Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star Awards

EDITION 27
Johnnie Walker
ACA All*Star
Awards
THIS ISSUE
• MasterCard MVP Wrap Up
• 2009 Allan Border Medal
April 2009
www.auscricket.com.au
ACA Welcome
Only months after being written off by most in the cricket
world, the Australian Test team claimed a remarkable series
win in South Africa against a team widely regarded as the best
in the world.
What made the win so remarkable was the inexperience of the
Australian team, with three debutants in the First Test (Marcus
North, Phillip Hughes and Ben Hilfenhaus) and two others with
less than ten Tests under their belts (Peter Siddle and Andrew
McDonald).
Paul Marsh
Each of these players made significant
contributions to the series win and all at
the ACA congratulate these and all other
players, coaches and support staff on their
achievements in South Africa.
The ACA has long worked with CA to ensure
the best possible security is provided to our
players and we have often been criticised for
being paranoid in decisions we have taken
not to tour certain parts of the world.
The State season has now drawn to a close
and congratulations to the Bushrangers for
claiming the 2008/09 Sheffield Shield title
after a dominant season.
We have always relied on the advice of
independent security experts such as Reg
Dickason and the Australian government.
They have never let us down in the past and
we will continue to be as rigorous in our
approach moving forward.
Congratulations also to Queensland and New
South Wales on winning the Ford Ranger Cup
and KFC Big Bash events respectively.
By making the final of the Big Bash, New
South Wales and Victoria have qualified for
the 2009 Champions League event in India
and both teams are eagerly anticipating the
opportunity this will present.
The annual Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star
teams were announced at the State Cricket
Awards in early March and a wrap up is
provided within this edition of Onside.
Congratulations to all players who made the
teams and in particular to Lee Carseldine,
Graham Manou and Callum Ferguson who
made all three teams.
The State Cricket Awards also saw the
inaugural presentation of the MasterCard
MVP awards, which are also detailed within.
Congratulations to Overall International
MasterCard MVP Mitchell Johnson, Overall
Interstate MasterCard MVP Brett Dorey
and all other winners for their outstanding
seasons.
I’d also like to thank Johnnie Walker and
MasterCard for their terrific support of the
ACA and all players during the 2008/09
season.
On the issues front, international cricket
has been changed forever after the terrorist
attack on the Sri Lankan team and match
officials whilst in Lahore. It is this type of
incident, that we all hoped would never
happen but we knew could happen, that
highlights the risks associated with modern
day international cricket.
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ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
Of concern to the ACA and all other player
associations was the security situation for this
year’s IPL event. Given this isn’t a national
tour, the security assessment process sits with
the player associations. After a battle, we
were able to able to get the IPL to engage
with us through FICA.
Whilst this year’s IPL event was eventually
moved to South Africa, the IPL’s engagement
of player associations augers well for the
future assessment of player safety at this
event.
MOU negotiations with CA are well
underway and we will continue to keep
players updated as to our progress. Much
work has gone into preparation for these
negotiations and I thank Peter Roach, Ben
Smith and Michael Abrahams for their
ongoing efforts.
The Women’s’ World Cup has recently
concluded, and despite some good
performances, the Southern Stars just
failed to qualify for the final. On behalf of
all at the ACA I congratulate Karen Rolton
and the team on a hard fought campaign.
Congratulations to England for claiming the
title of World Cup champions.
The ACA Masters program continues to grow
and we were excited to conduct our first
overseas tour to New Zealand in February.
Unfortunately the Masters went down in the
last over to a strong New Zealand team. The
match was televised live on Sky Sports in New
Zealand and was played as a curtain raiser to
the New Zealand, India Twenty20 match in
Wellington.
The hospitality provided to us by the New
Zealand Cricket Players Association was
absolutely outstanding so to Heath Mills and
your team, sincere thanks on what we hope
will be the first of many international Masters
matches.
We have also recently completed our last
regional tour for the 2008/09 season with a
successful visit to Albury and Shepparton.
Many thanks to all the players who have
supported the Masters tours and to Bill
Leane, Sarah Mitchell and Sue Pigdon for
their efforts in pulling the program together.
The Masters program has achieved many
significant results in its first 12 months and
we believe it has a long and exciting future.
Since the last edition of Onside we have
welcomed a new staff member to the ACA.
Gabby Bortoli has replaced Lauren Galloway
in the dual role of Office Manager and my
Personal Assistant and has quickly become an
integral member of the ACA team.
Lauren left us in February to move to Ireland.
In 16 months Lauren contributed significantly
to the ACA and I thank her for her efforts.
Regards,
Paul Marsh
Chief Executive
Vice Captain of all three All*Star Teams Graham Manou accepts the
awards on behalf of the team members
Johnnie Walker’s Charlie Downing presents
to Chris Rogers
2008/09 Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star Teams
The Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star Teams for the 2008/09 season were announced at the
State Cricket awards on Wednesday 11 March at the MCG.
The culmination of the interstate season, Johnnie Walker All*Star teams were presented for
the Sheffield Shield, the Ford Ranger Cup and KFC Big Bash competitions. Announced by ACA
Manager Operations and Membership Peter Roach, each team member was presented with
a commemorative hat and team shirt featuring their individual name and batting number. In
addition, each team member received a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue label worth more than $300
and they will receive a framed commemorative memorabilia item in the coming weeks.
The Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star Teams
were determined by a vote of contracted
Australian, State and Rookie players with a
total of 110 players voting for the respective
teams and selection is considered a highly
coveted honour. Players could not vote for
members of their own squad.
