Shane Warne, the angry man of Australian cricket, has a plan to fix the game Down Under. Today, on his website (www.shanewarne.com), he put out part I of that plan, which starts with selecting the right team, which naturally has to be done by the right group of selectors. The team, and the game, has to be managed by the right people as well, all of whom, in Warne’s opinion, should be ex-cricketers.
He wants Mark Taylor, a player and captain he has always had a high regard for, to be the CEO or GM of Cricket Australia. And he wants Stephen Fleming to coach Australia. For an Aussie to pick a Kiwi is akin to blasphemy, but Warne has nothing but praise for Fleming, calling him the best opposition captain he played against.
Shane Warne is the man with a plan. Getty
“I believe he brings a lot to the table, a calmness, an intelligent understanding of the game and a very good cricket brain,” Warne writes. “He’s a good communicator too as well as a good leader of men.”
Warne believes the next 12 months are a crucial phase for cricket in Australia and making a mistake could set the game back 30 years. He wants players to be selected not purely on stats and averages, but on temperament and the ability to make runs or takes wickets under pressure.
He also slams CA’s emphasis on a rotation policy. He wants the players to unite and insist they will play every game, making it impossible for them to be rested. And he wants the same team to play all forms of the game, because constant change creates insecurity and leads to players looking out for themselves.
Read Part I of Warne’s plan here.
