@Cultured Bogan said:
You make good points Jazza, although I believe QLD has both the resources and the population to support both cricket and the football codes as well. I'd put it down to a generational shift at state level as well as national.
Also, who thinks Michael Clarke is still fit to play for Australia, let alone captain, after that shocking display last night? Two NSW batsman plus Johnny Hastings (a former Penriff boy) making the score look less embarrassing? Poor Smitty got smashed around but to their credit Sri Lanka also played very well.
Can't wait until the real cricket starts…
I just noticed NSW have won by an innings, QLD bowled out for under 100 again, Mark Cameron took 10 wickets for the match, looks like we're going to have a juicy first test surface.
But yeh one example of what the AFL has done to States is the decision that Mitch Marsh had to make, he had to decide between cricket and AFL. He chose cricket but not everyone will. A lot of the big quicks that WA produced are now ruckman and forwards wanting to play for West Coast and Fremantle. While they didnt produce a lot Test greats, they still produced good quicks such as Alderman, Reid, Angel, Julian, Nicholson and of course the one and only D.K Lillee. In the last 10 years, their one and only top quick has been Magoffin and he's initially from QLD.
Ive noticed a decline in cricket in those states has coincided with the AFL introducing West Coast in 1987 and Fremantle in 1995\. Same with SA, Adelaide was introduced in 1991 and Port Adelaide in 1997.
The affects werent felt initially but I think the affects are being felt now as this is really the first generation of athletes who have to make a really serious and tough decision about whether to play cricket or AFL as they now have a genuine chance of playing AFL for their city now.
With Clarke playing 20/20s, he's definitely not a 20/20 player and to be honest I would rather have Ponting play and captain 20/20s and retire from ODIs with Clarke captaining those. They dont play a lot of 20/20s so if anything it will ease the burden on Ponting more then now where he still plays ODIs and also, they tend to select young sides for 20/20\. Ponting is a strong enough hitter and good enough batsmen for 20/20s and I think it would be good for the youngsters to be around him even though I tend to criticise his tactics!
But then I dont really care about 20/20s, they say the crowds love it, maybe they love it because they dont play as many as ODIs. If they played 10 20/20s this Summer instead of ODIs, I dont think the crowds would be much different to the ODI crowds tbh.