After a stellar season, West Australian
batsman Marcus North was rewarded with
the honour of captain of the Johnnie Walker
ACA Sheffield Shield Team of the Year. In
batting order, the team was as follows:
PLAYER
STATE
1. Phillip Hughes
NSW
2. Chris Rogers
North is also the captain of the Johnnie
Walker ACA Ford Ranger Cup Team of the
Year. The team, in batting order, is as follows:
PLAYER
1. Michael Klinger
STATE
SA
Experienced Victorian campaigner Brad
Hodge is the captain of the Johnnie Walker
ACA KFC Big Bash Team of the Year.
The team, in batting order, is as follows:
PLAYER
STATE
1. Brad Hodge (c)
VIC
SA
VIC
2. David Warner
NSW
2. Dan Harris
3. Michael Klinger
SA
3. Lee Carseldine
4. Lee Carseldine
QLD
QLD
3. Lee Carseldine
4. Callum Ferguson
SA
4. David Hussey
QLD
VIC
5. Callum Ferguson
SA
5. Travis Birt TAS
5. Nathan Reardon
QLD
6. Marcus North (c)
WA
6. Marcus North (c)
WA
6. Callum Ferguson
SA
7. Graham Manou (vc)
SA
7. Graham Manou (vc)
SA
7. Graham Manou (vc)
SA
8. Brett Geeves
TAS
8. Aaron Heal
WA
8. Jason Krejza
TAS
9. Steve Magoffin WA
9. Brett Geeves TAS
9. Shane Harwood
VIC
10. Brett Dorey WA
10. Shane Harwood VIC
10. Umar Gul
WA
11. Dirk Nannes VIC
11. Ben Laughlin QLD
11. Dirk Nannes
VIC
12th.Ryan Harris SA
12th.Chris Rogers VIC
12th.Rhett Lockyear
TAS
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
3
October Player of the
Month – Brett Geeves
November Player of the
Month – Chris Rogers
December Player of the
Month – Michael Klinger
January Player of the
Month – Lee Carseldine
February Player of the
Month – Graham Manou
February Player of the
Month – Brett Dorey
Johnnie Walker ACA Players of the month
For the third year, the ACA coordinated the Johnnie Walker ACA All*Star Awards for the 2008/09
season to celebrate the outstanding individual achievements of our State cricketers.
JANUARY – LEE CARSELDINE
Queensland’s Lee Carseldine was voted the
Johnnie Walker ACA Player of the Month for
January.
Exclusively sponsored by Johnnie Walker,
the Player of the Month is voted for by
all contracted Cricket Australia, State and
Rookie players. The award is presented for
the six months of the domestic cricket season
from October to March and recognises the
achievements of the best performed player in
both the Pura and Ford Ranger Cups.
day cricket, Rogers received 60 votes from
his peers, well clear of second place-getter
South Australian Michael Klinger on 30 votes
and third placed Western Warrior Brett Dorey
on four votes.
The monthly winners for 2008/09 are as
follows.
During the month of November alone,
opening batsman Rogers accumulated
an outstanding 479 Sheffield Shield runs
including three centuries, two of which were
made against his former West Australian
teammates. His record in the Ford Ranger
Cup was also impressive with scores of
74, 39 and 75 in his three November
appearances.
OCTOBER - BRETT GEEVES
DECEMBER – MICHAEL KLINGER
Tasmanian paceman Brett Geeves took out
the first Johnnie Walker ACA Player of the
Month award for the 2008/09 season.
South Australian Michael Klinger was
rewarded for his dominance of Interstate
cricket during December with the Johnnie
Walker ACA Player of the Month award.
All winners received a bottle of Johnnie
Walker Blue label valued at more than $300
for taking out the Johnnie Walker ACA Player
of the Month award.
In a dream start to the season, Geeves polled
31 votes narrowly beating West Australian
Steve Magoffin with 29 votes and South
Australia’s Michael Klinger with 14 votes.
In the one-day competition, Geeves took five
wickets in two appearances at an average of
13.2 with best figures of 3/31. In the longer
form of the game, Geeves represented the
Tigers on two occasions and took 14 wickets
at 16.80 with best figures of 5/75.
NOVEMBER - CHRIS ROGERS
New Victorian Chris Rogers was named the
Johnnie Walker ACA Player of the Month for
November.
On the back of an outstanding string of
performances in both four-day and one-
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ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
Having moved from Victoria to South
Australia for the 2008/09 season, the top
order batsman continued on from his
solid start to the season with a series of
outstanding performances in December.
In the Redback’s only Sheffield Shield match
for the month, and despite not taking home
the points, Klinger shone for the Bushrangers
posting 125 runs in the first innings.
In his three Ford Ranger Cup appearances,
highlights included 60 runs against
Queensland and 133 runs off 128 balls
against Tasmania. With two run outs to his
name in the match against the Tigers, Klinger
was equally impressive in the field as he was
with the bat.
Carseldine performed outstandingly with the
bat during the month, especially in the KFC
Big Bash, to claim the peer voted award.
His Big Bash figures for the month were
impressive with 292 runs from five innings,
to make him a worthy winner of the award.
Highlights for Carseldine included 74 off 45
balls against New South Wales to open the
round, 74 off 45 balls against the Warriors
and 64 off 44 against the Bushrangers.
FEBRUARY – Graham MANOU &
brett DOREY
South Australian Captain Graham Manou
and Western Australian paceman Brett Dorey
were named joint winners of the Johnnie
Walker ACA Player of the Month Award for
February.
In terrific form all season, Manou closed
out his 2008/09 Shield campaign with two
outstanding performances to take out the
peer voted award. Manou not only scored a
century in the Redback’s first innings against
Victoria, but also took eight dismissals for
the match which included two stumpings.
