Cricket Australia’s Board decided today to consider a range of longer-term Australian Team Performance Review (ATPR) recommendations as soon as possible. The ATPR recommended better alignment of CA and state high performance systems was needed if Australian cricket was to perform as well as it could.
Key recommendations made to the Board included:
- Retaining a 10-round Sheffield Shield competition with multiple Shield rounds before the first Test each year.
- Reviewing the Futures League, recognise Grade cricket as a vital part of pathway, review the composition and structure of under-age competitions, ramp up Australia A and use it as a genuine 2nd XI.
- Reviewing Australian cricket’s first-class pitch strategy, with each pitch to offer a balance between bat and ball, and each pitch to be unique to local conditions, offering Test-equivalent conditions.
- Improving injury management.
- Improving national coaching systems.
- Aligning cricket’s incentive systems, including the MOU, to give greater emphasis to linking reward with performance and to ensure player payment incentives for Test cricket reflect its position as cricket’s premium format.
- Reviewing the number of CA contracts.
- Carefully assess Big Bash League private ownership implications to ensure private ownership does not incentivise BBL expansion in a manner compromising CA’s goal to be number one ranked Test nation.
CA Chairman Jack Clarke said a number of the longer-term recommendations would require detailed consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including state cricket associations, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and players.
He also said CA’s Board today voted to record its official thanks to the members of the Review panel and to the long list of participants who offered their frank views and insights.
