Aerie wrote:rd wrote:Aerie wrote:Is it giving the English too much of a leg up? I do like the idea. Remembering many of our players have County contracts and I'd continue to encourage that as preparation in all formats. Form some sort of AUKNZ.
Split our cricket season in three parts:
Part A - Oct-Dec - Red ball cricket
Include the England Lions (England A) as a permanent fixture in the Shield and also add a team from ACT. Have the Shield run over 7 rounds beginning in October and the Shield Final in the gap prior to the Adelaide Christmas Test. With interest high in red ball cricket - I think the Shield Final broadcast over the weekend free between Test 3 and 4 of the summer could be popular. I'd also make the MCG Boxing Day Test the last of the summer. Brisbane > Sydney > Perth > Adelaide > Melbourne.
Part B - January - BBL
Start the BBL Christmas Eve, with the Final on Australia Day and all Australian players available throughout January. No need for international T20's until the lead up to a World Cup.
Part C - February - 50 Over Cricket
International Tri Series between Australia, New Zealand and England. Besides the lead up to a World Cup, this can be our 50 over preparation.
State One Day Series played at same time.
Good point re the suggested schedule gives England too much of a leg up.
CA love the Barmy Army and their money visiting every 4 summers and filling up the Test venues.
How many times in the future will the Barmy Army continue to tour Australia in such large numbers when England continue to lose at least 4 Tests per visit?
Much cheaper to stay home and be with your pals in an English pub watching Brook and Smith throw their wickets away.
England need to be competitive to ensure that Ashes meetings retain their iconic status forever or there won't be another Centenary Test type celebration in 2077.
My idea has England in Australia from late October to early February. This summer they were in Australia from early November to early January. In October 2025 they were in New Zealand getting into trouble in nightclubs whilst playing meaningless T20 and 50 Over matches. So, it's not as if they were home sitting on the couch.
They could have bypassed the NZ tour and simply arrived In Australia in late October to play the Aust states as per my schedule.
The Australian and English cricket execs need to realise that Ashes events are sacred and ensure that the best players from each country are available and perfectly prepared to play 5 tough Test matches. If a player is chosen to be part of a 17-man English squad to tour Australia, then he should be financially rewarded for the occasion and not be swayed by a meaningless T20 comp somewhere else in the world. Likewise for Australian players chosen to tour England every 4 years for an English Ashes series.
I agree - I don't want to see the excuse of piss poor preparation be trotted out time and again. When it comes to The Ashes, each country must do what they have to do and in the last two Ashes series, we've been far better prepared and clinched The Ashes before England have had a chance to blink. So it is up to the English administration to ensure they have enough time in the future, whether that is by requesting particular fixtures or prioritising practice games over white ball matches in the lead up.
Certainly, despite that little urn having a permanent place at Lords and despite England not necessarily being the strongest of opposition, the concept of us holding it lets Australian cricket breathe easy and go about climbing mountains in India and other parts of the world, chasing tournament silverware and largely dominating home summers. But the moment we don't have it in our hands it's calamity. Reviews. Sackings. The cricket world is shifted off its axis and in an uncomfortable place until the urn is regained. Such is its importance.
Yep, I agree that England should have planned better prior to the First Test. Time spent in NZ getting in trouble in nightclubs and playing instantly forgotten T20s and One Dayers could have been spent in Australia playing some state teams with the matches counting as Sheffield Shield points for the states so they would have played their best players against the tourists.