Manou also made 108 against the Bulls in
their four-day game during February to claim
Man of the Match honours.
Dorey’s highlights for February included
an 11 wicket haul and Man of the Match
honours in the Warriors win over the Bulls
at the start of the month and six wickets in
his side’s loss to the Tigers. With 42 wickets,
Dorey finished the year as the highest wicket
taker in the Sheffield Shield competition with
best figures of 6-28.
Inaugural Overall MasterCard International
MVP Mitchell Johnson
MVP award winners Lee Carseldine, Brett Dorey and David Warner
Pace Bowlers take out Inaugural
International & Interstate
MasterCard MVP Awards
Left arm-quick Mitchell Johnson
has claimed the inaugural Overall
International MasterCard Most
Valuable Player (MVP) and fellow
West Australian paceman Brett
Dorey has taken out the Overall
Interstate MasterCard MVP.
The MVP is a new program for Australian
Cricket developed by the Australian
Cricketers’ Association and Cricket Australia
and introduced for the 2008/09 interstate
season.
Based on statistics, the MasterCard MVP
is a cumulative points system that ranks
and rewards players for every run scored,
every wicket taken and every catch held in
addition to how well their team performs.
The MasterCard MVP combines all aspects
of a player’s game and performances to give
him a ranking in relation to his peers. The
rankings then determine the MasterCard
MVP in each form of cricket and will
culminate in the overall MasterCard MVP.
The MasterCard MVP was established
following on from the success of a similar
program run by the Professional Cricketers’
Association (PCA) in the UK.
How is the MasterCard MVP
calculated?
The MVP was calculated by a detailed
formula. In summary:
Batting + Bowling + Fielding + Captaincy
+ Winning = Total MasterCard MVP points
Bonus points were also awarded for other
significant milestones.
The calculation period for the international
MVP awards commenced on 22 May 2008
with Australia’s First Test in the West Indies
and concluded at the end of the Australian
International season on 15 February. Interstate
calculations commenced on 8 October 2008
in line with the first Ford Ranger Cup match
and concluded on 9 March 2009.
Overall Interstate MVP Brett Dorey
commented on his win.
“The MVP program has provided a whole new
way of looking at cricket statistics,” Dorey said.
“The game has really evolved in recent years,
and the MVP actually takes into account not
only a player’s contribution to a team but it
also allows the different disciplines of our
game to be compared evenly.
“It’s an honour to be the inaugural Interstate
MasterCard MVP winner,” he said.
ODI MVP Mike Hussey explained the
meaning the award has for players.
“After so many years of traditional statistics,
it’s refreshing to have a relevant and
modern approach to cricket statistics as an
alternative,” Hussey said.
“So much so, that I believe the MVP will
become an integral way for fans to track and
compare performances, just as players are
now doing.
“Looking back on the summer of cricket, I
think the MVP system got it right.
“Mitchell Johnson had an amazing year
with both bat and ball to easily claim the
International award and Brett Dorey had a
string of consistently good performances to
take out the Interstate award,” Hussey said.
LEADERBOARDS
Overall International
MasterCard MVP
PLAYER
1. Mitchell Johnson 2. Michael Hussey 3. Michael Clarke 4. Brad Haddin 5. Ricky Ponting MVP
PTS
438.93
329.64
325.99
304.15
300.10
ODI MVP
PLAYER
1. Michael Hussey 2. James Hopes 3. Brad Haddin 4. Michael Clarke 5. Mitchell Johnson MVP
PTS
174.23
141.89
128.71
119.65
116.92
Overall Interstate
MasterCard MVP
PLAYER
1. Brett Dorey 2. James Hopes 3. Michael Klinger 4. Brett Geeves 5. Chris Rogers MVP
PTS
395.22
361.46
358.99
350.86
323.21
Ford Ranger Cup MVP
PLAYER
1. Shane Harwood 2. Ben Laughlin 3. Aaron Bird 4. Lee Carseldine 5. Michael Klinger MVP
PTS
144.17
134.28
119.76
114.10
109.54
Test MVP
PLAYER
1. Mitchell Johnson 2. Brett Lee 3. Michael Clarke 4. Simon Katich 5. Ricky Ponting MVP
PTS
321.51
221.84
205.34
197.86
188.75
Twenty20 MVP
PLAYER
1. David Warner 2. David Hussey 3. Cameron White 4. Michael Hussey 5. Nathan Bracken MVP
PTS
32.75
31.27
24.46
24.17
22.43
Sheffield Shield MVP
PLAYER
1. Steven Magoffin 2. Brett Dorey 3. Brett Geeves 4. James Hopes 5. Chris Rogers MVP
PTS
280.03
276.59
267.95
229.35
227.55
KFC Big Bash MVP
PLAYER
1. Lee Carseldine 2. Dirk Nannes 3. Bradley Hodge 4. Umar Gul 5. David Hussey MVP
PTS
83.88
75.55
74.68
74.54
74.30
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
5
Test Player of the Year
Michael Clarke
State Cricketer of the Year
Michael Klinger
Bradman Young Cricketer
of the Year Phillip Hughes
One-Day International Cricketer
of the Year Nathan Bracken
Ponting and Clarke share Allan Border Medal honours
For the first time in the Allan Border Medal’s ten-year history, the coveted
award was shared by two players. Australian Captain Ricky Ponting and
his deputy Michael Clarke shared the honours in a year when Mitchell
Johnson was widely tipped to take out the award.
