Shane Warne Defends David Hussey

The Big Bash League has come under fire throughout the last two weeks. This follows after governing associates implemented a substantial fine onto David Hussey, the head coach for the Melbourne Stars. This fine was enforced after a joke regarding spiked footwear was made on live television. David Hussey received a $2,000.00 penalty from the Cricket Australian Association under a breach of conduct. Most individuals in the league claim this decision was made to acquire additional funds for the CAA. The jokes made pertained to the Adelaide strikers, who were rumoured to be wearing spiked footwear before the matchup on social media. These claims were never honest.

Individuals watching the Big Bash League via the On-Demand service couldn’t locate any of the pre-emptive matchup footage. Audiences that were watching live noted via social media that commentators forced the spiked footwear concept. An unwarranted fine to David Hussey was provided because commentators wanted to fill-up airtime and acquire more viewers. Since this event took place, multiple coaches have come to the defence of David Hussey. This includes Shane Warne, who expressed that this decision was ridiculous and goes against the open-minded humorous banter that Australian’s are known for worldwide. Warne mentioned that this decision displayed zero common sense and should be retracted immediately.

When looking at the Australian legislation for cricket, subclauses mention that team coaches and captains can pre-emptively walk on the pitch. However, spiked footwear cannot be permitted at any time. David Hussey himself had worn spiked shoes to the event but hadn’t walked onto the pitch. He was found not guilty by Adrian Anderson, the Code of Conduct Commissioner in Australia. This didn’t stop executives in the association from implementing this fine. It shows a blatant level of disrespect and corruption in the BBL League.

BBL Finals Top Athlete

Positive headlines related to the Big Bash League this week. Matthew Wade, the Capitan for the Hobart Hurricanes, performed with admirable skills and prompted this team into the BBL Finals. This followed after a significantly challenging series against the Adelaide Strikers. Matthew Wade himself had hit more than 130 wickets throughout this series, is the second-highest in BBL history. He wasn’t the only player assisting in the Hurricanes performance, additional members like George Bailey and Jake Weatherald showcased their skillsets in the best ways possible. Subsequently, the Hobart Hurricanes will now battle for the BBL Championship title. 

ICC Temporarily Bans Kagiso Rabada

The International Cricket Council has actively governed over the South Africa and England test series, with the ICC making multiple announcements this week. It was confirmed that Kagiso Rabada had been banned from the final match during this test series. His removal follows after celebrating the dismissal of Joe Root in a disrespectful manner, which occurred on the 1st day of the third matchup. Kagiso Rabada began to scream inappropriate remarks to Joe Root after being dismissed. One demerit point followed for Rabada as well, adding to four in two years. That immediately triggered a one-match ban, meaning that South Africa’s national cricket team loses one of their most profound players in the final matchup.

Some unexpected individuals came to the benefit of this South African player. Graham Onions from the England national cricket team went to social media, where he described this punishment as harsh from the ICC. Jonathon Trott, a bowler that previously played for England, noted that Rabada’s celebration was aggressive and crossed the line. That Kagiso had displayed aggressive behaviour multiple times and this one-game ban if rightfully deserved. Another instance of Kagiso Rabada receiving a demerit point came when South Africa was competing against India. Kagiso aggressively shouted racial remarks to Shikhar Dhawan. It’s the second time that he’s thrown his racist behaviour into the public eye, with the International Cricket Council unimpressed. Continued offences could result in a permanent ban from international cricket.

Old Trafford Redevelopment Approved

Positive news struck cricket headlines this week when Trafford councillors approved the redevelopment of the “Emirates Old Trafford Stadium”. This follows after a town hall meeting on January 16th, 2020. It was confirmed after the meeting that the Emirates old Trafford would be redeveloped with a new stand, allowing for 2850 additional seats. It was noted that this new stand would replace the Red Rose Suite, providing enhanced member facilities to VIP personnel.

New redevelopments include a newly formatted ticket office, retail shop and heritage centre. After the redevelopment phase is completed, more than 26 thousand fans can fill this house.  Additional announcements made with the redevelopment of Emirates Old Trafford include a new extension to the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. The Civic Quarter area that surrounds this stadiums will be reformatted for visitors, becoming more appealing and approachable in the process.