CA Marketing Contracts & Mickey Arthur Sacked

First topic message reminder :

Cricket Australia has offered Fawad Ahmed and Gurinder Sandhu marketing contracts in an attempt to grow and diversify the player base whilst also increasing cricket's appeal to a wider multicultural demographic in Australia. The concept which was introduced as a result of the reduction in the number of Central Playing Contracts from 27 players (old arrangement) to only 17 last year (with 10 Marketing Contracts) - as recommended by the Argus report. This year there are 20 CPCs and 7 MCs.

Under an agreement with the Australian Cricketers' Association, players from outside the Central Contract List could be offered deals based on marketing appearances. Ricky Ponting (Melbourne Stars in 2013/4) and Michael Hussey (Sydney Thunder 2013/14) have also been offered these marketing contracts but will obviously not be available for the Ashes Series and will only be playing in the Big Bash.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/638959.html

Meanwhile, Fawad Ahmed could yet play in the Ashes if Legislation before Federal Parliament is passed in time to allow his Australian passport to be fast-tracked. If not, then under ICC Regulations, he will have to wait until August 18, 2013 and would therefore only be available for selection for the 5th Test at The Oval. Despite the back-log of Bills in the last sitting days before Parliament is dissolved for the September 14 Federal Elections - this Legislation should have bi-partisan support. Similar Bills have already been passed; however they have excluded "cricket players" from the explicit scope of the legislation.

In other big news here; Channel Nine has retained the rights for broadcasting all home international matches worth a total of AUD $590 million over five years, an increase of 118% on the previous agreement. CA has also agreed to work with Channel Nine on a $60 million digital rights joint venture, for mobile and broadband coverage of international cricket.

Channel Ten has agreed to pay $100 million over the next 5 years for the rights to the Big Bash tournament and has promised fresh new faces to front its broadcasts. The two free-to-air stations will have a share of the cricket schedule this summer after a deal was finalised on Monday to provide a monstrously large boost to Cricket Australia's broadcasting revenue for the next five years.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/638947.html

msp83 wrote:Cowan
Watson
Rogers
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Haddin
Starc
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon.
That lineup could offer England a decent challenge.
If Watson doesn't deliver in the first couple of games, then bring Warner back in, and perhaps look at James Faulkner as the all-rounder.

msp I think Rogers should open the innings with Cowan with Watson consolidating the innings in the middle order. Roger having a good defense will tackle the pace attack of England and Clarke and Watson will face swann later in the inning. I think Aussies lower middle order is still weak. Though Smith delivered a bit in India but I think at least one of Clarke or Watson should be there behind Khawaja. So the team according to me will go like this.

Cowan
Rogers
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
Starc
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon.

The week goes from awful, to beyond dreadful for Mickey Arthur, who's mum died

Thats a blow! Life just isnt fair sometimes

What makes everyone think Watson is suddenly going to become some kind of reliable middle-order player?

I agree he has the potential to take the game away, but so far he has never done so; even as an opener, his main issue was not kicking on to really hammer the opposition...

I am with Mike on Watson's position. He has had most success in tests as an opener. He's not your conventional opener, but for a good couple of years from the Ashes series of 2009, he did a pretty decent job. After he was split up from his opening partner Simon Katich, and ever since Clarke took over as skipper, Watson's output started coming down. Think he should be restored to the opening position, particularly as Warner is unlikely to play. Rogers could be a much better number 3, than Hughes is. Clarke should take some responsibility and bat 4, then Khawaja Smith and Haddin to complete the lineup.
Australia are going into the warm-up game with 5 bowlers including the all-rounder James Faulkner. Is that a sign of things to come? Faulkner is a proper bowling option, and he certainly can bat, and in fact going in with him may not be all that different from going in with an average batsman. So perhaps one of Smith and Khawaja at 5, Haddin at 6 and Faulkner at 7 might just be a good idea. The Australian lower order has some batting quality in Siddle, Starc and Pattinson, and in fact they had shown greater application than the regular batsmen managed in India earlier this year.
So
Watson
Cowan
Rogers
Clarke
Smith/Khawaja
Haddin
Faulkner
Starc
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon
If Faulkner gets some runs and takes a few wickets in the warm-up, I believe its likely Australia might think going in with such a side.

Exactly. I think Warner needs to come back. Realistically, he is the only Aussie batsman who has been seen taking a game away. Averages near 50 in FC. He needs to play. How Cowan got himself so deeply entrenched in this team is beyond me! For me
Warner
Watson
Rogers
Khawaja
Clarke
Wade
Haddin (W/k)
Johnson/Starc
Siddle
Lyon
Maybe Hilfenhaus.

Don't think Wade is good enough to make the side as a batsman alone, even in these difficult times in the batting department for Australia. James Pattinson certainly has to play. Rather than going in with Wade as specialist batsman, going in with Faulkner could be a more sensible move. In fact considering the injury concerns around Australia's emerging set of quicks, getting in an all-rounder to share the workload may not be a bad idea at all.

My Australian team would be something like this.