Ponting and Clarke, both with 41 votes,
outscored third placed Michael Hussey with
38 votes and Mitchell Johnson in fourth place
with 30 votes. For Ponting this was his fourth
win, having collected medals in 2004, 2006
and 2007 and the second for Clarke who
won the prize in 2005.
During the voting period (29 February 2008
til 1 February 2009), Ponting made 974 Test
runs at 44.27 including three centuries. In
ODI’s he made 309 runs at 25.75 with a high
score of 69. Clarke made 1019 Test runs at
56.61, including four centuries and in the
One-Day arena, 209 runs at 16.07.
The evening didn’t just provide a celebration
of the year that was, but also included
a tribute to Matthew Hayden following
the announcement of his retirement and
entertainment provided by Tim Rogers.
A host of other awards were also presented
at the gala event. A summary of each award
follows.
TEST PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Michael Clarke took home two awards for
the night, as he was also named the Test
Player of the Year for the first time. Clarke
was recognised for his outstanding and
consistent season polling in seven of the 11
Tests in which he played. He made 1019 runs
at an average of 56.61 for the voting period.
6
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
Clarke won with 12 votes from Ricky Ponting
and Simon Katich who shared second place
with 10 votes.
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL PLAYER
OF THE YEAR
Nathan Bracken picked up his first One-Day
International Player of the Year by one vote
from runner-up Michael Hussey. Bracken
polled 16 votes, Hussey received 15 and
Shaun Marsh rounded out the top three
place-getters with 15 votes.
Bracken played in all of Australia’s 17 ODIs
during the voting period, collecting 22
wickets at 24.50.
HALL OF FAME
In another highlight of the evening, Richie
Benaud inducted former Australian Captain
Steve Waugh into the Australian Cricket Hall
of Fame. Waugh became the youngest man
to have been inducted into the illustrious
group, less than a month after he passed
the minimum requirement of being
out of the game for five years.
Waugh played a world-record 168 Tests in
his twenty-year career, he is fourth on the
Test run tally with 10,927 and he is the
most successful Test captain of all men who
led their side in at least 20 matches, with a
winning ratio of 71.92% from his 57 Tests in
charge from 1999 to 2004.
STATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
South Australia opening batsman Michael
Klinger was named the State Player of the
Year at the 2009 Allan Border Medal.
Klinger (60 votes) won by a whopping 42
votes ahead of Tasmanian Brett Geeves (18
votes) and Victorian opener Chris Rogers (13
votes).
Klinger played in 15 matches for both Victoria
and South Australia during the voting period
collecting 1334 runs at an average of 74.11
and a high score of 255 along the way.
BRADMAN YOUNG CRICKETER
OF THE YEAR
20 year-old New South Wales opening
batsman Phillip Hughes was the run-away
winner in the 2009 Bradman Young Cricketer
of the Year award.
He polled 78 votes, double that of second
placed paceman Peter Siddle with 39 votes
and well clear of third-placed South Australian
batsman Tom Cooper on four votes.
Hughes played in 25 matches during the
voting period, scoring 1405 runs at an
average of 45.32 with a top score of 198.
The Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year
award was open to any player under the age
of 24 who had not played more than ten
first-class matches before 25 January 2008.
Players were not allowed to vote for their
state team-mates.
Hall of Fame inductee
Steve Waugh
Celebrating retirement
Matthew & Kellie Hayden
Allan Border Medal Honour Board
Women’s International Cricketer
of the Year Shelley Nitschke
Year / Allan Border
Award Medallist
Test Player
of the Year
ODI Player
of the Year
State Player
of the Year
Bradman
Young Cricketer
of the Year
2000
Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath
Shane Warne
Darren Lehmann
Brett Lee
2001
Stephen Waugh Colin Miller
Glenn McGrath
Darren Lehmann
Nathan Bracken
2002
Matthew Hayden Matthew Hayden
Ricky Ponting
Darren Lehmann
Shane Watson
Karen Rolton
2003
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist
Martin Love
Nathan Hauritz Karen Rolton
Ricky Ponting
Women’s Cricketer
of the Year
2004
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Adam Gilchrist
Simon Katich Shaun Tait
Cathryn Fitzpatrick
2005
Michael Clarke
Damien Martyn
Andrew Symonds Phil Jaques
Dan Cullen Karen Rolton
2007
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting
Chris Rogers
Ben Hilfenhaus Lisa Sthalekar
2008
Brett Lee
Brett Lee
Matthew Hayden
Ashley Noffke
Luke Pomersbach
Lisa Sthalekar
2009
Ricky Ponting & Michael Clarke Michael Clarke
Nathan Bracken
Michael Klinger
Phillip Hughes
Shelley Nitschke
WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL
CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Studies and Sport – A Winning Combination
South Australian all-rounder Shelley
Nitschke has taken out the Women’s
International Cricketer of the Year award.
Open Universities Australia (OUA) is an
Elite Athlete Friendly organisation and is
committed to supporting athletes achieve
their goals on and off the field.
Nitchke, with 27 points, took the award
from previous winner Lisa Sthalekar (2007
and 2008) by two points, with Jodie Fields
rounding out the top three with 22 points.
She played in six One-Day Internationals
and two Twenty20 Internationals during
the voting period and averaged a
combined 38.13 with the bat and 24.43
with the ball.
Despite missing four matches against India
in October and November due to injury,
she was the third highest run-scorer for
the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars
during the voting period.
OUA is the country’s leading online education
service and is a consortium of seven leading
Australian Universities: Curtin, Griffith,
Macquarie, Monash, RMIT, Swinburne and
UniSA. More than 110,000 people have
studied through OUA since it began in 1993.
