Looking forward to better times

By Rajitha Ratwatte

Here in Aotearoa, we are looking forward to better times. The summer is almost here, and sports wise we are looking at a smooth transition from a packed rugby season to some international cricket. The All Blacks our rugby union team (for the benefit of the uninitiated) made short work of the Argentinian Pumas, after actually losing to them (sacrilege!) and seem to have secured all the silverware available. The Bledisloe cup after whipping the Aussies (a common occurrence these days) and they seem to have done enough to secure the Tri Nations trophy. There is still one match to go, when Argentina will do their best to beat Australia and seem to have a good chance of doing so.

We have one more domestic game on the cards. The Maori All Blacks, a team that wears the black jersey but can only have players with Maori blood in them (rather racist in these politically correct times what!) will play a Moana Pacifika team. The Moana Pacifika team will consist of players mainly from the pacific Islands on Tonga and Samoa, I believe. It is hoped that such a team will have a regular slot in the super rugby tournament from 2022 onwards. A brief look at the future perhaps? Or maybe just a final attempt by Sky TV who have chosen not to show cricket in Aotearoa, to deflect some sports fans from the cricket?

The Cricket season has started. The West Indies are here and first T20 was played in Auckland and started with a bang! Firstly, the notoriously fickle Auckland weather managed to produce a cloudless blue sky right up to the start of the match and contrived a series of rain showers that interrupted play thrice during the match. Another significance was that all players on and off the field and the umpires, “took a knee” in honour of the Black Lives Matter movement. This was done after the umpires called play and before the first ball was bowled. Some players also held a clenched fist in the air, the black power salute, others didn’t! Rather dramatic and a rather unnecessary involvement for the noble game of cricket…. I wonder? During the match too, the Windies had 50 runs for no loss in 2 overs and then lost 5 wickets for one run! Nothing to do with the weather and more to do with the searing scorching pace of one Lockie Ferguson, ironic isn’t it? The Windies being undone by pace.

The second T20 was a bit of a thrashing for the Windies. We saw a 40-ball century from a debutant for NZ. Phillips who would not have even got a game if the full X1 was available. In theory this could mean that NZ has a huge depth of cricketing talent, but I beg to differ. As a level 3 qualified umpire who does the club games and the premier women’s game, the talent in Aotearoa is nowhere near what is available in the Pearl. But these guys and gals’ deliver when it counts. It is always sad to see the Windies humiliated. My memories are of a Clive Lloyd led bunch of world beaters, with Greenidge, Haynes, Richards and those awesome pace bowlers, Roberts, Marshall, Garner Et Al. Of course, the 3 W’s, Sobers, Hall, Griffith, Valentine and Ramadin who preceded them.

We have much more cricket in store. The Pakistanis are already here, all 51 of them! Talk about large teams, how you can send 51 players and officials to play a game that has only 11 players on the field at any one time? Take note cricket board officials of the Pearl, you haven’t thought that one up yet have you? The minister, deputy and their entire families can come next time! Not only is such a large contingent here, under quarantine and six of them already with covid, they are also flouting the quarantine regulations of the country. The Pakistanis are apparently under their last warning, I wonder what will be done to them if they continue this (typically?) irresponsible behaviour? Will they be deported en mass?!! The former tearaway fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has warned New Zealand in return, to watch what they say to quarantine rule breakers. The Rawalpindi Express may have lost his pace but none of his irresponsible behaviour or reckless, foolish talk. This is the man who told an ICC disciplinary hearing into his misconduct during a match with the possible penalty being suspension, “they come to watch me play, not you guys officiate”!

We also have the Bangladeshis coming and of course a few games against the Aussies to end the cricket season. A long and interesting summer of cricket ahead. You dear readers, will have an accredited representative present in the press box of all the grounds, I will be looking for personal stories and local insights as the statistics-based cricket match reports published by the accepted agencies, are much better than my amateurish efforts! I for one will find it blissful to watch the first session of a test match with the Kiwi or Pakistani pace bowlers making the ball sing (and I mean sing not swing) on a fresh green wicket, in pure relaxed concentration, rather than having to make notes for the benefit of my readers.

I hear you have a premier league of sorts going on in the pearl. Hope you get to enjoy the cricket without any inherent scandals. I wonder if you can go to the grounds or if it will all be on TV? The big advantage that Aotearoans’ have at present is that they can actually go to the grounds.

The Covid vaccine that is apparently on its way soon should alleviate matters. Maybe the tourist season can be reactivated by August next year (in time for the Kandy Perehera), not too far away in the greater scheme of things. Shops and businesses may be able to achieve “normalcy” sooner. The economy can start humming again and maybe the Middle east will start recruiting their cheap labour?

People are gearing up for Christmas in Aotearoa. The “Black Friday” sales are in progress and by all accounts, record numbers have been achieved. All the money saved by Kiwis by being unable to travel abroad is now been spent locally. The economy is buzzing over here, although the long-term effects have yet to be seen, and the real estate market is going crazy. All the returning Kiwis’ are creating havoc in an already overheated housing market by buying houses on line, without even seeing them. The profile and demographic of these returning Kiwis’ is young professional couples with young children who have sold a house abroad. So, plenty of cash and big demand in the high decile school zones, where the houses are already in high demand. A big increase in supply of houses is needed and needed soon. One fears that a moribund government sector with largely ineffectual and inefficient management and decision-making skills, will not be up to the mark. There are SOME similarities between the Pearl and Aotearoa, a moribund public service being one!

A reasonable assumption is that “things can only get better” and of course that “nothing lasts forever”. So, chin up everyone and keep smiling, may the season of good cheer bring you many blessing and more than a little good cheer!