My theory is Modi. Allegedly trying to mastermind everything and he is pissed at Cairns for fighting back I stead of laying down and rolling over. Perhaps Cairns is the honest person bere after all and the others are in collusion all so so eone can get their millions back that they lost in the defamation case. Egos and all that.
Cairns did a lot of good for NZ cricket and sure he got rewarded for it, but I still look up to him as a good bowler and batter.
You think McCullum is in on it?
Cairns has said all along that McCullum misunderstood the conversation.
Another option though is that maybe Cairns was in on it but to a much lesser extent that alleged, or was thinking of getting involved himself and was sounding out others like McCullum to see if they were also keen. It could be that he was thinking of doing it but never quite got involved.
I dunno if McCullem got it wrong or lied. I do think he misinterpreted what Cairns was talking about, however I would not put it past Modi to try and get various famous cricketing persons to see it his way either.
It sounds like he must be guilty but guess there wasn't enough concrete evidence or credible witnesses. As the judge said, Vincent is a confirmed cheat and liar. And McCullum took years to report it and changed the story several times.
He may have "got off" but I imagine his name must be mud now. He won't be able to work in cricket again or use his name/brand for any marketing etc.
It sounds like he must be guilty but guess there wasn't enough concrete evidence or credible witnesses. As the judge said, Vincent is a confirmed cheat and liar. And McCullum took years to report it and changed the story several times.
He may have "got off" but I imagine his name must be mud now. He won't be able to work in cricket again or use his name/brand for any marketing etc.
I'm not sure, it could get the family fudge brand up and running again with some changes to their target market.
Cairns Sugar Free Fudge: It's the not guilty pleasure.
That's a brilliant idea.
that is a fudgeing brilliant idea.
I think that spot-fixing is probably absolutely rampant across cricket, especially in limited overs games. It might not be as prevalent at international level but there's still probably a lot of it. Take a look at this list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cricketers_b...
And then add in Mark Waugh and Shane Warne, who got slaps on the wrists for passing on info to bookmakers (probably got off lightly because they were massive stars - other guys have been banned for the same thing), and the weird circumstances surrounding Bob Woolmer's death, and it starts to look like what we do see might just be the tip of the iceberg.
Cricket is a game which is really well suited to spot-fixing, and spot-fixing is a lot harder to identify than match-fixing. Spot-fixing is also potentially easier to justify to yourself as a player, because you're not throwing the game as a whole necessarily.The big markets for cricket viewing are riddled with fraud and corruption generally, and gambling is used to launder funds by criminal gangs there. Most cricketers don't earn huge amounts of money so the added incentive of a bit of cash from fixing could be appealing to some.
Basically there's a perfect storm of bookies wanting to fix, easy ways to fix, and players willing to fix. It would be naive to think that the identified cases are the totality of the problem.
Cairns may or may not have done it (I think he did but I can see why a jury acquitted him) but I reckon that there's a lot more to this issue than just him and his chums...
Very well said CT.
Maybe I have misunderstood the issue somewhere along the line, but who is it who is taking the bets? I understand it's dodgy bookmakers etc setting the fixes up but who is actually taking the bet when they know it's certain to happen? Because surely if someone is making money, someone else must be losing it.
Maybe I have misunderstood the issue somewhere along the line, but who is it who is taking the bets? I understand it's dodgy bookmakers etc setting the fixes up but who is actually taking the bet when they know it's certain to happen? Because surely if someone is making money, someone else must be losing it.
The way I understand it is that it's all about the illegal betting market in the sub-continent. Bookies put down odds on anything and everything, because it's illegal it is like the wild west, your average bloke on the street is placing bets on how many balls Lou Vincent will face with a bookmaker (who as mentioned previously is probably linked to Organised Crime), that bookmaker has been assured by someone up the chain that Lou Vincent will only face x balls and can therefore fix the odds accordingly.
Like CL said, Cricket is the absolute perfect sport for this kind of thing and plays into the perfect demographic world wide.
Had no idea this test was starting today. Good start from us too, against a pretty mediocre looking SL attack.
Yea, was hoping Kane would put up another tonne, but at least Guppy got more than 7.
