Hopefully it is a good, positive start for Mickey Arthur's boys and their appearance will be followed by that of Nottinghamshire against Birmingham Bears. It is all downhill, once the Falcons have appeared...
While acknowledging that it is one less 'home' game for supporters, it is a good value cricket occasion and not all that far to travel, especially with the club likely to lay on travel. Financially it is better for them, I understand, than even a sell out home game, with television coverage guaranteed. It makes a lot of sense and it is good to see Derbyshire at the heart of innovation in the game.
Speaking of Mickey Arthur, as I was, he has been relieved of his duties as director of cricket in Pakistan in favour of Mohammed Hafeez. It was almost inevitable after a World Cup in which they failed to make the semi-finals. Realistically, many in that country prefer a Pakistan national in charge of cricketing affairs. I am not quite sure of the logic in appointing a former player with limited, as far as I am aware, coaching experience to a senior role, but that is their decision.
Arthur and Grant Bradburn become part of a coaching 'pool' at the national cricket academy and they may or may not be part of the coaching setup for the Pakistan tour of Australia and New Zealand.
I am not sure how to see Arthur's reaction to this.
On the one hand, it is a demotion and I can see him pretty disheartened by it. Yet it is equally difficult to see him walk away from the job and simply return to Derbyshire without compensation.
As far as I can tell, the contract that he signed will expire at the end of the West Indies tour of Pakistan in February and March of next year, so he may well be prepared to sit it out, then return to Derbyshire in the early Spring.
No doubt things will be clarified soon.
Finally, the fixtures for 2024 will be released at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday of next week, 23 November.
Hotels up and down the country can prepare for a raft of bookings from cricket fans and in some way it makes the season that little bit closer.
Which works very well for me!
i've seen on the website, the club have confimed that they will provide travel. Facet
ReplyDeleteEven disregarding the result, I didn't think last year's Blast-off anything special. I'm surprised we appear to have sacrificed a home game again. Although I'm not aware of how last year's arrangement impacted our revenue it's hard to see how we could have gained much, if anything, unless I'm missing something.
ReplyDeleteRe MA, the only reported comment I've seen is that he will return to Derbyshire where he will be "really happy and that'll be OK." It will if success follows - his professionalism and desire to put this obvious setback behind him will hopefully set a light under our 2024 season.
I wasn't enthused last year when we gave up home advantage, but the club have made it very clear that it's financially beneficial. No surprise we have agreed to take part again. 👍
DeleteThe intimation at one of the forums was that the income from the Blast Off last year was the equivalent of a 9000 crowd at the County Ground i.e three Lancashire home games maybe ? So probably worthwhile financially?
ReplyDeletePaul
I thoroughly enjoyed Blast Off last season (apart from the result). The club say financially it is a no-brainer so I'm all for it. The club provides quality free travel and you can stay for the second match if you wish with free return travel included. Warning - it will be cold by 10pm on June 1st.
ReplyDeleteAs things stand in Pakistan, Arthur won't be on the Australia tour and his position has been abolished--which is sort of logical, since it was only created to get him when he wasn't really available.
ReplyDeleteThere are two good reasons for him not to resign, although I doubt he'll be going anywhere near the Academy. One is, as you suggest, that since the interim board don't have the power to sack him, then he can continue drawing a salary for probably doing absolutely nothing.
The other is, as Cricinfo pointed out today, that when there are next national elections in Pakistan in February--and because of the way that the PCB is in some ways an arm of the Prime Minister--if there is a change of government then there will probably be a new chair of the PCB, who may well bring Arthur back. Hafeez may well only be keeping Arthur and Bradburn's seats warm.
Two other thoughts come to my mind about this. One is that if Arthur doesn't come back as DoC in Pakistan, then it may make the selection of the second overseas player for Derbys more difficult, since he will no longer know what the Pakistan selectors are intending for the World T20.
The second is that if he doesn't come back, then it will probably be the best thing that's happened this winter for Derbys. I'm a little sceptical that the winter's recruitment is all it's cracked up to be, but even more than that I don't think it's the fundamental issue facing Derbys. The difference between 2022 and 2023 wasn't the playing personnel, it appears to have been mainly how much Arthur was focussed on his job. (Rather predictably, the same thing has happened to Pakistan). So it would be very good for Derbys if he was forced to concentrate on one job, rather than having the hubris to take two at the same time and seemingly end up not fully focussed on either.