International cricket thread

Strumms

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/07/uk-cricket-fans-face-india-v-england-blackout-with-tv-deal-still-to-be-agreed

17 days to the start of the series and the BCCI are playing silly beggars regarding the TV rights once again.

I was looking forward to watching this series immensely…

hopefully if it comes to pass that no UK broadcaster can secure the rights, the ECB play hardball and return the favour with gusto, although if that happens I imagine at a certain political and diplomatic level in the UK it would cause uproar with such a huge Indian diaspora there, but ok when the Indians do it. Not a sound from even the UK sports minister yet…Pathetic.

Trampas

TNT not include the rights when they bought them for recent series

Strumms

No, nobody has the rights currently. Only very recently have the radio rights been agreed. I’ll be fecked if I’m staying up listening to it on the wireless it’s not 1964……

hopefully common sense prevails and something can be agreed but at this late stage it’s doubtful. if it’s resolved…I don’t know how they’ll like going about paying for an English speaking production / commentary team to get out there at pretty much zero notice, with flights and hotels and general expenses over the 6/7 weeks you are looking at an awful lot of money now. Flights and hotels would be sky high. An even more significant 6 figure production bill one would imagine as those boys and girls for the 6 weeks wouldn’t be staying in an Ibis, you’d be taking 4 star hotel, limo transfers to the ground, wages, flights, food and general expenses… over what about 7 weeks ! Maybe more.

So I dunno, my guess is this won’t be resolved but also the consequences for India and the BCCI will be pretty much nil. The ECB should grow a pair & return the favour/behaviour…

Gillespy

I believe it’s Star Sports in India that’s the problem, not the BCCI. They have the global rights and their strategy of selling is to get a bidding war going. Which might explain the news this morning that Disney+ are interested. Might be genuine or a ploy to force Sky and others to hurry up.

Strumms

Any updates as yet ? can’t seem to find anything. It’s an absolute mess…..

Id have thought the BCCI would sell rights separately but hey… either way I’m either going to watch it on TNT, SKY or Premier Sports or not at all.

im not paying any more of my cash to some online honkey tonk broadcaster or whomever.

can only imagine the reaction back in India if say the ECB, Cricket Australia did the same to Indian / International cricket fans.

There would be absolute uproar.. from Delhi to Dharamshala and beyond….. fûck the BCCI & the host broadcaster quite frankly.

Strumms

Dipping in and out of Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka…looking like an entertaining spectacle.

umpiring again though… Wimalasiri gives a batsman out when replays show that never mind the ball missing leg, it would have completely missed two more stumps further outside leg…. This is the best we can expect from international ODI umpires now ? Jeeez

Gillespy

TNT it is for the India England series. They've done a five year deal for Indian international cricket. Sky with their dedicated cricket channel being left behind now aren't they? TNT have India, Australia, NZ and West indies.

Mysterypunter

Happy India beat Afghanistan after 2 super overs. India 22/4 early, made 214/4. Afghanistan 214/6. 16 each in the first super over, but Afghanistan should have got 14. They ran 2 extra runs after a throw from the outfield hit Mohommed Nabi. In the second super over, India made 11, and Afghanistan lost their 2 wickets for 1. Entertaining game.

Good test between Australia and West Indies, Australia 144/5, trail by 44

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631266#Comment_121631266

Yes, it seemed like there was a risk that it wouldn’t have a broadcaster this side of the world which would have been…. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Sky are being left behind completely…loosing cricket, football.. as well as a lot of talented commentators & pundits….

VillaMad

Of course the West Indies are always expected to get annihilated by Australia at Test Cricket but sad to see that batting line-up being the best that they can currently pick due to the usual variety of reasons. Australia of course are pretty much able to pick from the same 12-14 players all the time and so the gap is huge between the two sides.

Nice however to see the debut of Shamar Joseph whose story is great and he has lit up an otherwise nothing performance from the Windies.

Strumms

Only 1 half century by a West Indies player over 2 innings.

9 of their 22 innings were single digit scores.

