My News
13.04.07
The Times - My blueprint for transforming the county competitions
Shane Warne gives expert advice to guardians of the game as he begins another year on the domestic circuit
What they should do
County cricket has a lot of things right. I want to say that straight away. It is a great learning ground for young players because they are exposed to so many different situations over the course of six months. Almost all the world’s great players have passed through at some stage and valued the experience.
But there are still a few things I would like to see changed. At the top of my list is the continuation of 104 overs in a championship day. This is just ridiculous. If the ECB intends to move to 96 in 2008, then why not do it now. It is not as if there will be a huge knock-on impact.
Those extra eight overs can make a big difference at the end of a long afternoon.
If you think that a Test match has a minimum 90 overs in a day, then in county cricket we have to bowl an extra 14 in only 30 minutes more. Play either finishes late or captains end up rushing decisions to avoid a penalty.
I would also like to see the intervals changed from 40 and 20 minutes to 30 minutes each for lunch and tea. At the moment, we have only that brief 20 minute break in the afternoon separating 4 hours of cricket -longer if those overs don’t get completed and we go into overtime.
Actually, we don’t get anything like 20 minutes. By the time we have walked off the field all the way to the dressing-room, perhaps had a shower and a stretch and a bit of a think about strategy, the bell is about to ring again. I’m no nutritionist -not with my diet -but it can’t be good to be wolfing down food.
I still have a beef with the system of bonus points. Personally, I would not bother with them at all so that sides play for a win without anything to confuse the issue. Sometimes scoring 300 quickly is better in the context of the game than grinding out 400, so it is wrong that the second way earns a couple of extra points. They do not always make for attacking cricket. The balance between 14 points for a win and four for a draw is all right because there is every incentive to push for victory. But with eight points available on top, suddenly a haul of 12 points is not too bad. You can play negatively from first to last and come away with a fair return.
I appreciate that in rain-affected games there has to be something for sides who may want to play brilliantly aggressive cricket but are denied by the weather. My concern is that players come through the system who have not been used to playing under the pressure of trying to win from any situation. As Hampshire captain, I have always said that I will do anything to keep games alive. At times in the past, that has meant being more generous than I would have liked with declarations to make sure we are still in contention. In the long run I believe that produces better, tougher characters. I also think that the game is best kept simple so that crowds can understand what is going on. (And players, for that matter). Maybe the answer is simply to award more points for success. Say, 20. The difference of 28 for a win with full bonus points and 12 as the maximum for a draw puts a better value on the results.
In the Friends Provident Trophy, I am a little bit concerned about batsmen and fielding captains being able to appeal against umpiring decisions in televised matches. If the idea is worth a trial, then it should apply in all games, not just where and when TV cameras are present. It just gives an advantage to teams whose games are filmed more than others. You could have the same errors in one match as another, but they are not reversed because the game does not happen to be on television. It seems very unlikely that all counties will be shown on an equal number of occasions. I am also surprised that the old-fashioned fielding restrictions are still in place, with two men on the boundaries for the first 15 overs. Surely the idea of 50-overs games is to imitate one-day internationals. In that case, we should be going with the new system of three powerplays totalling 20 overs.
What they shouldn’t do
Picture the scene: Lancashire win the toss on an overcast morning and quickly get rid of our opening batsmen. James Anderson is steaming in at one end, Andrew Flintoff at the other. The pitch is doing a bit and their tails are up. In walks Kevin Pietersen. He takes guard, works out the field, grits his teeth and gets set.
There could not be a more exciting scenario for cricket followers, and the ECB has the power to make it happen. Perhaps not in so much detail. But, on May 9, Hampshire take on Lancashire at the Rose Bowl. If Duncan Fletcher and the board really care about county cricket they will make sure the big names are out.
After what has gone on this winter, I will be super-angry as well as frustrated should Pietersen be ordered to rest by Fletcher before the first Test against West Indies on May 17. And if that happens, the ECB should overrule him, England coach or not. The board runs the game, raises the money and is entitled to kick up a stink.
I was really annoyed with Cricket Australia this winter for backing off when John Buchanan said that Shane Watson and Brad Hodge could not play for Queensland and Victoria in the final of our major one-day competition. The guys wanted to play, but the coach was worried about injuries before the World Cup.
If a player is unfit, then fine. If he is exhausted and desperately needs a rest, then he should have one. Of course he should. I don’t want to see bowlers run into the ground or batsmen shattered by the end of May. I simply believe that in the present circumstances, England players need four-day cricket.
Since the first week in January they have had nothing but one-day matches. They need to readjust to first-class mode before facing West Indies. It is not as if they were too clever in the Ashes series either side of Christmas. I won’t repeat the scoreline, but let’s just say that England were not in great form.
As the Hampshire captain I would love to have Pietersen in my side. It would be great for our young players to have him around, just as it would be wonderful experience for them to play against Flintoff, Anderson and Sajid Mahmood. And think of the impact it would have on the gate. What a great advertisement for the county game. Once England are out of the World Cup, I will be on the phone to KP to find out what instructions he has had from above and to confirm he wants to play and help out his mates. I think that all of them would go back to their counties given the choice, although they may be reluctant to disagree with Fletcher in public. Most if not all of the county captains will agree with me.
Darren Gough at Yorkshire would no doubt love to have Michael Vaughan, who certainly needs time in the middle. Northamptonshire will be a different team with Monty Panesar and Durham would be delighted to have Paul Collingwood back. Members want to see these players.
This could be a great season for the game. The main reason why I am so excited – apart from being really optimistic about Hampshire -is the number of good spinners on the circuit: Muttiah Muralitharan, Saqlain Mushtaq, Panesar for a while, Ashley Giles when he is fit, Mushtaq Ahmed and myself among them. The weather has been phenomenal in England so far and if it keeps up, the pitches will start to turn earlier than usual. A big summer of spin will really test a few batting techniques. It will also be a challenge for captains to be positive. Let’s see how many go in with two spinners and use them as attacking options.
I think the ECB have brought in some pretty good innovations for 2007. I like the idea of a new ball after 80 overs in the championship to replicate Test cricket.
The county game is the breeding ground for England players and the more the games can be brought into line, as a rule, the better. The other idea I like is a semi-final stage for the Friends Provident Trophy -that’s the 50-overs tournament for anybody struggling to keep up with the sponsors. It means that the top two from the regional conference stage go through instead of heading straight for the final at Lord’s.
This way, counties will stay in contention for longer and the weather becomes less of a factor; you can have a washout or two and be in with a shout. It also means two sides from the north or south conference can reach the final. Just as it should be, if one half of the country has the two best one-day teams.
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