Posted by The unstoppable fun train is careering around the UK during summer 2010 and no mistake. England will play no fewer than 13 one-day internationals.
This commitment to 50-over cricket has been reinforced by the ECB’s parallel decision to not play any 50-over county cricket ever again. Instead, county cricketers will be playing 40-over one-day matches on a Sunday, much like they’re doing in this year’s Pro40 competition. The Pro40 is of course being cut from the schedules due to its irrelevance, so there’s an irrelevant gap that needs filling.
Despite having pretty much the whole of July off, England will also be playing four Tests in a month against Pakistan. Fortunately, they don’t need to worry about their fast bowlers being completely knackered, because that series starts only four days after Pakistan have finished playing a Test (in England) against Australia, so their fast bowlers will constantly be that little bit more tired than England’s.
We’re pretty sure that Pakistan are playing not just back-to-back Tests, but back-to-back-to-back Tests at some point in those five weeks.
It seems we have a state banquet of international cricket in England next year! I hope no one get’s indigestion.
If I have it right we can select any or all from the following menu:
Eng vs Bangla (Test, ODI)
Eng vs Aussies (ODI)
Aussies vs Pak (Test)
Eng vs Pak (Test, ODI, 20/20)
I’ll have to be very nice to the bank manager!
Where are the England Lions taking on NZ “A” and India “A” though? Presumably not in England (the cheese and biscuits)?
so they are not playing any domestic 50-over cricket?
despite the fact that the world cup is a 50-over competition?
and they’re inventing a new 40-over competition to replace the pro 40?
despite the fact that the schofield report specifically said the pro40 didn’t work?
give us a break, ecb.
I can sort of sympathise with where the counties are coming from. Although it seems strange not to mirror international cricket, the 4 day game has never mirrored the 5 day Tests. Cutting out 10 overs per innings might actually help to reduce the dull middle overs in the international game if it encourages batsmen to be a bit more aggressive and inventive earlier on rather than nudge it around between powerplays. And, of course, they’ve cited the SA example of them not playing 50 over cricket domestically either, yet managing to be number one in the world.
That said, doing away with international 50 over cricket would be a good thing in my books so I can’t say I’m all that fussed with England’s performances in it anyway.
I wonder whether they’ll include that idea about short run ups, like in the days of my youth.
Watching Michael Holding (for example) lolloping up like a gnarled old county trundler and bowling at 75 mph was in a class of its own.