Cricket Australia has had players "miked up" during T20 games, and will do so during its domestic Big Bash T20 this month. Doing so in a test is a step too far, at least for now.
Among possible innovations New Zealand Cricket has considered is allowing media access to the changing room after internationals are completed, and having players interviewed at the end of sessions during tests. If they do take that step to open the players' inner sanctum up, it will be a significant one.
American sports have long given free access to media in the NBA, Major League Baseball and NFL. There, it is accepted as part of the deal, giving the fans wider access to the players.
In cricket the dressing room is sacred ground, a refuge for the players where they can let off steam away from the public eye.
New Zealand tends to watch developments in Australia closely and is not afraid to ape its transtasman chums. The Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the supreme player of the year is the latest, copied from Australia's Allan Border Medal.
NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan confirmed yesterday that a range of innovations were under consideration. Both the players' association and broadcasters will be involved in the plans.
"The players are reasonably receptive as long as it's done in a sympathetic way," Vaughan said.
"We've got to be able to move with the times and meet our spectator demands to keep the game fresh and interesting."
CA's changing position comes about out of a feeling of necessity.
Last year a Future of Cricket seminar in Melbourne produced some grim information, most notably that the game was losing ground to other sports, and battling to be attractive to the country's youth.
Former Australian great Greg Chappell told the conference cricket was taking itself too seriously and the fun factor was disappearing in the 5-15 age group.
"Forget this business of front elbow up, seam position and all the technical stuff - we just have to encourage kids to go out and run, throw, catch and have fun," Chappell said. "That's how we will attract the next generation of Australian cricket fans."
CA chief executive James Sutherland labelled it the "single most important cricket meeting in Australia in 30 years".
Vaughan believes that in terms of retaining players New Zealand are "travelling okay" with the qualification of concerns at age group level.
"Certainly from a player participant point of view the issue is in the 14-16 age bracket and being able to retain players.
"We are doing a review on our secondary school policy. There's a lot of reasons why early high school years are a period of drop-off but that's shared by all other traditional sports."
He is relaxed about the elite player level; his concerns are more aimed at the lower-grade players. T20 is one form which has helped keep interest up.
Times are a'changing and NZC is keen to ensure it doesn't get left behind.
