CRITICISM

Jones lashes out at Cricket Victoria for not promoting the game

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on Thu, Apr 9, 2020, 08:52 AM

"I played for 20 years for my state and was proud to have done it [but] their five-step plan from 2017 to 2022 is just so far wrong with where they're going." - Jones © PTI

Former Australia and Victoria great, Dean Jones, has lashed out at his state association - accusing it of not doing enough to promote the game in the state and showing no respect to past greats from Victoria. The dashing batsman had recently handed back his life membership with Victoria and also demanded for his name to be removed from the state award.

Cricket Victoria, in recent times, had named an award after the former top-order batsman (Dean Jones Medal), which is presented to the best One-Day player from the state annually. The board announced its state award list for the 2019-20 season and Jones's name was conspicuously missing, with only Bill Lawry's Medal (for the best player in the Sheffield Shield) being retained. It later emerged that the 59-year old had asked for the removal of his name, although he didn't give reasons for his decision.

Jones was among the first former players to be enlisted for permanent membership with Cricket Victoria - the highest honour given by the state to its cricketers - alongside Shane Warne, Graham Yallop, Ian Redpath and Sharon Tredea.

"Where it's come from is the lack of culture and vision and strategy by the CV administration has just hurt me," Jones said, speaking to 3AW's Sportsday on Wednesday (April 8). "I played for 20 years for my state and was proud to have done it [but] their five-step plan from 2017 to 2022 is just so far wrong with where they're going," he added.

Jones was particularly critical about the decision of the state board to de-link Melbourne's two Big Bash franchises, the Stars and the Renegades, thereby taking total state ownership of the two teams - a move that resulted in the two sides losing out on their main sponsors - Optus and Moor. Jones, who has had coaching experience with the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), was also not offered a chance to coach either of the two teams, beaten by David Hussey for the Stars job and Michael Klinger for the Renegades.

"They pulled in the Stars and Renegades away from Eddie McGuire, Jason Dunstall and Stuart Coventry and now they've lost millions of dollars in sponsorship. The administration and how they've looked after that is poor," Jones said.

"I put in (an application) for two jobs and that's for the Stars and Renegades," he said. "I was interviewed by the likes of Trent Woodhill the batting coach and (former player) Michael Beer. Then David Hussey resigned from the Cricket Victoria board and gets the (Stars) job with no experience and nothing behind him. Then Michael Klinger goes for the (Renegades) job and gets it with no experience.

"If this was AFL, they normally have properly independent committees. These are proper blue-chip jobs to get but yet they've given jobs for the boys. I just find the leadership and where it's going as overwhelming," an exasperated Jones added.

Victoria have set the benchmark when it comes to state cricket in Australia, winning 32 Sheffield Shield titles. Jones, though, accused the board of not doing enough for its players - giving the example of poor representation of the state's players in the national team. "They want to be the number one sport in Victoria but that's not happening after AFL. And they want to make permanent Australian players but we don't have one decent player in the Australian team besides Aaron Finch," he remarked.

Responding to Jones's allegations, Shaun Graf, Cricket Victoria chairman, said that he couldn't understand the reasons for Jones's actions. "We're in the dark as much as most people to be quite honest, Dean is the only one that really knows why," Graf told SEN Radio.

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Jones lashes out at Cricket Victoria for not promoting the game

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