Cricket: Everybody needs good neighbours - Chappell

Michael Papps won his test spot on ODI form rather than a compelling domestic record. Picture / Fotopress

Greg Chappell, former test legend and one of the most respected analysts in the game, has lent his support to New Zealand Cricket's push for increased competition against Australia.

One of the sport's genuinely great batsmen, Chappell suggested NZC was on the right track in trying to organise more matches against the world champions, but also believed it was time for countries such as New Zealand to re-assess their formula for success.

The issue of mismatches and the overall standard of test cricket has been boiling along merrily this week following New Zealand's meek capitulation against Australia at the Gabba, and then at the Adelaide Oval.

NZC chief Martin Snedden said on Wednesday that although the latest results were disappointing, it was imperative that New Zealand played Australia as often as possible to develop their game.

His wish will be granted over the next year or so at least, as New Zealand will start their Chappell-Hadlee one-day series on Sunday; Australia will tour New Zealand in March and later in 2005; and New Zealand will return in January 2006 for the VB Series.

While Chappell said the increased fixtures were a good start, there were still questions over New Zealand's formula for producing top-flight cricketers, and particularly the standard of the country's senior club and provincial competitions.

"The strength of our [Australian] cricket is based largely on our club system and our first-class structure, plus our elite development programmes," he said.

"All three of them are equally important because the club set-up and the first-class set-up provides the challenges at each development phase.

"Then it's finished off through the elite development programmes through each state."

The comments from Chappell, who has worked this year with coaches from India, England, Pakistan and the United States, should strike a chord in New Zealand, where senior club cricket is at a low ebb and where the domestic competitions are weak.

Recent players such as Michael Papps and Hamish Marshall have won their test selections on the basis of solid ODI form, rather than any compelling domestic records.

To address the concerns, NZC last year launched a more comprehensive A team programme, something that Chappell said was good for New Zealand and world cricket.

"We [Australia] can't afford to run our business, cricket, in a vacuum," Chappell said. "At some stage it's going to impact on what's happening here through sponsorships, gates and all sorts of things.

"A lot of people would say this is an expensive exercise, to run an Australia A team. I think it's an expensive exercise not to because, at the end of the day, it will cost us if we don't have good contests at test level."

Chappell has advocated for 20 years the need for "neighbours to look after neighbours" and believes Australia and New Zealand A teams should clash on an annual basis.

He suggested it would be helpful for both countries because, by alternating as hosts, New Zealand would get regular exposure to Australia's bouncy wickets, while Australia would receive more experience playing on seaming and English-type conditions.

The once great right-hander was offered the head coaching position with the West Indies in October, but declined when he realised that they were not interested in the major rebuilding programme that he thought necessary.

Chappell reckoned the gap between teams would continue to widen while some countries baulked at the need to reassess their player development, and instead tried to make up for their deficiencies by taking "short cuts" and recruiting overseas coaches.

Australia is well resourced for out-of-season fixtures, being able to call on the Marrara Oval in Darwin and the Bundaberg Rum stadium in Cairns, which held mid-winter test series over the past two years.

Their nine-year dominance of the test and one-day scene has been heady stuff for their fans, but Cricket Australia is concerned about the mismatches, with players' union boss Tim May worried that some countries were "going backwards".

"One of the key aspects of a sporting contest is spectators going there not knowing who is going to win," May said.

"You have to give great credit to the Australian team for the way they have played. This is a very special team. But we need to make sure the rest of the world is as competitive as possible.

"There are some teams who have been around for quite a while and are either not improving or going backwards.

"That is a concern, and we been concerned for quite a while."