With over 900 units and 60 qualifications
from 15 of Australia’s best universities and
TAFE colleges, we have something for you.
Not only does OUA recognise that athletes
have specific needs in terms of policies and
practices, but by providing four study periods
each year, Open Universities Australia offers
you a flexible learning environment and helps
you to balance study and lifestyle. This is ideal
if you want to fit study in and around other
commitments throughout the entire year.
Studying online allows you to have more
flexibility to develop your own approach to
your studies. Where an on-campus student
needs to attend a lecture at a set time and
write notes as a lecture is delivered, an online
student can cover as much or as little of the
content in the time they have available.
Open Universities Australia offers subjects
ranging from accounting to history to
marketing and you can graduate with a
degree from 15 leading universities and two
TAFE colleges. Not only can students study
what and when they want, the other draw
card is that you will graduate with a degree
from a leading Australian university, just as if
you had studied on-campus.
Many elite athletes choose to tailor their
studies to suit sporting interests and
experience and many have plans to work
in the sporting industry down the track.
Students also find that having a long term
goal outside the sport can help to keep
people motivated on the field.
If you’re interested in pursuing study
opportunities with OUA, contact Ben
Smith at the ACA on 03 9828 0701 or the
Player Development Manager at your State
Association.
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
7
2008/09 Current Members Survey results
In late January the ACA conducted its annual current
player survey. Players were surveyed on a variety of issues
including playing conditions, players and teams, the
structure of cricket and domestic cricket.
The survey provided an opportunity for members to have
input into the future of the game by shaping the ACA’s
policy direction, as well as providing other stakeholders
and cricket fans with insight into player thoughts via
excerpts of the survey published in the “The Age” and
“The Sydney Morning Herald.”
What is the most urgent issue
facing world cricket at the
moment?
TOTAL
Volume of cricket for your country
11%
Playing conditions
(i.e. use of technology, illegal
actions, umpiring, etc)
26%
Balancing playing for your country
and competing in the new T20
competitions
48%
Other
15%
Which is the best opposition Test
team in the world?
The impact of the IPL continues to grow,
with 48% of our current players now
believing that balancing playing for your
country and competing in the IPL and
other similar competitions is the biggest
issue facing world cricket at the moment.
The impact of Twenty20 cricket though
is here to stay it seems. 64% of current
players would attempt to tailor their game
for Twenty20 cricket if they were starting
their careers again to capatilise on the
earning potential of this form of the game.
From the outside sometimes the demands
of playing cricket at the top level are not
fully understood, but living it is an entirely
different matter according to those that
do. 33% of CA players see the volume
of cricket as the next biggest issue facing
world cricket, with just 6% of State players
thinking likewise.
CA and State players both strongly
support Cricket Australia investigating the
introduction of a similar style competition
to that developed in India with the IPL.
66% of players see resting as the
appropriate method for ensuring player
longevity in the game. It is becoming
increasingly common for players to be
rested for both CA and State games and
this is something that the ACA strongly
encourages in the future to prevent
player burn-out and injury.
With 52% of players saying the wickets
in Australia are becoming too similar for
Test Matches, the GABBA was the clear
player’s choice as providing the best Test
Match wicket (53%). The GABBA was
also considered the best wicket for limited
overs cricket (38%), whilst the Adelaide
Oval narrowly pipped the GABBA for
Sheffield Shield honours (30% to 29%).
The purists will be pleased to note that Test
matches still occupy the number one status
for 94% of respondents when it comes
to the most important form of the game.
However, players clearly feel there is room
for innovation in Test cricket, with 54%
supporting day/night Test cricket, providing
a suitable ball could be developed.
8
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
The debate over the role of our State
Associations has never been stronger with
the turnover of players in the Australian
cricket team after several notable
retirements, and also the financial lure of
the Champions League for States.
To chase titles, and the subsequent
accolades both monetary and other, or to
pursue representation in the Australian
team, is a delicate issue that is often
debated at all levels of the game.
TOTAL
India
18%
South Africa
82%
Who is the world’s best
opposition fast bowler?
TOTAL
I. Sharma (India)
29%
A. Flintoff (England)
16%
D. Steyn (South Africa)
52%
Other
3%
Who is the world’s best
opposition batsman?
TOTAL
S. Tendulkar (India)
26%
K. Pietersen (England)
29%
65% of current players believe the primary
function of State cricket is to produce
players to play for Australia, with just
28% seeing the objective as being to
win competitions. Interestingly, 80%
of CA players agreed with the primary
focus being to produce Australian players
compared to 62% of State players.
K. Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
17%
S. Chanderpaul (West Indies)
11%
Other
17%
The ACA appears to be still giving good
service to our current playing male
members. All members surveyed rated
the performance of the ACA as being
Excellent (78%) or Good (22%), while
98% (100% of CA players) see their
relationship as being Excellent or Good
with the ACA.
M. Muralidaran (Sri Lanka)
60%
D. Vettori (New Zealand)
28%
Other
12%
Who is the world’s best
opposition spin bowler?
TOTAL
Who is the most promising
batsman aged under 25 in
Australia?
TOTAL
C. Ferguson (South Australia)
16%
P. Hughes (New South Wales)
70%
Other
14%
Combined CA and State player responses
Who is the most promising
fast bowler aged under 25 in
Australia?
What is the best Sheffield Shield
cricket wicket in Australia?
TOTAL
TOTAL
MCG
10%
J. Hazlewood (New South Wales)
6%
SCG
11%
P. Siddle (Victoria)
77%
GABBA
29%
J. Pattinson (Victoria)
7%
Bellerive Oval
4%
Other
10%
Adelaide Oval 30%
WACA
15%
Other
1%
Who is the most promising
spinner aged under 25 in
Australia?
