was my understanding of his comments. I remember thinking at the time 'Haddin will love hearing that LOL'.

All of a sudden, apparently after dropping ONE catch, Adam Gilchrist has retired from Test and One Day Cricket to be with his family. You can't knock a bloke for that, especially when Adam Gilchrist the cricketer has very little to prove and has done everything there is to do in the game of International Cricket.

But the cynic in me has me thinking that Adam Gilchrist retired for the $$$$$$$$$$$ that is being offered by the IPL. If you want to spend time with your family you don't bugger off to India now do you? He also mentioned that he couldn't hack the training and the committment required to don the Baggy Green. But hey, 20/20 is disposable flushable forgettable bullshit so why not piss fart around in the nets and have a hit and giggle while you earn about five times as much cash as slogging your guts out in Pakistan??

Adam Gilchrist is Test Cricket's first 20/20 casualty but he will not be the last. The latest Alpha magazine has an alarming set of quotes backing up this format of cricket, mainly from older less fit blokes like Brendan Julian and Darren Lehmann about how it has won them over. Little wonder when you consider the hard work to earnings ratio.

How can Test Cricket compete with the IPL? The players on the surface will 'play ball' with CA but in the end the IPL will shorten the Test careers of Australian Cricketers and at the same time develop the next generation of Indian Cricketers. I am convinced that the IPL is a cornerstone of India's plan for world domination in the game.

India in the next decade will be as far ahead of the rest of the world as Australia has been in recent years. 20/20 is a novelty fad item that represents a dark shadow for Australian Cricket. Gilly was just the start. Australian players racking up a hundred tests will be a rarity in the future as they chase the cash.

Interesting times ahead my friends.

regards,

REB

[Dirko]

Great post REB. I agree, and another cricketer who has just "retired" in Matthew Elliot also has a offer on the table form the IPL.

Heard that Simon Taufel has been approached as well, and his ICC contract is up for renewal, so who knows how that will pan out. May be we lose some great cricketers especially if as new Zealand have done and stood down Shane Bond, as well as some of the best officials in the game.

Is this good for cricket NO. What will the cricketing world do ? Ricky Ponting has told CA to keep out of it and if the players want to play then let them...

Raises the question about too much cricket...except when getting paid mega $$$$ to have a hit and giggle. If Gilchrist does go to the IPL does that then make him a hypocrite for leaving his family behind etc etc ?

Don't mind 20/20 but not when it could take it's toll on Test cricket.....

[Pup]

That would be terrible news if the ICC lost Tauffel to the IPL.

[Dutchy]

Elliot has NOT had an offer from the IPL, lets get that straight first up...

agree with REB however why wouldnt Gilly do it? Im sure he can take him family over there with him and play 3-4 hours of cricket and spend the rest of time with them...

Cricketers have been doing this cash grab in English County cricket for years so why ark up now just cause its a different form of the game and in India?

[Rik E Boy]

Elliot has NOT had an offer from the IPL, lets get that straight first up...

agree with REB however why wouldnt Gilly do it? Im sure he can take him family over there with him and play 3-4 hours of cricket and spend the rest of time with them...

Cricketers have been doing this cash grab in English County cricket for years so why ark up now just cause its a different form of the game and in India?

Probably because Kevin Pieterson hasn't retired from test cricket to go play in the IPL. My understanding of the 20/20 game in England is that is primarily played at County level which is not quite the same thing as a breakaway league.

regards,

REB

[blink]

I am leaning more to REB's side of the issue here at the moment.

Yes, this IPL could turn out to be a great thing for cricket - but early signs point to it causing more harm than good.

It is hard to forecast what kind of an impact this will have on the game, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens...

[mal]

REB marvellous post old chap

I love watching 20/20 cricket on the field of contest
BUT
Im not going to enjoy whats its threatening to do to traditonal cricket

[Dirko]

Elliot has NOT had an offer from the IPL, lets get that straight first up...

ICL then..refer to the link...

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 72,00.html

also heard him say so in a interview...

[Mic]

Do a few weeks of work in India or quite a few months of work around the World, for similar money, I know which one I'd prefer.

[smac]

I think the Indian breakaway league is going to damage world cricket more by way of the shifting of control completely to the sub-continent, killing off the ICC altogether.

At least at the moment Australia has some control over their destiny, 5 years time will be just like when we were kids - asking if we are allowed to go play with the neighbours. Difference being "Mum" will be the BCCI.

