Blake, Bolt and cricket...

Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake are wanting to playing T20 cricket in AUS

http://dawn.com/2012/08/16/blake-could-join-bolt-in-australia-twenty20/

I am glad that these kids are interested in playing the game but if they aren't good enough(which is most likely the case) then it is a bit of disrespect to the game. Both of these guys should be made to play club cricket and see if they are good enough to play domestic cricket alongside the likes of Shahid bhai, Kamran White, Pattinson, David Hussey, Siddle and other players from Melbourne.

I highly doubt that Bolt(who wants to play for Melbourne) is even 10% as good a bowler as Siddle or Pattinson.

There was report that Blake played a T20 for Jamaica and got 4-10. No info on the quality of the competition but he can't be a complete nong as a cricketer

How can you disrespect T20?

sage point

JGK wrote:How can you disrespect T20?

At the end of the day millions of people would really like to play at the domestic level REGARDLESS of the format of the game.I have no issue if Blake/Bolt are better cricketers than the likes of Mckay and other young bowlers trying to make the AUS national team.

Bailey's comments:

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/08/17/354331_sport-news.html

They would probs only need to turn up to sell out all the seats.

They could bowl pies all innings long, everyone would be happy.

A bit of a pipe dream though.

PlanetPakistan wrote:I highly doubt that Bolt(who wants to play for Melbourne) is even 10% as good a bowler as Siddle or Pattinson.

I'd be highly surprised if he was 10% as good as Mark Ealham or Brad Williams.

Didn't a rugby league player play in the twenty20s once?

Big Dog wrote:Bailey's comments:

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/08/17/354331_sport-news.html

Dear George

The competition might have some respect if it was any good. It isn't. It is propped up by gimmicks like dancing girls, 40+ year old wrist spinners and fireworks. It is an inferior competition in an inferior version of the sport played by inferior players (Martin Guptil is a star import FFS). I would be more likely to go to a game if Bolt or Blake played.

Regards

Big Dog wrote:Bailey's comments:

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/08/17/354331_sport-news.html

Btw, is this a geo restricted video page or something? Can't open it.

tricycle wrote:

Big Dog wrote:Bailey's comments:

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/08/17/354331_sport-news.html

Btw, is this a geo restricted video page or something? Can't open it.

I doubt it. More likely to be your security settings.

Aye, turns out it's a local server issue. Most sites don't open.

Big Dog wrote:Bailey's comments:

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/08/17/354331_sport-news.html

This Bailey guy is spot on!

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_ipl-is-willing-to-embrace-bolt-and-blake-conditions-apply_1727635

At the end of the day, are Bolt's sponsors and Manager(s) really going to let the World's most famous athlete risk facing Pat Cummins bowling at 150kph?

tricycle wrote:

PlanetPakistan wrote:I highly doubt that Bolt(who wants to play for Melbourne) is even 10% as good a bowler as Siddle or Pattinson.

I'd be highly surprised if he was 10% as good as Mark Ealham or Brad Williams.

Didn't a rugby league player play in the twenty20s once?

yes

I think they need to avoid getting carried away in their own hype and thinking they can do anything in the sporting arena, and stick to what they do best which is being the two fastest men in the world!

Just as we don't see Lionel Messi trying his hand at winning a golf major or Roger Federer trying out for a football career... their sport is athletics, try another event if you're bored of 10 second races, even have a crack at a decathlon perhaps but stick to the track and field arena rather than cheaping cricket or some other sport...

Having said that, they'll probably be the new Ambrose and Walsh and restore the West Indies to the top of the cricketing tree!

PlanetPakistan wrote:

JGK wrote:How can you disrespect T20?

At the end of the day millions of people would really like to play at the domestic level REGARDLESS of the format of the game.I have no issue if Blake/Bolt are better cricketers than the likes of Mckay and other young bowlers trying to make the AUS national team.

they won't be, in the same way Ivan Lendl isn't as good a golfer as any of the thousands plying the US tour. I think Ricky Ponting plays off 4, too; maybe he's even brought it down a bit.

PP, did you ever watch Pro-celebrity golf?

With the Bolt-Blake introduction touted, we are moving towards Pro-celebrity cricket.

Watching either will be an idle way of passing time but can in no way be considered a serious contest.

Nath wrote:

tricycle wrote:

PlanetPakistan wrote:I highly doubt that Bolt(who wants to play for Melbourne) is even 10% as good a bowler as Siddle or Pattinson.

I'd be highly surprised if he was 10% as good as Mark Ealham or Brad Williams.

Didn't a rugby league player play in the twenty20s once?

yes

Cheers

Trike - it's in PP's linked article at the top of the thread. Hence I suppose Nath's sardonic yes.