Cricket Special Report: History and Structure of Australian Domestic Cricket (Part 3)
(Continuation of Part 2’s discussion regarding the cricketing attributes comprised with-in the domestic structure of a country and Australian Domestic Cricket Structures and History)
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 has a cricketing history of over 200 years as the first recorded match to be played in the region was in December of 1803 in Sydney. A publication on 4th January, 1804, stated that the infant colony was well known to the sport even before
the first recorded match.
Among the first few matches played is the well remembered match between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tasmania-c854 in February of 1851, the match commenced in Launceston on 11th-12th February, as the Tasmania won by 3 wickets.
The sport at first was sponsored by private enterprises such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/George-Parr-c59527 and Spiers & Pond, the two gave birth to the first English cricket team to visit or tour the Aussie lands. The first-class international event occurred in 1861-62, and the second
tour happened in 1863-64. The English tours continued and also continued to gain popularity and the success rate was dazzling as ever.
The Australian local cricketing structure gained its peak-time in the mid 1890’s, the era is also referred as the “golden age” of Aussie Domestic cricket. The particular time frame gave birth to cricketing public figures such as Monty Noble, Clem Hill, and
not to forget, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Victor-Trumper-c95155, the well-known and respected cricketers, to-date is known as the most idolised cricketer in Australian Domestic Cricket’s history.
The era at point also gave birth to the emergence of the first women’s cricket team or club among all the English colonies, which was skippered by the legendary Lily Poulett-Harris.
Ever since the early Australian cricketing mishaps which were based on the mis-management and lack of communication, the world cricket saw another cricketing county or structure or league, which was by far becoming the finest domestic cricketing structured
leagues all-over the world. At present, the Australian domestic structure is running on such a competitive and challenging environment that several world class cricketers strive to play a season or two in the country.
The biggest difference between the developed and developing world’s domestic cricket structure is the pay-scale given to the cricketers. With the exception of the Indian domestic structure, since the advent of the Indian Premier League (IPL), international
superstars rather play domestic cricket in other cricketing developed countries.
The IPL has changed the pay-scale of cricketers immensely, to the extent that cricketer playing in the Indian league are getting paid as close to what international football leagues pay their football superstars. IPL is dealing in millions of dollars. Almost,
each franchise in the league is worth so much that even the national cricket board of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 hasn’t bought any cricketing league.
For example, current Pakistani skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 underwent a rough patch during his career recently in the last few years. To overcome his shortcoming the master blaster went to South African domestic cricket on the basis of the competitive cricket
provided and the financial stability attained for the African domestic structure.
Previously, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, he was surely expected to make it big to the international arena. However, sadly like many Pakistani talents fail to make a firm mark based on the inter-politics
of the cricket board and country itself or small spans of poor performances led to him having to chose between Pakistani domestic cricket. Which pay scale’s is literally nothing for an international superstar, and the money, environment; cricketing facilities
are so bad that he opted for the English county.
In the present time one might come across several Pakistani or West Indian cricketers opting to play for the Australian, South African or English domestic cricket respectively. And these cricketers are highly paid for their world class inclusion and performances
in the domestic structures, players such as Mushtaq Ahmed and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saqlain-Mushtaq-c88743, the two world class spinners have dazzled and stunned the international cricketing domestic arena with some of their outstanding and match-winning performances.
(To be continued...Part 4)
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