It’s about a year since they won a test match and that was against Zimbabwe.

players have been both internationally and domestically been playing massive amounts of T20 and ODI cricket….

looks like Cricket in WI has entrenched itself in the love of those shorter formats, bums on seats and more cash in pockets… and less effort and here we are….

MFPM

TNT have 'won' the contract for India v Eng. It's a pain! Obviously the terrestrial days are long over for cricket but at least when sky dominated, one subscription got you good access to most international cricket. Hopefully the BBC will have their overseas TMS link.

Strumms

The final Pakistan vs New Zealand T20 wasn’t the best quality, from either set of players or umpires….

NZ lose the game having being bowled out for 92 chasing just 135.

there were about 6 or 7 dropped catches in the field across both innings, the vast majority being simple enough chances at international level, several other fielding fućk ups… run outs / stumpings that should have been easily taken… a pretty poor spectacle but a dead rubber….

Pakistan avoided the whitewash and NZ take that series 4-1…

Gillespy

Big blow for England with Harry Brook returning home for personal reasons. Dan Lawrence called up as replacement. It should allow them get Foakes into the team now.

Strumms

That’s massive…

Brook… 12 tests, averages 62.15…… 4 hundreds, 7 half centuries.

Lawrence… 11 tests, averaging 29……0 hundreds, 4 half centuries.

Strumms

Kohli gone from the first two tests..

also…. ‘Personal reasons’ cited as the catalyst for his absence.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/68054611

Gillespy

Hopefully it's nothing too serious with them. Series is worse of it. Better news is that Stokes is fine to play.

Strumms

The tour is about 7 weeks long give or take so…. It’s interesting that Brook has been straight away excused for the entirety of it… and a very vague statement released as to why.

you’d have to say Dan Lawrence needs to take this opportunity with both hands if he plays or else it will be curtains or should be curtains for his test career…4 half centuries, averaging 29 and taking 3 wickets in 33 overs is nowhere near good enough for a guy who has been afforded the opportunity of playing 11 test matches. I’d nearly be inclined to go for an uncapped newbie and… ‘off ya go, good luck !” It’s not unreasonable to say that he’s been afforded a very fair opportunity and not performed…

Be interesting to see the 11 that England start with… I think they’ll struggle out there regardless … for runs & wickets….nothing about their potential lineups is at all scary… maybe they can surprise everyone and take advantage of an Indian team without Kohlis runs and leadership / influence ….

12/13 was Englands last series win there but before that you are going back a ways…

don’t think it will be a close series… India to win it by a couple at least I’m thinking.

VillaMad

Kohli out for the first couple of test is a big thing for India but I don't think it will make much of a difference as they will dominate with the ball whether it be spin or seam. England can do Bazball or whatever approach but I would amazed if they can get on top in this series.

Bumrah, Siraj or Ashwin and Jadeja, India have many ways to comfortably win. There will also definitely be at least 2 tests where it will be lucky to last a couple of days as it will spin from day 1 and India are stronger for whatever the situation.

One thing that helps England with Brooks leaving is that it sorts out the wicket-keeping situation. Bairstow should move up and Foakes will reclaim the gloves. Lawrence hasn't really shown anything at international level other than being average but he did at least play 3 tests in the last series, so he should know what conditions he will face. Questions also over Stokes' fitness and it remains to be seen how will cope after the surgery on his knee.

Good to see Leach fit to play, but the other spin options are stabs in the dark. Rehan Ahmed is exciting but it's a tough ask for him here, while I don't know whether Hartley is international standard. A disgrace is also brewing with their other spin option in youngster Shoaib Bashir. He has been denied entry to India due to his Pakistani heritage despite holding a British passport. He has to return to England again to "sort out" his visa, but it's very poor form by the Indian authorities. The shoe on the other foot would cause a diplomatic incident.

Gillespy

England going in with just Mark Wood shows what the pitch must look like a day out. So Leach will be the other opening bowler, it puts even more importance on the toss now.

