International cricket thread

Gillespy

No positive tests apparently. They never wanted this game. Remember back to the start of the summer they wanted the schedule changed because this one was too close to the IPL.

MFPM

5th test cancelled, really disappointing end to the series. India say some back room members are covid positive but doesn't seem to be any players involved yet they cant field a team for fear of covid spreading. I tend to agree that imminent restart of the IPL is behind this decision.

Unclear what series result is.

Hammer Archer

Livid about this. Had initially booked tickets for my Father-in-law as his 70th birthday present back in October 2019 for the Pakistan test match last August. Obviously, that was behind closed doors due to Covid so the tickets were changed to this match. My father in law flew out yesterday and was literally on the train to Old Trafford this morning when news of the cancellation filtered in.

As I was driving them to the airport yesterday I even said to him "two years after the tickets were booked, you're finally getting to see a test match"!

Royale with Cheese

I initially thought forfeiting the match would be ridiculous, but if it's true that they can actually field a team and are choosing not to then I think it's absolutely fair enough.

Strumms

India can’t be awarded the series win, that much is clear.

“ECB chief executive Tom Harrison told Sky Sports News an effort would be made by the two boards to stage a "standalone" Test between the two sides at Old Trafford.”

Not clear by that statement when it’s expected to occur , in the coming days / weeks or further down the line.

Ravi Shastri isn’t a guy who is slow to criticize others in fact he’s a habitual moaner and finger pointer and has been for years, now his own team responsible for a whole test being cancelled, a series decider .. hopefully the ICC stick it to them.

should be a clause in the laws of the game that failure to field a team and fulfill a fixture means you forfeit the test unless the opposition agree to reschedule, which England shouldn’t in my view.

Gillespy

Ravi's book launch started all this many believe. He was positive at the Oval remember.

So it appears they jumped the gun saying it's forfeited. I saw the statements this morning saying it was. BCCI flexed I guess and now they say it's going to be rescheduled.

Sick of hearing about player bubble fatigue being a reason too. They're going straight to another one and then onto the T20 world cup.

Strumms

Fûck fatigue, you are professional sports people...

If I’m the chair of the ECB, I’m going to be of the mind to sanction, India, if it can’t be done legally as in a lawsuit, English cricket and Lancashire are going to loose a couple of million quid... India should foot that bill...

id imagine England will be slow to re-invite them as long as Shastri is in charge.... he can’t be trusted.

West Indies Ladies vs South Africa Ladies

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3a4sh9pvh3c

Richard Hillman

As previously

The BCCI requested earlier this year that they reduce the series to 4 games, skipping the Old Trafford test to accommodate going to the IPL.

Earlier this week the ECB announced their schedule for next summer. They announced 6 test matches instead of the usual 7.

India just happen to be touring England next year for ODIs

Now they are looking to have a one off test, which makes it up to the usual 7 test matches.

There is something very smelly about this.

Strumms

They are basically fûcking over cricket lovers everywhere.

if you’ve agreed to play a 5 game series, it’s on you to fulfill that commitment... whether you like it, whether it’s a pain in the temporal lobes, or otherwise... I’m no fan of Shastri, Kohli and co I have to say, if I’m a senior administrator of another test playing nation I’d be drawing up a pretty watertight contract for this lot with stringent of penalties should they so much as turn up to a ground a minute late never mind trying to weasel out of it.

dohboy

Personally think some of anger around this is unjustified. There is covid in their camp, they have their families with them, they have been England since June... it's an unfortunate turn of events, but running international sport during a pandemic is fraught with difficultly. This "just get on with the game" stuff doesn't sit right with me when these lads are putting themselves through various bubbles, periods of isolation, etc. Yes they are handsomely rewarded for it, but it still takes a huge toll mentally and physically.

Richard Hillman

The ECB originally said that India forfeit. This was immediately retracted. Tom Harrison (ECB CEO) went on Sky and was asked about Covid insurance, and said they were covered for it and they have multiple policy's for cancellation coverage. He then said later on, was adamant and really wanted to emphasize that this game was called off for Mental Health reasons. I don't think he ever said it was called off for Covid but he really wanted to emphasize it was called off for Mental health reasons.

This is big big money we're talking about 20k attendance over 5 days, it probably averages out at €100 a ticket, probably about 10m revenue from tickets alone. That's before Sponsors and TV will be asking for their money back. The insurance companies ain't going to take this laying down. Something stinks here.

To add to my previous point earlier. The ECB announced 6 tests next year instead of the usual 7. One thing I forgot to say was Old Trafford left out of the Test Schedule next year. Where does everyone think that one off test will take place next year? Which of course won't be part of the 2021 series and India just happen to be in England next summer anyway.

So if they are successful with the insurance. They also get an added test in for likely Old Trafford.

There's a nice and neat little package going on here.

Tom Mann Centuria

Michael Holding has retired as a commentator. Loved his style, and I think he'll be missed.

Gillespy

Never moved with the game. Always about it being better back in his day. His anti T20 stance was boring, too stubborn to change. Giving out about West Indies players playing for franchises when he himself played for Packer. Umpire's call in DRS, can't let things go. And idulged too much by his colleagues, his pace and stuff like when would the spinner bowl. Should have retired with Botham and Gower.

Saying all that he's an iconic voice of the sport and I will miss him.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117896067#Comment_117896067

Big time missed.

he was / is so passionate, insightful and articulate in his description of the play I really loved listening to him. One of his greatest assets and it’s something you don’t witness enough from sports commentators was that if he disagreed with another commentator he just get stuck into debate about why he thinks differently...never condescending but never letting them off, often with humor, experience and insight though without compromising his views ... made him a real joy to listen to. He was and is passionate about the game.

