One Way To Resolve The DRS Debate

After watching Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test Match (well, the afternoon session, at least), I saw a couple of howlers that Australia would have reviewed, and (more than likely) would have been successful. Mike Hussey would have had a chance to actually have a crack at a first innings, and Ed Cowan would have had a chance to continue his innings. But, the DRS isn't available in this series. Because the Indians don't like it.

This is a problem that is going to continue for as long as the cricketing nations allow India to pull this kind of stunt. India know that they can continue to do this because they know that the ICC is will back them. And, if the other sides don't like it, too bad, right?

Well, no.

I think the time has come for the countries that like, and want to use, the DRS to make a stand. Make it a part of the conditions of play for series that they are a part of. Want to play a Test Series here in Australia? Sign our conditions of play (which include a DRS), or don't bother coming. There are 8 other Test nations that would love to come out here and compete against Australia. Want us to come and play in your country, but refuse to use the DRS? Sorry, not interested, we'll take our team to one of the countries that use the DRS.

If you think that this isn't fair, it's exactly what India is doing to the other sides at the moment. The technology is there, the other side would love to use it, but India won't be a part of it. So, let's invert the situation. If India wants to play, let them play with the conditions that we want. Or not play at all. It'll still be their choice, but the consequences will be rather different.

BBL and Franchises

I've been reading a lot of blogs and articles lately about cricket, and the popular consensus is that people won't follow franchises - people want to follow teams. One of the arguments as to why the BBL is "destined" to fail here in Australia is because the franchise teams are artificial - they have players from all over the country and all over the world playing for city franchises.

I find this argument to be rubbish. Plenty of sporting teams around the world are city-based teams. Just because it hasn't been done in Australia before, doesn't make it a bad thing. Wait - it has been done in Australia before, just not in cricket. Off the top of my head, I think that most sporting teams around the world are city-based. Some of the biggest sporting competitions around the globe have this format.

As for the players from all over the country and world side of things, that's also rubbish. Australian cricket currently has players playing for State sides that don't come from that State - they moved to the new team to further their cricket opportunities. In the past decades Australia has also had players from around the world playing in the competitions that it has had.

I think the real problem is that the people that are making these comments are the Old Guard - those that don't like T20 cricket, that don't like change, and that hope that the competition fails. Personally, I'll wait until the end of the season to see what happens...