[Dutchy]

Elliot has NOT had an offer from the IPL, lets get that straight first up...

ICL then..refer to the link...

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/stor ... 72,00.html

also heard him say so in a interview...

Correct, I think people dont understand that there is 2 leagues IPL and ICL...IPL is ICC sanctioned

[locky801]

All gets down to money, plenty will leave for more money in the coming years, bloody sad actually

[Booney]

I think the fact Gilly is 36 has helped his decision.I dont see a Mike Hussey or Stuart CLarke giving the baggy green away too quickly for a cash grab.

Maybe Gilly was kidding himself more than any one else when he stated a few months back he intended to play on for two years or so.

Having said that though,this is one of the biggest challenges world cricket faces,not just Australian cricket,but the world over.My fear in this whole process is the only people that can regulate it in some way is the spinless organisation called the ICC.
To avoid any real problems the solution at face level appears easy,schedule in a break for all Test playing nations,the 6 or 8 weeks as suggested.Give every player around the world their chance to play in it then back to the real stuff we go.This,as I said is my fear.

The ICC has no strength or drive to implement or guide such a program and because of this the IPL will pull players from their country,unless the ICC act fast and firmly.

Watch this space.

[Rik E Boy]

Yeah he's 36, yeah he finds training tougher these days, yeah he wants to spend time with his family. Then he goes off to India. $omething doesn't quite gell my good man.

regards,

REB

[Hondo]

I'm with Booney on this one ...

Gilly would see a 4-6 week, non-taxing junket (very lucrative junket ) playing with other retired greats like Warnie and Oo-Aah as a lot less challenging then playing International cricket. We need to remember this comp is basically Indian domestic cricket with invited international players (max 4 per side). Whether such a proud and committed Australian cricketer (on a good $$ package with CA) would retire to play 4 weeks of 20-20 is debatable.

IMO, Gilly has been on a slight decline for a couple of years and it was the right time for him to retire. So its really speculation as to whether 'he retired to play IPL' or 'he is playing IPL because he has retired'. I guess only Gilly knows. As for the 'I want to play for another 2 years' stuff, Ian Healy reckons its a tactic to keep the media off your back if you are close to retirement. In other words, he reckons take those sort of comments with a grain of salt.

But who knows ..... REB could easily be OTM here.

The real test will come if this an International player in their prime decides to cut ties with their official side and play in India for the money. My feeling is that common sense will prevail eventually and the ICCC will grant gaps in the program to accomodate these corporate $$$ sponsored competitions. We don't need another cricket war because I think we all know who will lose . India today are where Australia was 30 years ago. In the drivers seat when it comes to world cricket and the place where all teams and players want to be because of the money.

[Pup]

The real test will come if this an International player in their prime decides to cut ties with their official side and play in India for the money. My feeling is that common sense will prevail eventually and the ICCC will grant gaps in the program to accomodate these corporate $$$ sponsored competitions. We don't need another cricket war because I think we all know who will lose . India today are where Australia was 30 years ago. In the drivers seat when it comes to world cricket and the place where all teams and players want to be because of the money.

Like Shane Bond?

[Hondo]

Shane Bond slightly different in that he had his contract terminated for aligning himself with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) - a private cricket league that runs parallel to the existing cricket league managed by BCC. The ICL is Kerry Packer all over again - an Indian TV company (Zee Telefilms) which is the Australian Channel 9 of 30 years ago ... after TV rights and not getting them so going off an creating their own competition.

If you believe press reports, Bond wanted to keep playing for NZ but the NZCC have followed the ICC directive for players who sign with the ICL.

The 20-20 comp REB is talking about is the Indian Premier League - created by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. That's what Gilly has signed on for.

Matty Elliot on the other hand is considering an offer from the rebel ICL so it seems

Don't get me wrong ... the signs are worrying but as Dutchy was saying we need to get our IPL's and ICL's right

[Pup]

Haha yeah i realise they are different 20/20s but i would think both are as alarming as each other. When you have a player pull out of playing for their country (Or Sacked) (Bond) so they can play hit and giggle cricket for 3 months an earn an enormous amount of money then you know you have trouble and that is a trend that will continue regardless of it being IPL or ICL.

I can see the same thing happening when say for an example Andrew Symonds would rather earn 600k for 3 months than tour Pakistan and WI for considerably less. Make no mistake i am looking forward to watching this tounament but i hope it does not ruin cricket as a whole.