TOTAL
What is the best ODI / Ford
Ranger Cup / KFC Big Bash cricket
wicket in Australia?
D. Cullen (South Australia)
11%
S. Smith (New South Wales)
28%
J. Holland (Victoria)
50%
MCG
16%
Other
11%
SCG
4%
GABBA
38%
Bellerive Oval
5%
Adelaide Oval 27%
WACA
10%
Excluding Brad Haddin, who
is the best wicket-keeper in
Australia?
TOTAL
G. Manou (South Australia)
28%
T. Paine (Tasmania)
24%
L. Ronchi (Western Australia)
29%
Other
19%
What is your favourite ground in
Australia?
TOTAL
Are the conditions of the wickets
around Australia becoming too
similar for Test matches?
TOTAL
Adelaide Oval 23%
WACA
11%
Yes
54%
No
34%
Unsure
12%
Adelaide Oval 20%
WACA
8%
TOTAL
66%
No
19%
Unsure
10%
Other method to ensure longevity
in the game
5%
TOTAL
To win competitions
28%
65%
7%
Other
5%
53%
Yes
13%
13%
GABBA
The workload of key players is
a significant issue in Australian
cricket. Do you believe that
resting key players for selected
games is the appropriate method
for ensuring their longevity in
the game?
35%
Bellerive Oval
15%
13%
Unsure
GABBA
4%
23%
Unsure
No
23%
SCG
No
To produce players to play for
Australia
25%
MCG
64%
52%
SCG
TOTAL
TOTAL
Yes
MCG
Yes
What do you see as the primary
function of State cricket?
TOTAL
What is the best Test Match
wicket in Australia?
If you were starting out your
career, would you attempt to
tailor your game to the demands
of Twenty20 to take advantage
of future earning potential?
If a suitable ball could be
developed, would you support
the introduction of day/night
Test matches?
How would you describe your
relationship with the ACA?
TOTAL
TOTAL
CA
STATE
Excellent
71%
60%
72%
Good
27%
40%
25%
Average
2%
0%
3%
Poor
-
-
-
How would you rate the
performance of the ACA?
Should Australia investigate
a similar style competition
(franchises, overseas players) to
that developed in India with the
IPL?
TOTAL
Yes
79%
No
11%
Unsure
10%
TOTAL
CA
Excellent
78%
60%
81%
Good
22%
40%
19%
Average
-
-
-
Poor
-
-
-
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
STATE
9
ACA Masters
ACA and NZCPA Masters pose for their official pre-match photo
Darren Lehmann (c)
Josh Hazlewood (U19)
Andy Bichel
Ian Healy
Greg Blewett
Brad Hogg
Greg Campbell
Wayne Holdsworth
Michael DightonMick Lewis
Michael Di Venuto
ACA Masters Update
Greg Matthews
NZCPA Masters
Stephen Fleming (c)
The ACA Masters have had a busy two months, with trips to the
Imparja Cup, New Zealand and Shepparton, Albury and Wodonga.
A summary of each tour follows:
Imparja Cup
The ACA Masters were represented by:
In February the ACA
Masters headed to
Alice Springs for
the Imparja Cup.
The Imparja Cup is
Cricket Australia’s
national Indigenous
cricket carnival.
Matthew Elliott (c) Wayne Holdsworth
Terry Alderman
Ashley Mallett
Jo Angel
Corey Richards
Greg Campbell
Joel Robertson*
Ryan Campbell
Jacques Van der Nest*
Joe Dawes
Graeme Vimpani
The ACA Masters
held clinics and
visited communities
in Alice Springs
before playing
against the Indigenous All Star Team proceeding
the State and Territories division final.
The Indigenous All Star team had a
triumphant day as they defeated the ACA
Masters in a crowd-pleasing curtain raiser to
the men’s Final.
The Masters team opened the batting with
Wayne Holdsworth and Ryan Campbell.
Whilst Holdsworth was out quickly (bowled
for a duck), Ryan Campbell added a handy 40
runs to the Masters total. Corey Richards was
also a good contributor adding 26 runs.
The Masters posted a total of 8 for 119,
which wasn’t enough against a very
determined Indigenous team who raced to
the Masters total in 16.4 overs.
Joe Dawes opened the Masters bowling
attack but was forced from the field through
injury after just three balls. Brad Hogg was
the best performing bowler taking three
wickets for 31 runs, including a maiden over.
Brad Hogg
*Alice Springs local
New Zealand
The ACA Masters, led by Darren Lehmann,
recently took on the New Zealand Cricket
Players Association (NZCPA) Masters cricket
team in a Twenty20 match in Wellington
on 27 February as a curtain-raiser to the
BLACKCAPS international match against
India.
Both the ACA and NZCPA Masters teams
play regular matches during the course of the
season in their respective countries against
regional sides; however this was the first
international fixture for both teams.
The match went the way of the NZCPA
Masters. The ACA Masters where not able to
make enough runs, New Zealand reaching
their target of 153 in 19.1 overs.
Best with the bat for the Masters were Brad
Hogg (54) and Michael DiVenuto (30). With
the ball Mick Lewis took two wickets.
The ACA Masters youngest inclusion Josh
Hazelwood was responsible for the wicket of
Stephen Fleming.
Brad Hogg was named best for the Masters,
whilst Hamish Marshall was named Man of
the Match for his stand of 74 not out.
