Why are cricket administrators so brainless?

[Lillian Thomson]

This years C & G Trophy is a complete nonsense. How on earth can you have ten teams in each group with only one qualifying place available. If the idea of this format was to get players playing more competitive 50 over cricket then it fails miserably. It's fairly obvious to everyone with living brain cells that this format would result in too many of the matches being meaningless. They seem to have introduced Semi-Finals for next season, but this is still not enough. They need to bring in Quarter-Finals. Four teams qualifying out of the ten would give the two leagues just the right balance and keep the matches meaningful.

So why are cricket administrators so brainless? It's not just this, they get so many things unbelievably wrong.

 

[Timewell]

The only problem is when the 'extra' games would be played. The cricket season is slowly getting saturated and players will be having very few rest days - meaning the standard of cricket will drop!

 

[luckyeddie]

The only problem is when the 'extra' games would be played. The cricket season is slowly getting saturated and players will be having very few rest days - meaning the standard of cricket will drop!

There is one solution - instead of having two groups of 10, have four groups of 5.

Then you can have the top two from each group going through, have quarter-finals and semi-finals before having a grand final at Lor....

Oh, wait!

 

[superkingdave]

There is one solution - instead of having two groups of 10, have four groups of 5.

Then you can have the top two from each group going through, have quarter-finals and semi-finals before having a grand final at Lor....

Oh, wait!

The teams who don't get Scotland or Ireland in their groups would be far from happy i would suggest.

I'm quite happy with Semi's, if we got to quarters we could get team going through with 4 wins out of 9 which i don't think is right

 

[chekmeout]

The teams who don't get Scotland or Ireland in their groups would be far from happy i would suggest.

I'm quite happy with Semi's, if we got to quarters we could get team going through with 4 wins out of 9 which i don't think is right

Well there are weak teams and strong teams and Scotland & Ireland (esp. Scotland) have been fairly competitive this season and are only going to get better...

(Before taking the last maches into consideration) - In terms of points Glamorgan, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire were equal or below Scotland & Ireland. Furthermore, Yorkshire and Leicestershire had equal number of victories as Scotland and are just ahead by bonus points..

 

[superkingdave]

Well there are weak teams and strong teams and Scotland & Ireland (esp. Scotland) have been fairly competitive this season and are only going to get better...

(Before taking the last maches into consideration) - In terms of points Glamorgan, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire were equal or below Scotland & Ireland. Furthermore, Yorkshire and Leicestershire had equal number of victories as Scotland and are just ahead by bonus points..

That may be the case, (though 2 of scotland's 3 wins have been in reduced overs games) but it still doesn't mean the teams will be happy.

The problem in my case would be the fact that we would inevitably be paired with Yorkshire, Durham and Derbyshire, and we already play them home and away in the Twenty20 so it would be overkill playing the same sides too often.

 

[archie mac]

This years C & G Trophy is a complete nonsense. How on earth can you have ten teams in each group with only one qualifying place available. If the idea of this format was to get players playing more competitive 50 over cricket then it fails miserably. It's fairly obvious to everyone with living brain cells that this format would result in too many of the matches being meaningless. They seem to have introduced Semi-Finals for next season, but this is still not enough. They need to bring in Quarter-Finals. Four teams qualifying out of the ten would give the two leagues just the right balance and keep the matches meaningful.

So why are cricket administrators so brainless? It's not just this, they get so many things unbelievably wrong.

These sort of statements always amaze me (I am not saying I don't agree with you), often cricket administrators are quite high profile people, captains of industry, judges, lawyers and the such. I think it just shows how hard a job it must be

 

[SJS]

Because it is the karma of all administrators to be termed brainless or being called by other equally unflattering names.

Administration is, by and large, a thankless job in sports or any other field.

Those actually working, be it sportsmen on the field, persons manning machines or others involved with them (including bystanders like us) always believe the job can be done better but this has rarely been proven in practice.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

These sort of statements always amaze me (I am not saying I don't agree with you), often cricket administrators are quite high profile people, captains of industry, judges, lawyers and the such. I think it just shows how hard a job it must be

Maybe instead of "captains of industry, judges, lawyers" they should appoint people who understand cricket.

Because it is the karma of all administrators to be termed brainless or being called by other equally unflattering names.

Administration is, by and large, a thankless job in sports or any other field.

Those actually working, be it sportsmen on the field, persons manning machines or others involved with them (including bystanders like us) always believe the job can be done better but this has rarely been proven in practice.

Maybe brainless is a bit over the top, but the case of this years C & G Trophy the format is complete stupidity and has absolutely nothing going for it, it just lacks any common sense more than anything.

 

[SJS]

Maybe brainless is a bit over the top, but the case of this years C & G Trophy the format is complete stupidity and has absolutely nothing going for it, it just lacks any common sense more than anything.

Difficult to disagree with that.

 

[Pothas]

The teams who don't get Scotland or Ireland in their groups would be far from happy i would suggest.

I'm quite happy with Semi's, if we got to quarters we could get team going through with 4 wins out of 9 which i don't think is right

What was wrong with the simple old format along side 45 over a side league?

 

[Autobahn]

Well i can understand the thinking behind it, play 9 50 over games during the ODI season in england so the selectors can get a sustained look at players, instead of missing out good players because they either play in poor OD teams and see them play over a sustained campaign.

I think the administrators where probably a little naive in awarding only a final and i think they didn't quite expect the counties to field such weaker teams and that wasn't helped by the fact that so many teams fell out of the running so quickly.

And to be fair no other country plays a full knock-out cup anymore so this was bound to happen sooner or later.

I think yes there's certainly room for improvement but neither is it the disaster some members of this forum would have you believe.