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Twenty20 way forward for domestic gameFont Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Malcolm Conn | July 17, 2008
AS Cricket Australia revived more than a century of tradition by bringing back the Sheffield Shield yesterday, chief executive James Sutherland revealed that domestic teams from New Zealand and Canberra may be part of a bold new Twenty20 plan for the future.
While state teams will once again compete for the shield, presented by Weet-Bix, after nine years of playing for the Pura Cup in four-day cricket, Sutherland confirmed that the heavily supported Twenty20 version of the domestic game would be significantly revamped for the 2009-10 season.
"We haven't explored the optimal number of teams," Sutherland told The Australian yesterday. "It's not impossible we might, as some other sports have, incorporate a team or two from New Zealand in the mix."
Sutherland pointed to rugby league, rugby union, soccer, netball and basketball all having Australian and New Zealand teams playing in an expanded domestic competition.
"I'm not saying it would work for us but it's part of the process we need to explore."
New Zealand was an inaugural member of the Australian domestic one-day competition when in 1969-70 and played the first six seasons while the Canberra Comets were introduced in 1997-98 for three seasons.
Former NSW and Australia captain Mark Taylor welcomed the return of the Sheffield Shield, but said the new wealth of Twenty20 cricket, particularly in the Indian Premier League, may be a way of attracting young talent to an ever-changing sport.
"There's talk of the Andrew Symonds' $1.5million deal. I think that can only attract youngsters to the game," Taylor, now a CA board member, said.
"What's got to happen is that we've got to keep our other cricket attractive as well.
"Players like Luke Ronchi and Luke Pomersbach and Shaun Marsh, the reason they've been able to jump into the IPL and do well is because they've got a good grounding behind them having come through the Sheffield Shield.
"The danger would be if we started playing too much Twenty20 cricket and not enough Sheffield Shield."
__________________
Joel 2:28
Twenty20 way forward for domestic gameFont Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Malcolm Conn | July 17, 2008
AS Cricket Australia revived more than a century of tradition by bringing back the Sheffield Shield yesterday, chief executive James Sutherland revealed that domestic teams from New Zealand and Canberra may be part of a bold new Twenty20 plan for the future.
While state teams will once again compete for the shield, presented by Weet-Bix, after nine years of playing for the Pura Cup in four-day cricket, Sutherland confirmed that the heavily supported Twenty20 version of the domestic game would be significantly revamped for the 2009-10 season.
"We haven't explored the optimal number of teams," Sutherland told The Australian yesterday. "It's not impossible we might, as some other sports have, incorporate a team or two from New Zealand in the mix."
Sutherland pointed to rugby league, rugby union, soccer, netball and basketball all having Australian and New Zealand teams playing in an expanded domestic competition.
"I'm not saying it would work for us but it's part of the process we need to explore."
New Zealand was an inaugural member of the Australian domestic one-day competition when in 1969-70 and played the first six seasons while the Canberra Comets were introduced in 1997-98 for three seasons.
Former NSW and Australia captain Mark Taylor welcomed the return of the Sheffield Shield, but said the new wealth of Twenty20 cricket, particularly in the Indian Premier League, may be a way of attracting young talent to an ever-changing sport.
"There's talk of the Andrew Symonds' $1.5million deal. I think that can only attract youngsters to the game," Taylor, now a CA board member, said.
"What's got to happen is that we've got to keep our other cricket attractive as well.
"Players like Luke Ronchi and Luke Pomersbach and Shaun Marsh, the reason they've been able to jump into the IPL and do well is because they've got a good grounding behind them having come through the Sheffield Shield.
"The danger would be if we started playing too much Twenty20 cricket and not enough Sheffield Shield."
__________________
Joel 2:28