As I sit listening to the T20 freak-show (it marginally beats whatever soap based rubbish the wife is watching) I’ve been contemplating the debate that’s been stirred after England rested five key players for the ODI series.
Captain Cook, Bell, Graeme Swann, Jimmy Anderson and T20 captain Stuart Broad are all putting their feet up and letting a new-look England take on the Aussies for the five match series.
Former Captain Michael Vaughan has had his say and Stuart Broad has fired back. The media have of course jumped on to a healthy debate and stirred it into a bit of a row.
For me there’s pluses and minuses on both sides. I’ve previously argued for giving plenty of people outside the starting XI a chance to shine when it doesn’t matter. A five match series is perfect for that. It also allows important players the chance to rest up in what is an increasingly demanding international fixture list.
But really! Five players? That does seem a little extreme. Cook was off form in the test matches. Only time in the middle is going to improve that. I also don’t see the harm in the others playing a couple of matches or so – one on one off as it were. You can then bring the new players in to a strong team with well established players.
All in all I think a poor decision overall. And as Vaughan argues it’s a bit disappointing to the punters who have splashed out on expensive tickets.
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And now the dust has settled we learn that the fans were entertained by a match that broke 3 records despite both sides only playing 3 of their test team in the game.
Looks like the ODI’s might be exciting…
I’ve been half dwelling on the same thing, although I didn’t write about it because I think it’s a media made storm in a teacup. For starters Vaughan has been labelled by the media as calling for a refund. This makes it sound rather more than it was. What he actually said (in 2 tweets on twitter) was
“I would have only rested Captain Cook. Plenty of time to rest from Sept 16th — Nov 21st!!!? Can’t sell tickets then rest 5 star names!!!!” “No problems resting players but I think supporters who have paid good money to watch the best should get a small refund…”
“A small refund” — OK, Vaughan is an adopted Yorkshireman and understands the importance of value.
However — these are tinky winky cricket games — people who go don’t go to see high class cricket, they go to watch a slogfest so do they really care if Cook or Trott don’t play? They want to see the likes of KP.
Also, you don’t hear complaints any more when top Premiership sides rest players in the cup competitions. Fans know that and pay accordingly. England are known to have different sides for the 3 forms of the game.
So, onto what Broad had to say. He didn’t say Vaughan was “disrespectufl” with a full-stop. He said “I think they’re [Vaughan’s comments] disrespectful to the side that’s going to go out on the field.”
I think that’s fair enough comment. Vaughan was saying the players going out on the field were worth less to watch. That may be true or it may not be, the time for such comments is after the games, if England lose heavily.
The rest of Broad’s comments were straight forward common sense which couldn’t easily be given a spin by the media so they’ve not been heavily referenced.
Anyway, 2 things should be learned from this:
1. If you go to tinky winky cricket games, don’t pay top dollar for your ticket thinking you’ll see the England test 11 — you wont.
2. Wherever possible ignore the shrieking noises coming out of the media. There are sales to be made in cricket coverage at the moment, but no more test matches to write about so the media are generating worthless boring noise instead.