AUSTRALIAN cricket legend Greg Chappell has addressed the state of cricket for the nation.<\/p>\n
Chappell shared his thoughts on the growing importance of T20 cricket and Australia’s position in the format following a disappointing World Cup, which saw them bow out in the group stage.<\/p>\n
“I think most people who are close to the game realise that it’s heading in that direction, that short form cricket is going to be the dominant form,” Chappell said on SEN Whateley.<\/p>\n
“There’s going to be franchise cricket that is only going to get stronger, the franchises will own the players, and they will tell the players where they’ll play. So much like soccer, it will be the clubs that own the players, and they’ll be loaned back to their countries.”<\/p>\n
It means that Test Cricket may become the victim of an increasing focus on white-ball formats.<\/p>\n
“Test cricket, therefore, will be marginalised further and further, unless the administrators can do something to hold back the tide, but I really feel that it’s almost impossible,” Chappell said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve gone so far and with Cricket Australia now looking to sell an interest in the Big Bash, that’s only going to strengthen the position of franchise holders and probably weaken the position of national boards.”<\/p>\n
Chappell pointed to the falling standards of international red ball cricket with the continued diminishing strength of the West Indies, who are currently 8th in the ICC’s rankings.<\/p>\n
“The West Indian Test teams are 3rd XIs these days, and I think a lot of other countries are going to finish up going down that path,” Chappell said.<\/p>\n
It raises the importance of domestic competitions such as the Big Bash in ensuring Australia remains a strong force in the shortest format of the game.<\/p>\n
There has been much conjecture surrounding the privatisation of BBL teams, but Chappell believes something has to change to keep the competition relevant in an increasingly competitive market.<\/p>\n
“Well, I think for the Big Bash to survive and continue to grow, it has to have some of the world’s best players and the best players from Australia, which is not happening very regularly at the moment,” Chappell said.<\/p>\n
“So if we’re selling a share in the Big Bash, it’s got to come with access to good players.<\/p>\n
“We are better off to align ourselves with England\u2026and get access to English players and make sure that their window for The Hundred and our window for the Big Bash are compatible so that we can share players somehow.”<\/p>\n
Another headline that’s been dominating the cricket world is the form of West Australian all-rounder Cam Green, who has struggled for form of late.<\/p>\n
But Chappell is hopeful Green can recapture the strong form that saw him earn a baggy green in the first place.<\/p>\n
“Bowling has impacted his batting. He can still be one of the great all-rounders of the game because he has the talent, but [it depends on] whether he’s got the decision-making, the mental skills to go with it, whether he’s getting the best advice on where he’s going,” Chappell said.<\/p>\n
“I saw a very athletic young batsman with a beautiful setup and able to move in any direction, and now I see a batsman who’s stuck at the crease, who can’t move, can’t use his athleticism, can’t use his reach to score runs.”<\/p>\n
The Green conundrum has coincided with a period of transition for the Australian team, with champion players David Warner and Usman Khawaja retiring, as well as other aging superstars such as Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc, who are in the twilight of their careers.<\/p>\n
It has brought into the conversation the importance of debuting the next generation of players in the coming tours of Bangladesh at home and South Africa away in 2026.<\/p>\n
“I think you’ve got to have at least a balance of youth in your teams looking at the future,” Chappell said.<\/p>\n
“And you want to have good young players coming into the team while it’s still a strong team.<\/p>\n
“You want good young batsmen coming in while Steve Smith is there.”<\/p>\n
Australia’s next series is in August against Bangladesh, before the first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous sandpaper incident takes place in October.<\/p>\n
HARRY CUMMING\/SEN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AUSTRALIAN cricket legend Greg Chappell has addressed the state of cricket for the nation. Chappell shared his thoughts on the growing importance of T20 cricket and Australia’s position in the format following a disappointing World Cup, which saw them bow out in the group stage. “I think most people who are close to the game […]<\/p>\n