Hopefully we put up a big score and its not a batting pitch. If we put up a big score then they do and it becomes a dull draw then IMO it undermines the whole match.
Man, we're butchering this innings...
Back to the topic of match-fixing, did people see this: https://m.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_i...
Gutted that we are folding
Baz survives again. But man what has happened to our shot selection?
If this was a Chris Cairns perjury trial and the fall of those first three were played to the jury, then all shots would have raised suspicions.
Unbelievable.
Kane is number 1!!!!!
Well deserved and awesome.
Best thing about Kane's runs this season is that he's been making them when the team really needs them as well. E.g. when we were under the pump in Aus, and this game where he was the difference between w/l.
Best thing about Kane's runs this season is that he's been making them when the team really needs them as well. E.g. when we were under the pump in Aus, and this game where he was the difference between w/l.
He's just been so consistent.
50-100 rune each innings instead of a couple of double tonnes then nothing for a month.
Just good test batting. best test batting in the world intact.
only second time one of our batsman has hit number one. The last time was Glenn Turner in 1974
only second time one of our batsman has hit number one. The last time was Glenn Turner in 1974
Sad to see McCullum retire, but probably the right time for him to move on I guess. The shift in culture of the team that he has created over the last couple of years has been quite remarkable.
Not sure we have anyone who'll be able to fill his shoes straight away. It will be tempting to leave Kane to concentrate on batting, and he doesn't seem to love the media and public profile that will come with the captaincy. I saw Watling mentioned, but he doesn't play across all formats. Not huge love for a bowler (Southee/Boult) either.
So the cod has finally accepted Chris Cairns' offer of a "Business Proposition"...
Hopefully McCullum goes out with a fairytale series win over Australia. He deserves it.
Hopefully McCullum goes out with a fairytale series win over Australia. He deserves it.
On the other hand, muffed a few chances to put the killer blow or pressure on Aussie in the last series by small mistakes such as using reviews badly and then not having them, throwing his wicket away, bowling Mark Craig at a guy on one peg, and being unable to lift the team after the Nathan Lyon disappointment.
I don't think anyone deserves it unless they do it. Trying to hit Starc out of the WC final is a very pertinent example. Everyone, including him, will have to play out of their skin. Hope he does (and I guess that's what you meant).
Almost be tempted to go to someone like Guptil if only his place was a little more secure. I've heard people talking up Watling as batsman and Ronchi keeper, in which case Watling could open and Guppy go to 5 as an option. Let Kane and the others keep batting and bowling. I don't really want him taking up the captaincy too.
Anyone for Taylor to get it back?
I got to thinking about this today a little bit and the objectiveness of it all.
There is no denying he is one hell of a talented cricketer with guts and determination. You don't get 300 from being lucky nor play 100 consecutive games it your have some guts.
I think where he falls over in a few peoples eyes is that he has the talent but did not achieve or reach the level he could do. If he changed that 10% application to 25% application in his style, he may have achieved a hell of a lot more.
Hopefully McCullum goes out with a fairytale series win over Australia. He deserves it.
On the other hand, muffed a few chances to put the killer blow or pressure on Aussie in the last series by small mistakes such as using reviews badly and then not having them, throwing his wicket away, bowling Mark Craig at a guy on one peg, and being unable to lift the team after the Nathan Lyon disappointment.
I don't think anyone deserves it unless they do it. Trying to hit Starc out of the WC final is a very pertinent example. Everyone, including him, will have to play out of their skin. Hope he does (and I guess that's what you meant).
Nah, completely disagree. For the way he has transformed this team in all formats and the way he plays the game on and off the field, he deserves it.
Hopefully McCullum goes out with a fairytale series win over Australia. He deserves it.
On the other hand, muffed a few chances to put the killer blow or pressure on Aussie in the last series by small mistakes such as using reviews badly and then not having them, throwing his wicket away, bowling Mark Craig at a guy on one peg, and being unable to lift the team after the Nathan Lyon disappointment.