Whomever has to fill his seat will be needing to be good.

Gillespy

You never see a debate with Holding. He has his views and stubbornly sticks to them. Very basic and often macho in his responces to questions about bowling to in form batsman. Bowling faster today backfires more often than not. Its why they need all the variations to survive. Holding bowled in an era with no helmet protection and batsmen stood with their bats on the ground. Different world and he never fully acknowledges it.

Beasty

Pretty impressive performance by Sweden in the European T10 competition today. Belgium, arguably the strongest team in the group (and still top of the Group table), managed 149 in their 10 overs and Sweden knocked them off with 5 balls to spare

Strumms

Watching the ladies England vs New Zealand ODI.. New Zealand required 30 from 21 deliveries with 9 wickets down but they were having the scoreboard tick over nicely...Kasperek running a very tight run jogs in without any dive or urgency, the bat is in the air too past the line and she gets herself run out.. if I’m a team manager / captain there would be serious words... all the effort by her teammates to get back in, having being 132/7 to stay in the match to the point of a win being possible then you can’t be arsed running full pelt or concentrating to ground the bat... very lazy...

Strumms

West Indies vs South Africa women going to a super over..

live.. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vguFGQ9SgN0

SA batter ran out dubiously on last ball.

Richard Hillman

So after Pakistan (and West Indies) quite literally bailed English cricket out last summer to play those test matches, the ECB have fobbed Pakistan off in playing just 2 T20 games in Pakistan as a thank you.

They will fob West Indies off in the Spring too.

I have never been so disconsolate about the state of the game as I am now. Australia pulling out of any game that doesn't include India or England. India pulling out of England for the IPL. England shifting the series to focus on the Hundred.

The BCCI, ECB and CA have been behaving in a reprehensible fashion over the last 12 months.

Gillespy

I agree with you overall but I think theres too much made of Pakistan and the West Indies going to England last year. They were scheduled to tour long before covid. Ireland and Australia completed their planned series too.

What can you do when security isn't guaranteed. New Zealand cancelling last second shows it's not as safe as Pakistan cricket like to say. Their response to this is very entitled and selfish too. Ramiz Raja showing no concern with the security threats the countries have at all.

Strumms

the decision would not have been taken lightly... Or by management and players sitting around googling and coming to a decision, stay or go. Like any major organization that has their people travel to various corners of the globe some of potentially dangerous environments they’d have had security consultants carry out risk assessments...if the security consultants say no...

”in our opinion travel at this time to that region as planned carries too great a security risk to negate against..”

Gillespy

Listening to Mark Butcher on Wisden youtube he thinks the players weren't consulted on this one but is worried there's already an easy out there for them now. Saw it with the England players in Sri Lanka and India. Hearing some of them are reluctant about Ashes. Like me his sympathy is running low for them.

Strumms

Watching the England vs New Zealand women’s ODI from Derby... entertaining stuff so far with England firm favorites although they’ve just lost their first wicket as I type.. England chasing 245 and are 59-1 after 13 overs.

since when did it become a thing now in cricket where a member of the fielding team is injured and now a physio is allowed onto the field who spends 6 minutes administering assistance on the field and the game is at a standstill.

it was a hand / wrist injury so the NZ player can walk off, the 12 man can come on and we can get on with it ?

Strumms

England making a balls of finishing this off... .. needing less then a run a ball Wyatt chips it in the air for a simple catch at deep mid wicket... now England need 6 from 6, 7 down... should have been well over...

probably is now, a 4 from the first delivery.

Richard Hillman

So the update on the Pakistan issue is that government did not advise pulling out of the tour. There was no creditible terror threat.

The players union are saying they had nothing to do with it.

The ECB are rowing back a bit saying it was more of a player welfare issue.

Most of that T20 squad have been living a free life over the summer playing County Cricket and the hundred. You cannot tell me white ball guys like

Morgan (who chose to go to the IPL), Billings, Chris Jordan, Livingston, Mills, Rashid (who chose to go to the IPL) , Roy, Willey, Tom Curran, Dawson, Vince are tired of the bubble life's that they have not been in.

Then you have guys like Malan and Woakes who were briefly in a bubble for the test matches. Wood in and out through injury. Buttler,Bairstow, Ali would definitely get a pass.

The last 5 mentioned would likely be going to the potential tour to Australia, so you'd let them away with it. The previously mentioned won't be until around January to play whatever bilateral white ball cricket that will be forgotten about the next day.

If the ECB had any integrity they would have went to Pakistan as a thank you for last summer and told Australia, we're not going for the Ashes until your country gets it **** together.

Richard Hillman

Do Australia still play cricket?

https://twitter.com/FlashCric/status/1441660975724187649?s=19

Strumms

English ladies looking like posting a sizable score in their innings vs New Zealand... 209-3 after 36 overs.. with plenty of wickets in hand and runs on the board they should get up to around 300 which will be a challenging chase for the NZ girls.

Strumms

England finished with 347-5 .... Tammy Beaumont scores 102 off 114... great to watch...Dunkley and Wyatt then finish off the English innings with a flurry of runs.

Mr. Guappa

Ben Stokes has been added to the England Ashes squad. Suddenly that side looks a whole lot better. Could be an interesting series yet.

Gillespy

Excellent news. I got the feeling this could happen when he put some training footage on social media a while back. It was such a bland squad, he has at least given it a bit of x-factor. With Wood needing injections to bowl four overs, Stokes will be the fastest option for Root too.