10
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
Simon Doull
Dion Nash
James Fuller (U19)
Shane Thomson
Matthew Horne
Paul Wiseman
Andrew Jones
Kerry Walmsle
Hamish Marshall
Bryan Young
Tour 6 – Shepparton & Albury/
Wodonga
The ACA Masters have most recently
returned from a tour of Northern Victoria to
Shepparton, Albury and Wodonga.
The first Masters game was held in
Shepparton at Deakin Reserve in front of
3,000 spectators. The local side got off to a
great start taking the early wicket of Wayne
Holdsworth for four runs. Opener Michael
Dighton was also quickly dismissed for just
nine.
Local cricketing great Matthew Elliott top
scored for the Masters with 36 runs, followed
by Corey Richards (16) and Jimmy Maher (12).
Best with the ball for the Masters were
Michael Kasprowicz one wicket for four runs
off two overs, Brendon Drew, one wicket for
ten runs off two overs and Wayne Holdsworth,
one wicket for 16 runs off three overs.
The tour then moved on to Albury where
the Masters keen to make amends for their
defeat in Shepparton. In front of 5,000 locals,
the Masters won the toss and elected to bat
giving Cricket Albury Wodonga a solid 164
run chase. Opener for the ACA Masters,
Michael Dighton, top scored with 45.
Also performing well for the Masters with the
bat were Graeme Vimpani (30) and Brendon
Drew (36). Drew hit successive sixes out of
the stadium in one of the most exciting stays
at the crease for the game.
Best with the ball for the Masters was
Michael Dighton with two for 11 off three.
Mick Lewis, Jason Gillespie and Rodney Hogg
each took a wicket.
The ACA Masters were represented by:
Andy Bichel (c) Michael Kasprowicz
Greg Campbell
Mick Lewis
Michael Dighton
Jimmy Maher
Brendan Drew
Greg Matthews
Matthew Elliott
Corey Richards
Jason Gillespie
Peter Roach
Rodney Hogg
Graeme Vimpani
Wayne Holdsworth
Education & Training Grants – an
opportunity for ACA members
The ACA has been providing Education and Training Grants to
players since 2006 and to date, more than $400,000 has been paid
to 287 grants through the program. The ACA’s National Career and Welfare Manager Ben Smith
recently spoke with Redback’s player Allan Wise and past player
Brett Harrop about their Education and Training Grant experiences.
Allan Wise
ALLAN WISE
Allan, you’ve had a big six months having
moved from Victoria to South Australia
and taken up a contract with the
Redbacks. How have you settled into life
in Adelaide? It’s been excellent. Adelaide is a very easy
place to live and life is more relaxed on all
fronts compared to Melbourne.
What has been some of the biggest
challenges with the move?
No doubt Adelaide’s drivers, although it is
nice to know I have gone from the bottom
20% in Melbourne to easily the top 20%
here! Of course leaving your friends and
family is always difficult, not to mention the
logistical nightmare of getting the house,
girlfriend and pets over the border. Throughout your career as a professional
cricketer you have been able to combine
your studies with cricket. What are you
currently studying and when do you
expect to complete your course?
I am currently about halfway through my
Masters in Financial Planning through the
University of the Sunshine Coast. I was careful
to choose a flexible course which, with a bit
of planning, doesn’t interfere with my cricket
commitments. All things considered I should
wrap it up in 2010. How many years have you been studying
for and have you utilised the ACA
Education and Training Grants during this
time?
It seems like I have always been studying! But
seriously, I started my Masters two years ago
and my ability to access an Education and
Training Grant was one of the key incentives to
undertaking further study. I have received a
great level of support from the ACA.
Where do you see your studies taking you
in the future?
I have been working in the Financial Planning
industry over the past seven years, although it
has become increasingly difficult as the game
has reached a new level of professionalism.
This is why the flexibility of study was so
attractive – it allows me to keep playing
and be more qualified from an education
perspective.
What benefits did your studies play whilst
recovering from injury?
It helped enormously when I had stress
fractures in 2006, as it gave me something
to focus on other than one rehab and
gym session after another. Has your study helped you achieve a
good life balance?
Definitely, although my girlfriend Sarah would
probably disagree. It has improved my time
management and allows me to structure my
days more efficiently than just waiting around
to train.
BRETT HARROP
Brett, since coming off Victorian contract
have you continued to play any cricket?
Since coming off contract I traveled overseas
for two years, playing a season in England for
Doncaster Town CC in the South Yorkshire
league, followed by a break from cricket.
I am now playing cricket for Frankston
Peninsula Cricket Club in the Premier Cricket
Competition and am involved in an assistant
coaching role there.
What if any were some the biggest
challenges to deal with when
transitioning out of state cricket?
Fortunately for me, I managed to complete
my university degree in physiotherapy prior
to becoming a contracted player with
Victoria. This allowed me to increase the
amount of work I was doing once my cricket
commitments changed and provided a
relatively easy transition.
Throughout your career as a professional
cricketer you managed to combine study
and work with your cricket. Tell us a
little a bit about what you’re doing with
yourself now away from the cricket field.
Currently I am working as a physiotherapist
at The Sports Injury Clinic in Frankston
and have also recently started an online
physiotherapy business with a colleague of
mine, called PhysioAdvisor.com The website
provides physiotherapy advice and injury
information, as well as physiotherapy services
including a self-diagnosis tool, a find-aphysio directory and an online store selling
physiotherapy products.
I orginally read an article last year in the
ACA newsletter about how New Arenas
had assisted Dirk Nannes with his website
business, I contacted Ben Smith at the
ACA and we discussed how best the ACA,
New Arenas and myself could work together
to assist my business venture. That ended
up being in the form of business coaching
as part of a small business training program
through New Arenas. Stuart from New Arenas has pushed us
to develop a really finely tuned business
plan, to clearly set goals and milestones and
to regularly review these to see how we are
traveling.