I don't think anyone deserves it unless they do it. Trying to hit Starc out of the WC final is a very pertinent example. Everyone, including him, will have to play out of their skin. Hope he does (and I guess that's what you meant).
Nah, completely disagree. For the way he has transformed this team in all formats and the way he plays the game on and off the field, he deserves it.
Not against Aussie. Would love to see it happen. Don't think you deserve a win against Aussie unless you make it happen. Hasn't demolished Aussie in a test match yet. Would love it to happen, but don't think we've been such a class outfit that we've deserved it. He's had a big part to play, but part of it was Kane and Boult hitting their stride, and Bond's bowling coaching. Aussie drop players like Ponting and Waugh because they are ruthless. Have to have a flawless, ruthless performance to defeat them. We were lucky to get out of a jam against this young Sri Lankan side in this last test, partly because they self destructed in the second innnings.
Have been a mixed side. With Boult not at 100% our bowling is a little vunerable. Our batting shouldn't be, but Sri Lanka has shown that with a few bouncers at a little over 140kph it can be.
I like the way he plays, but let's not pretend he has been flawless. I don't think he's been as well prepared as, say, Stephen Fleming. I do think that he is much more explosive than Fleming and has the ability to change the dynamic of the game.
I want to see us not just be aggressive, but also ruthless. Same way no one deserves a win against the All Blacks, no one deserves to beat the Aussies.
I'm not a hugh Southee fan but I actually think there is less risk/more reward having him captain.
Kane is just a legend, playing like one of the greats at the moment. I wouldn't want to mess with that. Despite being a nice guy and a great player he doesn't strike me as a captain
I don't love Southee but he has a touch of charisma about him and is kind of like Bazza, the kind of guy who if he wasn't the captain would be the first guy going out down the pub drinking and tearing it up. Sometimes it's best to make these guys the captain to change their ways and set the example. I think that's exactly what happened in Baza's case. He figured he had to lead my example so stopped being the first guy down the pub, so the others thought if it's good enough for him to settle down its good enough for me.
Southee would have been his wing man and the second guy to head out
Kane is the sort of guy who would rather have a net then go down the pub. Not many in the team are like that.
And if it makes Southee more responsible in his batting and as a person I am all for it. Think it also could be the making of him as a bowler as well
Captained his county in England iirc.
I think one of the reasons that quick bowlers don't often get the captaincy is that they generally field at fine leg or third man and are therefore too far away from the action to lead their team in the field. Southee fields in close most of the time, sometimes in the slips, so he wouldn't have that issue. I think he could do it. He's belligerent and seems like a leader, which are both positive attributes obviously.
Kane is so vital to our batting lineup that I'd be very hesitant to put more pressure on him or give him something else to think about, but lord knows the kid can handle pressure up there with the best of them, so maybe that's a bit unfair. Who knows, maybe he'll step up to the plate yet again - like hitting a 6 to win an ODI against Aussie when we were 9 down and wickets had been dropping like flies.
Southee has been leading our attack for a while. But his talent isn't the same as McCullum's. And he has been frankly irresponsible many times with the bat. He could be a decent bowling all rounder with a bit of application to his batting. He's got a good eye, just needs defensive technique.
It is interesting.
Baz was an incisive player. I don't know that Southee is that. He's a hard working player, but he can't bowl at 150+ and he can't bowl that many unplayable deliveries. That's what Baz was. When he batted at his finest he was simply unplayable for any opposition. And he batted at his finest reasonably often in the last few years.
Who does Hesson want to captain? He's the other unmentioned (and kudos for him for managing to step out of the limelight) quantity here. He and Baz were definitely a team and a double act.
Below is a list of BC's captains (since 2000) who improved their test batting average after becoming captain.
Fleming, S.Taylor, R.
McCullum, B.
Below is a list of those who didn't have:
Vettori, D.
KW will be captain.
Will Blow Job Watling be Vice Captain?
It will be interesting to see how Kane captains the team. But good on him, hopefully he has the chops for captasincy as he has thde chops for batting.
Ho hum. This ODI series is pretty dull - like watching the Black Caps play a high school team.
Ho hum. This ODI series is pretty dull - like watching the Black Caps play a high school team.
