It is not cricket—Mallett

Press, 28 January 1986, Page 21

It is not cricket—Mallett

NZPA staff correspondent Adelaide The former test spinner, Ashley Mallett, has come out in support of the great Bill O’Reilly on the incompetence of Australian cricket. "The whole system has broken down,” Mallett, a journalist like O’Reilly, said yesterday. He believed the problem stemmed from test players not getting enough Sheffield Shield games, and state cricketers not playing enough club games. “Allan Border’s been in

Queensland six years and played 10 club games,” he said. “There’s an alarming lack of depth and knowledge among our players who are not hungry enough for success. "The entire summer is too congested because of the one-dayers, which became a catalyst in the downturn of our game,” he said. “This is ridiculous playing 18 games to decide the winner. Last year we had Sri Lanka here, and they only won one game.” Players did not like the

one-day games, he said. They played them for the money and nothing else. Border was the best batsman in the world, said Mallett, but he was not strong enough as a captain. “Our players are getting too many test matches too early, and Border has his hands full with a heap of raw young guys.” Mallett does not agree with the administrators picking a coach to look after the side. Such a move would have seemed ludicrous in

the days of Chappell, Marsh and Lillee, he said. "Things are looking up. Geoff Marsh and Bruce Reid are the finds of the year, and Stephen Waugh is the best batting prospect we’ve had for some time. “We still had to bring back Ray Bright and David Hookes, because they are the last of the fighters. Losing them is the absolute pits.” Mallett conceded that appointing Bobby Simpson as coach was a "necessary evil”.