Big series for Ollie Pope back from injury during the Ashes. I will be shocked if he has a good series. Foakes too, best keeper in the world when he's not in the team now he cant make any mistakes.

Strumms

1. Zak Crawley

2. Ben Duckett

3. Ollie Pope

4. Joe Root

5. Jonny Bairstow

6. Ben Stokes (C)

7. Ben Foakes

8. Rehan Ahmed

9. Tom Hartley

10. Mark Wood

11. Jack Leach

Bashir has been finally offered a last minute visa to get into India and join the England squad for the tour… poxy carry on by the Indians. Can imagine the uproar if the English denied one of the Indians entry ahead of an international tour. There would be outrage. That is just poxbottle behaviour, the guy is 19, no record of any sort. Now misses being available for the first test.

wonder how Ben Stokes feels about bowling 8/9 overs a day…? If those spinners don’t perform and or if Wood doesn’t, or picks up an injury…. Don’t like the one frontline seamer idea.

Anyway, hopefully it’s a competitive series.

now. I think I’ll set my alarm for 6 and watch it from there see how that works. 👀 poxy time for us here.

Gillespy

It's a tough time for us. Bit no man's land 4am. 3.30 if you want to get the toss and some buildup in.

Looking at reddit Indians have zero sympathy for his situation. Didn't follow the proper procedures apparently. Posts critical of how India handled it getting downvoted to hell.

Eye opening to see how serious they are about anyone any way Pakistani getting into the country. David Headley and the Mumbai bombing in 08 the main reason given.

Strumms

Given that there are or were (probably more now) about 75,000 - 100,000 illegal Indian immigrants living in the UK according to a UK government statement in 2018… it might be prudent to be a little flexible when you have a young fella Bashir coming over to India just to play cricket as an International sportsman…. It’s unlikely he’ll be looking for a house or their equivalent of social welfare if such a thing exists …. Just relate his errors and let him fix it and get on with it. Fine him even ! …..Bashir.. he’s arriving as an international sportsman, to do paid work… in a niche industry, sports / entertainment… and then he’ll fûck off home.

anyway, with PP,

India 2/5, Draw 10/1, England 11/4

interesting to see how Anderson will get on whenever he plays. I think a risky selection. never been the most fertile of wicket taking destinations when he’s played in India.

34 wickets in 13 tests there before today. 2.53 wickets per test… ok pitches are generally not as seam friendly but still.

no weather delays or interruptions expected and a high of 28 degrees with few clouds and mostly sunshine.

England win the toss and bat.

Strumms

Solid start by England undone by Duckett being given out on umpires call LBW, just enough of the ball clipping the stumps … Pope back doing his best tail ender impression for 1 before being caught at slip and Crawley just about caught at mid off, 3 minutes of replays required ….fine margins, some poor batting but the luck with India this morning…

Trampas

Was the visa application in on time for Bashir based on maximum time it takes? Why should a sports person get special treatment over anyone else? Do we know what was filled in? It’s all just speculation on not ready. Maybe people should question ecb on time frame on application than blaming India first. If all in on maximum time then fine to question them

Gillespy

Important toss to win by Stokes. Ball is turning already and some variable bounce too. Even session overall, England have 100 runs, India have three wickets. More of the same after lunch from Root and Bairstow will make this interesting. Was worried when the three wickets fell so quickly the game could over before it starts.

MFPM

137/5 England in a bit of trouble. If India get Stokes cheap they'll be in a very strong position.

MFPM

Make that 137/6...Foakes out for 4.

MFPM

Given where they were England will be reasonably happy with that score though we'll see after India have batted. 246 all out.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121668586#Comment_121668586

The UK Home Office have quite a history (post Brexit especially when attitudes hardened) of denying visas to sportspeople who were going to exactly what you suggest - fly in, do paid work in a niche sports industry and then go home. I'm thinking of darts and snooker players, soccer players from minor European clubs looking to play in early round Europa League qualifiers, stuff like that.

So the whole 'how dare another country have their own rules and procedures which affect our sportspeople' attitude that has been on display in the UK media for the last week doesn't get much sympathy from me.