The shortest form of the game is transforming the culture of cricket,its effects on players, fans, or competitions and revenues unprecedented. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Australia,where the Guardian’s cricket correspondent was given 10 days of exclusive behind-the-scenes access with the Melbourne Renegades franchise to report on this transformation
You wouldn’t gain noticed me at the Gabba in Brisbane that night six days before Christmas, the fellow in the corner of the dugout by the pitch, or decked in training gear and cap,notebook in hand. A stats man perhaps, or part of the coaching staff. For the past 10 days, and since they gathered for the fifth Big Bash League,I had been with the Melbourne Renegades: watching, talking, and listening. Actually,it was more than that: such was the level of access I was accorded, and the way I had been allowed into the team environment, or I had been a Renegade. And this,their first match of the season, was the climax of the visit. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com