Stards whinging again. if they get their way they'll magically get the Australian team playing for them
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...h/news-story/a028e5524e1ed83039e38eee19b408d8
Calls for internationals to make way for Big Bash
International one-dayers could make way for the Big Bash after Cricket Australia agreed to review its schedule following demands for a clear window for the T20 tournament.
BBL boss Anthony Everard confirmed last night Cricket Australia would consider schedule changes. The Big Bash franchises, led by Eddie McGuire of the Melbourne Stars, want a BBL window uninterupted by internationals.
The Stars are angry four of their stars were absent from their line-up when they went down to the Perth Scorchers in a semi-final on Tuesday and McGuire yesterday used his platform on Melbourne radio to call for change.
He slammed the decision to send Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Peter Handscomb and Adam Zampa to Adelaide to play for Australia in the fifth ODI against Pakistan tonight rather than let them play the BBL game. The Adelaide game is a dead rubber as Australia have already wrapped up the series.
“This is now a multi-million-dollar industry, the next television rights for the BBL will underpin Australian cricket and hopefully junior cricket for the next period of time,” McGuire said yesterday.
“We have put entreaties to Cricket Australia for the last five years. We got rolled in the grand final last year because they whipped out five of our players. You tell me last night wouldn’t have it been a better game if we had Maxwell, Handscomb, Zampa and Faulkner playing?
“I don’t know where they were, but they weren’t at the WACA.”
The Stars aren’t the only franchise who believe their needs should come before the national side with the Sixers losing Josh Hazlewood and the Scorchers Shaun Marsh for Saturday’s final.
Former Australian player Shane Watson won the T20 international player of the year at the Allan Border Medal on Monday and now only plays in that form. He acknowledged that the BBL was a force to be reckoned with for players and administrators.
“With the next generation, who are just getting into cricket now and watching the Big Bash, the eight and 10-year-olds, when they come through and get a bit older we will see if T20 has changed the direction for younger cricketers,” he said.
“It’s an incredible product that Cricket Australia has put together, to see so many young families come along and stay there until the last ball bowled. The biggest challenge is to transition that love into playing Test matches which is the ultimate.”
The BBL has attracted average crowds of more than 30,000 and ratings over the 1 million mark every night. While the ODI ratings remain strong, there is little interest in today’s dead rubber.
Everard agreed last night that changes were likely. “We have made a commitment to sit down when the BBL is over and see if there is a better way of doing it,” he said. “It’s about the evolution of the schedule, we used to have one premium product in the ODIs and now we have two with the BBL. For now the ODIs take precedence and that is entirely appropriate, but we have to find a way to make it a win-win for both and that might mean not having them run in the same window.”
Meanwhile, Australia coach Darren Lehmann has sparked a war of words with his attack on Stars batsman Kevin Pietersen during Wednesday night’s game.
The T20 franchise was left seething after Lehmann called on them to get rid of the international star, who he claimed was earning too much money. The Stars say they spoke to Cricket Australia officials at the time of Lehmann’s comments, but will take some days to consider their next action.
Pietersen appears to have upset Lehmann with previous comments about Australian selection and the treatment of teammate Maxwell.
Veteran Stars captain David Hussey and chairman McGuire both hit back at the Australia coach on radio yesterday.
“I was disappointed with Darren,” Hussey said on SEN radio. “For a person who I revered and who was probably one of my idols growing up it was disrespectful because first and foremost he is the Australian head coach.”
Hussey, who retired after the Stars missed out on the BBL final, said Pietersen brought a lot to the side on and off the field. “KP is not the highest-paid player at the Stars for a start — he has delivered in spades,” McGuire said.
“In the last three Big Bash Leagues, KP is second only to Chris Lynn for runs scored. He has brought in that many people. Why would Darren Lehmann be sticking his head into the Stars?”
Lehmann sparked the row with a tweet during Tuesday’s semi-final. “Time for stars to move KP on, spent to (sic) much money on him and didn’t win,” Lehmann wrote. “Don’t want to listen to his excuse anymore.”
