Australia’s Michael Clarke (left), Chris Rogers (second left), James Faulkner (second right) and Shane Watson from the Australian team play a game of cricket on a barge in the river Thames by Tower Bridge in central London, yesterday.
SYDNEY: Cricket Australia has dismissed suggestions from executives at Channel Nine that the network should have a say in team selection under its lucrative new five-year broadcast deal.
Nine managing director Jeff Browne told a business lunch Wednesday the network needed the best players on the field all the time to maintain ratings, making clear it had concerns over CA’s rotation policy last summer.
“I understand why sports want to do that, but people at home want to see the best players playing and we urge Cricket Australia to pick the best players every time ... we’ve got to have the best players on the paddock to rate,’’ Browne said. “I think we’ve got a better understanding on that,” he added.
“Last year that balance was skewed too much in favour of resting some players so from now on there will be a lot more discussion between CA and the broadcaster about that.”
But CA chief James Sutherland quickly skittled any suggestion that the broadcaster would have direct input or even influence over selections.
“Cricket has a long-standing and successful relationship with the Nine Network but team selections and scheduling are matters for Cricket Australia,” he said in a statement late Wednesday.
AFP
