ICC Champions Trophy player update
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Flintoff’s retirement spells fears for the future of Tests
Andrew Flintoff’s upcoming retirement has provoked cynical rumblings across the land as to the motives of England’s talisman. In an age where money talks most, many feel that Flintoff’s focus has been drawn from his country to the millions he can earn if fully fit and available for next year’s IPL. This may well be the case and if so who can blame him after an injury-ravaged 4 years which has seen him spend more time on the operating table than on a cricket field. Aussie stars Hayden and Gilchrist have already quit the international arena for domestic Twenty20 and the promise of a few more big paydays on the sub-continent.
However while these players were coming to the end of glittering international careers anyway (in Flintoff’s case it was becoming a question of which tendon would fail next) there’s a worrying line of thought that players might start to quit at an earlier age to cash on lucrative domestic tournaments and foreign leagues.
Twenty20 $s vs Test cricket prestige
It becomes a case of financial reward against the prestige of Test cricket. Which players are prepared to sacrifice the chance of a place in history in return for a quick buck. Why risk potentially crippling injuries when you can earn enough to set you up for life in a less demanding format? Test series and tours are spun out over several months while with Twenty20, all’s done and dusted and cheques cashed in a matter of weeks.
There are some like England captain Andrew Strauss who remain committed to tests as after all that’s what players are judged on at the end of the day. But for every Strauss there’s a Dmitri Mascherenas who gave up his England spot in 2008 for a place in an IPL team.
Of course the losers here are the fans. We want to see the best players in both formats so therefore its up to the authorities to step in and protect the game. No one can prevent a player from choosing the IPL. The threat of bans simply doesn’t work as illustrated by the Kerry Packer series and the South Africa trips in the 1980s.
Schedules need to be slashed
And anyway we don’t want to prevent players from competing in tournaments like the IPL which has provided spectacular entertainment so far. The simple solution is to cut away the dead wood from the schedules to allow the best of both worlds so players can compete in Tests and Twenty20 without feeling they’re on a never-ending treadmill and to keep international cricket fresh and exciting.
If it’s made possible players will want to compete in both formats. Players like Gilchrist, Hayden and Flintoff have made their reputations and become the players they are through Test cricket. It’s been series like the Ashes which have made them icons.
Most 50 over cricket should now be scrapped with World Cup as an exception?
Why not scrap the meaningless tedium of 50 over one-day series which cause overseas tours to drag on longer than they should? The Champions Trophy is another event which clogs the calendar and bears little significance. The dwindling crowds during the recent England-West Indies series and the shocking attendance figures at the poorly managed 2007 ICC World Cup spoke volumes.
There was a rumour that the 2011 ICC World Cup might be the last and spell the end of 50 over cricket. However, the ICC deny this and are apparently currently selling rights to a 2015 World Cup. Maybe the 50 over World Cup could exist on its own as a novelty once every 4 years but for the good of cricket, cutbacks need to be made.
There is a solution but only if the men at the top of the game are prepared to look away from the dollar signs.
By David Cox,
IPL Cricket: Flintoff injury huge blow – Pietersen
As Andrew Flintoff prepares for his latest trip to the operating table Kevin Pietersen, England’s other million-dollar IPL star, admitted it was a massive blow for England, but said players can’t be stopped from joining the event.
“It’s going to be very difficult for boards to pull players out of tournaments like this when you’re playing with the best players in the world,” Pietersen told the Guardian. “You can’t have one rule for some and another rule for others. But it’s a huge blow come the summer for England.”
Flintoff flew home yesterday to have surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee which is set to keep him out of action for up to six weeks and means he misses the series against West Indies.
There was months of negotiations between the ECB and Professional Cricketers’ Association before the players were finally released for the IPL, with the board eventually conceding to the demands to allow an extra week at the event despite England’s crammed schedule.
Following an 11-week tour of the Caribbean, Pietersen and Flintoff – along with Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah who were also in West Indies for the duration – had a week at home before heading to South Africa. Those who don’t get injured are due to return next week, shortly before the first Test against West Indies which is the beginning of a hectic summer.
Flintoff had an injury-interrupted tour of West Indies when he returned to England for two weeks to recover from a hip problem before returning for the one-day series. His latest problem is not as serious as some of his previous ailments, but means there will be some major changes to England’s early-summer planning.
Dr Derek Bickerstaff, the renowned knee surgeon who operated on Michael Vaughan, told Cricinfo that although the operation is a fairly simple procedure the recovery needs to be carefully managed. “There are different levels of this sort of injury,” he said. “But the recovery period should also be pretty rapid. There will probably be a week of rest followed by two weeks on the bike in the gym and by four weeks he should be training again and be ready to play after about six if everything goes well.
“There is a small risk that the operation could leave the knee susceptible to further problems because some of the shock-absorbing tissue has been removed, but it’s unlikely to be a factor in the life-time of a fast bowler like Andrew Flintoff although he may suffer later in life. It shouldn’t prevent him returning to action effectively.”
Source: Cricinfo
England scores 16th lowest total in test match history
England scored 16th lowest total in test match history yesterday to loose the first of four test matches, by an innings and 23 runs.
England batted first and posted a respectable 318 all out, with Pietersen top scoring with 97, he received some support from Prior who managed to get 64 runs. Then the West Indies put in 392 in their first innings, with both Gayle and Sarwan scoring centuries. The West Indies had fought for a first innings lead of 74.
The collapse started immediately, the top five batsmen from England couldn’t get into double figures, in fact only Andrew Flintoff managed double figures with a top score of 24. An absolute shocking batting performance which included four ducks, the worst possible start for the new captain Strauss.
A performance like this from an English team is a sign that there is something seriously troubling them off the field. Kevin Pietersen resigning as captain, then new appointment of Strauss and the maybe the $1.5 Million that Pietersen and Flintoff are set to earn in the IPL are all contributing factors. Not to mention a new stand in coach.
They are going to have a long long tour in the West Indies if they don’t sort themselves out quickly.
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