For the Good of The Game

New Zealand Cricket must be patting itself on the back now (or high fiving with the team).  A new coach, solidity in selections and some surprising results in recent times.  Everything as far as administration, running, coaching and playing is pointing towards more success in the future.

But it's the future that concerns me.  New Zealand cricket have been very certain about home tours to this country in the NZ summer.  We have the WI tour confirmed from 3 December to 15 January and hot on the heels of that tour will be India from 19 January to 18 February.  Yeah, I know, what is happening on the international front from Mid February to early April?  Basically almost two months without top flight cricket!!

But before I tackle that thorny issue, there is a tour in October to Bangladesh.  I was advised by NZC in a tweet that the tour still has yet to be confirmed as far as dates and venues go.  This I find disturbing.  This tour has been on the Future Tours schedule the ICC put out for some time and NZC are still waiting for confirmation?

 Will there even be a tour if Bangladesh Cricket can't get their A into G?  There is less than a month to go.  I see that NZC will announce the team on the 6th September for this tour, and that raises a question - who to pick based on grounds to be played at?  Are Bangladesh holding off confirming until they know the make up of the NZ Team.  Laughable yes!!

Well I for one will be watching this with intent.  I sense that if a board can't get something sorted in very good time then the ICC need to step in and get things moving.

And talking about moving - back to the missing weeks of summer after India.  How cool would it be to invite Australia over for a three test series in February, March and April?  Aussies international programme finishes on 2 February with the 3rd T20 versus England so they too have time up their sleeves.  I'd like to see those tests played here, but even if in Aussie, what a treat, two teams that fared differently versus England.

I do hope NZC see the merit of fostering international cricket and feeding the cricketing public with great cricket.