Over the last six months, PhysioAdvisor’s
traffic has been steadily growing, which
is very promising.
Where can ACA members find out
more about PhysioAdvisor.
Anyone who is interested in accessing
the free physiotherapy information,
advice and services can visit the website
www.physioadvisor.com
Education and Training
Grants
The ACA is offering Education and Training
Grants to players in 2009. To be eligible for
an Education and Training Grant you must be
a current contracted player or have retired or
been delisted within the last 12 months. Players are reminded that up to $4,000 is
available for education and training in areas
such as:
You recently completely a small business
training program through the ACA
Career and Welfare Program. Can you tell
us a little bit about the program and your
new business venture?
• Tertiary study
• Tafe and private institute study
• Vocational Studies (trade)
• Personal development or short course study
For assistance identifying study options, an
application form or for additional information
about the grants, speak with your State
Player Development Manager or contact Ben
Smith at the ACA on 03 9828 0701 or email
bsmith@auscricket.com.au
I have been working closely with Stuart
Waddington (business coach) from New
Arenas as part of a small business training
program through the ACA to assist with the
development and launching of PhysioAdvisor.
com
Don’t wait until your career is over to start
planning for the next phase in your life.
Combining education and training with your
cricket career can provide an excellent work
life balance and help you prepare for your
transition out of the game.
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
11
ACA Member Benefits
As part of our commitment to providing a membership that
is cost-effective and rewarding, the ACA has entered into
arrangements with a number of organisations that offer
great discounts for our members.
All members should have recently received
a Lifestyle Rewards Program Handbook with
most of the offers detailed below included.
If you have not received your book, please
contact the office. A description of each
offer can also be found in the Member’s
Only section of our website at www.
auscricket.com.au
Choice offers discounts for ACA members in
more than 275 hotels across Australia, New
Zealand and the Asia Pacific under their
Comfort, Quality and Clarion brands. To take advantage of this offer please call
Justin Whitford, Director of Automotive
Fleet Management, on 1300 887 588. Callaway Golf
offers ACA
members
discounts on some of the world’s biggest
and best brands – Callaway, Top Flite, Ben
Hogan and Odyssey. Callaway can also provide a personal club
fitting session in either Melbourne or
Sydney.
To take advantage of this offer, please call
Peter Roach at the ACA on 03 9828 0700. Oakley is one of
the world’s leading
suppliers of eyewear,
but also stocks a large range of apparel and
footwear.
Oakley offers a 25% discount off its web
price to ACA members. For more details
on how to order and receive the discount
please visit www.auscricket.com.au
3 Mobile provides ACA
members with fantastic deals
on mobile phones.
To view the current offer on a
great phone with a low $29
cap that includes a massive $150 worth of
calls please visit www.auscricket.com.au
ACA members are
entitled to 40% off dial
up services and 15%
off broadband DSL from Pacific Internet. For more information, or to access this offer,
please contact Freeda Sanchez from Pacific
Internet on 03 9674 7667. Automotive Fleet
Management offers ACA
members access to national
fleet pricing on all makes and
models of vehicles. They also
offer ACA members access to finance at
corporate rates. 12
ACA ONSIDE APRIL 2009
Chief Executive officer
Paul Marsh
pmarsh@auscricket.com.au
Legal Counsel
Michael Abrahams
mabrahams@auscricket.com.au
Marketing & Sponsorship
Manager
Bill Leane
bleane@auscricket.com.au
Manager events &
commercial services
Sarah Mitchell
smitchell@auscricket.com.au
A frequent user system is also available for
ACA members. For reservations contact 13 2400 and
quote client ID number 000 65 361. Please
visit www.choicehotels.com.au for more
information.
Contacts
ACA members are entitled to corporate
rates on a host of Dunlop Slazenger
products, including Maxfli. For the most
recent corporate catalogue, please contact
Peter Roach at the ACA on 03 9828 0700
or proach@auscricket.com.au
Manager Communications
& Special Projects
ACA members are
entitled to a 20%
discount off the web
price of all products
from the website www.jimbradley.com.au Products include speedballs, kick bags,
gloves, mitts, training stations and exercise
equipment. Peter Roach
proach@auscricket.com.au
For information on how to order please visit
our website www.auscricket.com.au or call
the ACA office. Foxtel offers ACA
members access to
exclusive and ongoing
offers and discounts.
To take advantage of this offer, please call
Peter Roach at the ACA on 03 9828 0700. The ACA has a
partnership with
Certainty Financial
and superannuation
giant AMP to provide
a low-cost corporate
superannuation fund for current and past
players. To learn more about the benefits of this
fund please contact Louise Jenkin at
Certainty Financial on 03 9896 4668. Tarryn Paten
tpaten@auscricket.com.au
Manager Cricket Operations
& Membership
National Career & Welfare
Manager
Ben Smith
bsmith@auscricket.com.au
OfficE Manager
Gabrielle Bortoli
gbortoli@auscricket.com.au
Administration Support
Officer
Sharn Best
sbest@auscricket.com.au
Administration Assistant
Megan Fedke
mfedke@auscricket.com.au
Australian Cricketers’ Association Inc.
Suite 4/Level 4, St Kilda Road
Melbourne VIC 3004
Phone: 03 9828 0700
Fax: 03 9828 0799
Web: www.auscricket.com.au
Email: info@auscricket.com.au
Photos courtesy of Getty Images