Warner
Cowan
Rogers
Clarke
Watson
Hughes
Haddin
Starc
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Averages better than Cowan. 35 is a very decent average for a 12-test WK/batsman. Will improve without the gloves, I feel.

Warner will obviously play.....just because he punched an Englishman in a pub......Aussies aren't gonna leave one of their better batters from an already flimsy line-up

If Watson doesn't open , he is hardly a certainty to command a spot in the order - probably would , given the lack of reliable other options , but I am not sure England would be too worried about him coming in at six , say...just as Swann is getting into his rhythm ...

If Hughes plays watching him try to play Swann should be quite funny

The Indians did a great favor to England when they let Hughes get away with a slog fest of 60 odd after the business end of the series was done. Can't play spin, can't play seam, and hyped as if he's the next Bradman!.

after Vaughan it's Warne that come out applauding CA's move on Boof...and at the same time aiming some shots at the mental weakness of this English side.
Apprantly Boof wants Warne to assist the team....during the ashes...
 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/australia/10146841/Ashes-2013-Darren-Lehmann-will-give-Australia-freedom-and-belief-to-beat-England.html
 
By Shane Warne
6:40AM BST 28 Jun 2013
27 Comments
I just want to see a little bit more form from the team, but I believe they can do it. After watching England fall over under pressure against India on Sunday, they do not seem as in form as they appeared.

England, with 28 runs needed off 18 balls with six wickets in hand, should not have lost that match. But the fact is, England gassed it under pressure in a final. That will give Australia a boost in confidence. They should have won that final with balls to spare. If they had done that everyone would have been on a high and saying “Bring on the Ashes”.

But instead there is disappointment in their minds, Alastair Cook will have some anger too, rather than joy. In the meantime, Australia have put all their ducks in a row and removed the bad issues hovering around the team. They are focusing on a new team mentality and that will lead to a sense of excitement in the group.

I played a lot of cricket with Boof. Our careers matched. We were brought up playing together and against one another through the early 1990s, it will be all about fun now for the Australians.

Boof or Shreck as he is known, was one of the most talented cricketers I ever played with. He has an excellent cricket brain and a calm way of going about things – this will be infectious to the team. He loves talking about cricket, his outlook will help the team feel a lot more relaxed about everything. The atmosphere around the team will not be as tense. Australia will have cricket‑specific practice sessions, they will be short and sharp with lots of intensity. Everything in cricket terms will be based on skill. There will be none of the airy‑fairy stuff that is for show. It is back to old-school preparation with the focus being on fun.

Boof likes to sit around after play and debrief the day, talking about what everyone has learned. I remember, during the late 1990s, when I was captain of Victoria and he lead South Australia. It was the start of the new age with players quick to get out of the dressing room. We made a pact to get back to the old days. When we walked out to the toss we said after each day’s play whichever team fields comes into the other dressing room after play to talk cricket. We would often go home at midnight in taxis.

It was very nice of Darren and Michael Clarke to say they would like me to be involved with the Australian team. I am always there to help any Australian cricketer and always have been. If I need to be around at practice to have a chat with boys about tactical stuff or bowling then I will do that. It’s good to be part of the set-up but most of time my role will be informal, catching up on the phone or chatting over a drink or meal. I do not need a fancy job title to help out.

When you are in the team bubble it can be very helpful to hear input from someone outside the group who occasionally might have a different take on things.

Clarke and Lehmann are great thinkers about the game and the guys will be well prepared and tactics will be high on the agenda, expect some radical field settings to the England top order. I am not in a minority thinking Clarke is one of the most imaginative captains in the world already, but it is nice to bounce a few ideas around together when required, Boof will help Michael big time during breaks on match day. There is lots of good information and advice around these days in terms of sports science, recovery and fitness. But those things should not be the priority and dictate selection. With Boof cricket will come first. The other stuff will be supplementary.

Over the last couple of years in Australia it has tipped the other way. A perfect example is when Peter Siddle was left out of a Test against South Africa at Perth last winter. The series was 1-1 and the most in-form bowler was left out on the advice of sports science because he might pick up an injury. That was the biggest load of horse c--- I had ever heard.

That was a sports-science decision taking precedence over a cricket one. But now the mood, mindset and preparation for games will be different. It will bring freedom to the Australia players. During the Champions Trophy I sensed they were playing with a fear of failure. It should not be that way. If Australia lose then they will go down swinging, and being competitive with aggression and intensity.

Boof is not really a coach. Yes, sure he can tell you about technique but he will be speaking to players about how they approach the game and prepare. He is a mentor. He has been there, done it and endured all the ups and downs over a lifetime in cricket. He has a great rapport with players, a good understanding of how to balance the old school and new.

It was also a good move for Clarke to step down as a selector. It takes the pressure off with players who can talk to him more freely. I am sure if Michael pushes for a certain player the selectors will back him.

Often we criticise Cricket Australia but they should be applauded for not waiting until halfway through the Ashes. They have acted quickly and given the players two weeks to find the right frame of mind for beating England. Yes, I feel for Mickey Arthur and it was not an easy decision but it was better to do it now, rather than later. CA was proactive rather than reactive for the first time in a long time.