***Official*** New Zealand in England series 2013

[Adders]

Personally I'm quite looking forward to the games.

Ah well, fair play to you.......I can't summon the slightest bit of interest in them at all. I'm in test match mode now and am just counting the days till the 10th Jul.......these games are just an unwelcome speed hump.

This is a classic example of too much meaningless cricket in the calendar. I'd be surprised if the Kiwis are up for it, I'm sure they'd rather be home by now, and as for us......really, who gives a ****?? I would have been interested in seeing these fringe players a month ago, but now all I care about is our Ashes squad.

 

[Cabinet96]

I'm actually going down on Thursday. Happy that KP will be playing.

 

[Cabinet96]

Ah well, fair play to you.......I can't summon the slightest bit of interest in them at all. I'm in test match mode now and am just counting the days till the 10th Jul.......these games are just an unwelcome speed hump.

This is a classic example of too much meaningless cricket in the calendar. I'd be surprised if the Kiwis are up for it, I'm sure they'd rather be home by now, and as for us......really, who gives a ****?? I would have been interested in seeing these fringe players a month ago, but now all I care about is our Ashes squad.

I really don't get why people whinge about so called meaningless cricket. If you don't care, don't watch. It doesn't delay the Ashes, doesn't hinder our Ashes chances and there's nothing Ashes related that I can do which will be more interesting tonight. Todays game just gives me something to watch on a Tuesday evening and gives a decent look at of players we don't see much of. Not a bad thing at all really.

 

[Maximas]

I really don't get why people whinge about so called meaningless cricket. If you don't care, don't watch. It doesn't delay the Ashes, doesn't hinder our Ashes chances and there's nothing Ashes related that I can do which will be more interesting tonight. Todays game just gives me something to watch on a Tuesday evening and gives a decent look at of players we don't see much of. Not a bad thing at all really.

It's meaningless which means the sting is taken out of the match, also the public don't really care, it simply doesn't need to exist, for most people who watch cricket, less is more, it's a bad image for sport when no one really cares about the result of the game.

If you want an example of good meaningless cricket whinging, then consider the tri-series involving India, SL and WI. It was meant to be a WI-SL test series - which would have been really interesting given the current rankings, but now we are left with a boring ODI series that means little to any of the countries, particularly on the back of the CT.

 

[Cabinet96]

But that's different because they're doing ODI's instead of something else. These T20's are being done instead of nothing. Less is more doesn't really apply here either. These T20's being played before the Ashes isn't going to reduce the importance or care directed towards the Ashes, so simply playing less cricket before a big series like that isn't going to make that series bigger and better.

And the whole "no one cares about it" doesn't really apply half as strongly as you think it does. Just because a lot of pompous test only fans don't give a ****, doesn't mean there aren't people that do. I can bet the Oval and Sky will make a decent amount of money through the games as a result of ticket sales and tv viewing, and you can bet all of the players involved "give a ****".

 

[Maximas]

I would only watch it because I've nothing else to do (only it's on at about 3 in the morning here in Aus so I'll pass this time), that doesn't make me interested, which probably applies for a lot of people. You can take this as an isolated example, where you've all but proved that it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things, but I see it as a worrying trend. Whatever the format and timing, there is an over-saturation of meaningless cricket that is numbing the public to excitement over the game, and it's moments like this that make me wonder if the cricket boards want a quick buck or are actually interested in the long term.So even if it works out OK it's part of a trend that disturbs me, and I don't like seeing the boards and ICC getting away with it.

 

[Cabinet96]

It's always a fight for the shorter formats to escape the meaningless cricket tag though. No one would dare label the two test match series against New Zealand pointless and meaningless (even if a few didn't give it the full attention it deserved) but the two match T20 series is never going to be treated the same way. Even a lot of ODI series are labelled pointless. The England v Australia ODI's last year were "pointless **** preventing four or five tests against South Africa" even the ODI's against the latter nation were doing the same. ODI's after an Ashes series also always carry the meaningless tag, as the main event of the season is over, players get rested, fans from each nation get sick of the sight of each other etc.

I agree that the theory of meaningless cricket is a worry, however, by wanting to get rid of all the so called meaningless cricket, you actually run the risk of filtering out the shorter formats of the game apart from possibly World Cups, because no bilateral ODI or T20 series carries the same importance as a test match. That's far more dangerous than playing a few too many meaningless matches IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

I would only watch it because I've nothing else to do (only it's on at about 3 in the morning here in Aus so I'll pass this time), that doesn't make me interested, which probably applies for a lot of people.

Yeah indeed, but unlike with a lot of these games, there's no opportunity cost to this series. The benefits are minimal but they do exist, and there are basically no drawbacks. There's no way they could've or would've scheduled a Test series in this window instead, it's not disrupting anyone's Ashes preparation or contributing to player burnout given only Pietersen is playing and even most of the support staff are giving it a miss, and New Zealand don't usually play cricket at this time of year either. It's just straight up a bonus series with no negative consequences.

I realise it was part of a broader point for you, but you picked a bad time to express your concern because it doesn't really apply here.

 

[Maximas]

I still don't see why anything had to be scheduled, just let the ashes fever fester and develop as the warm-up matches begin (maybe Sky could cover those and bring the interest up instead of divert it?). Just because there is empty space, I don't think it needs to be filled, creates more excitement and hunger for cricket in the fans and players. As for Cabinet's point about over compensating and filtering out too much "meaningless" cricket. I honestly think t20 internationals should be cut except for the world t20, this way the domestic leagues actually serve a purpose, meanwhile, they could just cut ODI only tours so that each format is valued. I'm sure there is financial gain and perfectly good reasons not to cut these t20s, but I just think they shouldn't be staging them for the sake of it, cricket matches should alwasy be an event IMO, not a filler, but I understand what you guys are saying.

 

[theegyptian]

Boyd Rankin joins the legion of great Englishmen. Giving his cap by another great Eoin Morgan. They don't seem to think Gary Ballance will be playing. Looks like Hales gets the chance to continue his run of 9 single figure scores.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Hales to gun it now he's got that vote of confidence from the Pharaoh.

 

[theegyptian]

I'd be amazed if he gets one anywhere near the middle of the bat.

 

[theegyptian]

England team: Hales Lumb Wright Morgan Bopara Buttler Stokes Woakes Tredwell Dernbach Rankin

Better off playing Briggs instead of any of the pacemen imo but still. Will be interesting to see how erratic Stokes bowling is if he is utilised.

 

[Cabinet96]

Yeah, given that all the part time options, Bopara, Stokes, Wright,are all seamers, I reckon they should have gone with Briggs, especially as the seamers are trash.

 

[theegyptian]

Be interesting to see the reaction in Yorkshire to Ballance not playing. They've been complaining like 10 year kids about Bairstow all year in the ODI squad but not playing.

 

[Zinzan]

No Guptill? I just don't get that ...mental

 

[theegyptian]

Yes Boi

 

[Pothas]

I don't think I have ever seen Franklin make a run.

Shame that Ballance and Briggs are not playing, wanted all the youngsters to get a go.

 

[wpdavid]

Woakes not really making a case for subsequent selections, is he.

 

[Pothas]

Woakes....