Aunty ‘Rona’s come to stay
We can’t go outside and play
Have to change how we play cricket
Sporting Hubs may be the ticket
Aunty ‘Rona’s In Japan
Russia, India, Afghanistan
Olympics had to be Postponed
Cause Aunty ‘Rona’s out to roam
In Argentina and Brazil
She mad them stop Copa too
From Egypt to South Africa
Oh Aunty we’re all mad at ya!
I have a few questions..
What will bowlers in Cricket use to shine the ball if they cannot use saliva?
Why do the NRL and AFL get to start but all the kids cannot?
How many games will the All-Blacks and Wallabies play in the next twelve months?
Will the Tokyo Olympics actually happen? Will anyone want to go the 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing? How will Aunty ‘Rona impact on the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar?
Oranges in the Outer
While I do only play park cricket, my specialisation is bowling. So I do see myself and someone who can give some light on the issue about saliva and Cricket.
I have been schooled by several older players in how to shine the ball. There are those who spit and polish, others try and smooth over the leather, some wait till the saliva is almost dry and then they polish. It is believed that there are those who have the right spit and those who do not. I do not.
Shining the ball is a mystique all its own. The ball is one of the last cricketing bastions to resist change. Despite colour it is still four pieces of leather around a cork centre. Unlike bats. Bats have gone through an exponential change in power and weight.
Meanwhile, the cricket ball has changed little. The skills required to make the ball talk are still the same skills used when W.G. Grace swung the bat at Lord’s. They are simple and biological. Which in a time of pandemic makes them dangerous.
Kookaburra has declared that there is a wax that they have been working on. Which is great for the fast bowlers but what about the spin bowlers. Because spin bowlers lick their fingers. I too use a liberal application of my own saliva to gain more purchase on the ball.
What do the spinners use instead? I once used the peels of oranges I had eaten. I got a decent level of stickiness. While I do not know how an orange would help or hinder shining the ball I am more than willing to try it out. Oranges are natural they grow all over the world. Might make the players smell better too.
Hubs and Clubs
All it will take is one player being infected. One players family being infected. The possibility is certainly there. Victoria and New South Wales are still being visited by Aunty ‘Rona. What makes the AFL and NRL go ahead with their seasons in the midst of this?
Why in the face of state border closures and restrictions that could return any week should they even be playing? The answer is Money. It is not a sport, it is a business. Like all businesses they need to make money and to do that players need to play.
While the business of sport can go ahead. The local clubs ask wether they can get things up and running. The cry that gets repeated is pretty much the same. Why can’t the kids play?
Those listening to the Coodabeen Champions on ABC Radio have heard it repeated every Saturday morning. Each time they talk to a president or coach wether suburban or country they lament that kids cannot play.
Elaborate plans have been thought of. Streaming online for parents and grand parents, cleaning regimens, select grounds, screening of players and volunteers. Some leagues have the money to attempt it. Most do not.
Do we have to fight for this? Is football that essential? Indoor court sports are not even getting a mention. I doubt any basketball centres are opening soon. Yet Super Netball has a date to start its season. Just how optimistic it is will be seen.
Tasman Bubble
I love the Haka. The best rugby nation in the world is next door and ready to play. As soon as we too get rid of Aunty ‘Rona. Which appears possible, plausible. A Tasman bubble with New Zealand assists Netball, Rugby, Soccer and Cricket. It also helps for music festivals too.
Yet imagine the repetition of playing New Zealand….again and again and again and again and again. Australian sport is about being the best in the world. If not the best then definitely showing that we always punch above our weight.
But then again…..when was the last time all the winners at the Australian Open were Australian? Has that even happened? Not in my life time.
Olympics No Show?
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been postponed. Japan is dealing with Aunty ‘Rona too. The Cherry blossoms bloom alone this year. A fabulous summer of sport for the land of the rising sun is waiting for another year. Though how many nations will be able to send athletes?
In 2022 the Winter Olympics is in Beijing and the World Cup is in Qatar. Winter sports are an expensive past time and require snow. Europe and North America will still be recovering from their visit from Aunty ‘Rona.
Brazil may soon have the most people visited by Aunty ‘Rona in the world. Can you imagine how that is going to effect the strength of South America in futbol? The Copa America of 2020 has been pushed to 2021 already. What is going on in Africa? I do not know. I can only pray.
Aunty ‘Rona’s Still Here
While restrictions are being lifted and teams are training again. Aunty ‘Rona is still visiting countries all over the world. That Cricket Australia is still planing for an Indian tour show just how much of a business sport is.
If it was about sport and not business South Australia getting rid of Aunty ‘Rona would lead to a push for the SANFL to be televised. Cricket began in Darwin a few weeks ago. Was that telecast? Why not televise the Tiwi Island competition?
No. Its about the established kings of sport getting their game back so they can fulfil the television rights. It is why horse racing has not stopped. Without crowds of course. Oh yeah. Do you think there will be anyone at the Melbourne Cup this year? If so make sure your mask matches the rest of your ensemble.