I take your point 2 if it happens before the end of the summer. However, if we're only running elite cricket (or any sport) solely for the benefit of the players it has even less meaning than village cricket, which at least people can watch if they want to. The fact that County cricket is not normally televised is irrelevant.
I was just pointing out that it would be surprising if a truncated and somewhat thrown together competition was televised when the venerable County Championship is not (much). But counties provide video streams, some of which are accessible to members only, so at the very least those who have paid for membership have the opportunity to see red ball county cricket this year. However, I think the spectator point is probably the driver. There were spectators at the Middlesex-Surrey match last weekend, on a pilot basis. The tickets sold out very quickly. Surrey-Warks has spectators this weekend.
OK, I didn't know that, but it looks like the government will put the kibosh on that now. 12:14 Spectators 'no longer allowed to attend UK pilot sports events' Dan Roan BBC Sports editor The prime minister is set to announce that fans will no longer be permitted to attend the sporting pilot events allowing limited numbers of spectators at Goodwood, the Crucible and the Oval in coming days. It comes after evidence that the infection rate has risen across the country.
Yeah, I wondered whether Boris would do that in today's briefing. Shame, as I think the risk at county cricket is pretty low.
Anyone seen the Edge? Documentary on the rise to number one in the world under Andy Flower. Shows how strong he was as a coach getting the best out of them .
Superb from Ireland. Second time they have done it. Huge things expected from Tector. I wonder if the franchise system they have with teams like Leinster Lightning will be good in the long run as playing in county cricket is a pretty good finishing school for players all around the world. Though perhaps not so much now as in the past. And perhaps it will avoid them having players pinched. Still think it is wrong to see Morgan in an England cap when he could (albeit a hard decision monetarily) helped Ireland out as they find their feet on the international stage. Almost happened to Holland as well with a couple of their pace bowlers in years past such as the lightning quick Andre van Troost.
Pakistan blowing hot first few days, decent score of 326, before getting us 4 down for 92 before the close of play. Buttler still in with the bat, but had a shocker with the gloves, he's kind of like the Roberto Pereyra of the England Test team. Ben Foakes, despite being in the prime of his career and being excellent behind the stumps, isn't even allowed to play the Welbeck role, reduced to being a Joao Pedro...
Absolutely superb bowling from Pakistan at the start of the England innings. Reminded me of Wasim and Waqar. England will do well to get anything at all out of this series.
Maybe I'm an old skool stick in the mud but play your best keeper!. If you have to play a batsman who can keep over a keeper who can bat because you don't trust the top order then you should address the problems up the order.
Wasim Akram IMO one of the best. He could knock your head off or bend the ball around corners. A magician!.
He'd be in my all-time world XI, alongside Hadlee and Marshall. A fourth pace bowler is harder to pick: one of Holding, Garner, Ambrose, Walsh, McGrath, Waqar, I think. (I am a little bit too young to have seen Lillee and Thompson at their very best).
Strangely enough we had a discussion about the greatest ever test xi down our cricket club last week!. The pace bowlers were Marshall, Wasim and Lillee. Kallis at 3 Sobers at 6 Warne at 7 . Who could score any runs against that lot!? . Kohli 4 Sir Viv at 5
I think it's difficult to nominate cricketers who you haven't seen (or at least, seen in their prime) so I would stick with greatest cricketers of my 'cricketing lifetime', which would eliminate Sobers and Lillee. Certainly I would have Richards and Warne. I suppose Kallis is in with a shout given that he was a decent bowler too but I never enjoyed watching him much!
That is a good point , I never saw Sobers but his stats are unbelievable. No Stokes !!. Botham never made the 4th xi! Flintoff never got a mention. It is a great way to waste a few hours if you are that way inclined!!
I woudn't rule out Botham myself. Kapil Dev and Imran Khan also possibilities for the all-rounder spot. And, of course, as @The undeniable truth points out, there has to be a spot for Derek Pringle.
For the all rounder spot it had to be someone , who at their peak, could be picked for either discipline. Hence Sobers however because Kallis batted at 3 we squeezed the 2 greatest all rounders into the team !
What is more absurd are the great players who never made the cut? Tendulkar, Lara , Steve Smith .....what a middle order that is !!!
It's hard to argue against that although Kallis AVE 55 in tests as opposed to Tendulkar *only* 53 !! And Kallis was a top bowler. However given the strength of the attack his bowling would probably not have been needed.
Foakes had a tough time of it with the bat last season in county cricket, but when he's a far superior keeper, and Buttler isn't performing with the bat, it's a no brainer, isn't it?
I saw Thompson live and I can tell you he was ferocious with his unusual 'sling' arm action, but my all-time favourite is Holding, purely for the beauty of his action. So economical and yet lethal. Whispering Death indeed!
Least we know our bowlers are always consistent and reliable no matter who it is. Can we chase 260-80?
If we can knock over their two remaining wickets early doors tomorrow, without them adding to many runs, then I think we will have given ourselves a real chance of turning this game around to our favour.
It could be a fantastic day of cricket. The one thing we know about the Pakistan team is no one knows how they will perform from day to day !. They have always had the X factor and they always have had the ability to under achieve !
