Todd Greenberg on how Australian summers will change
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What are the main challenges facing Australian cricket this summer?
An honour and a privilege to be joined in studio by Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia's CEO, for clearly what will be a wide-ranging state-of-the-nation, state-of-the-planet conversation about the great game of cricket, and hopefully life. Now, Todd, it's not your first foray on the show, but it's your first foray on the show as the club president of cricket in Australia, so a warm welcome to you. Let's start at the natural place, Grade Cricket and Greg Matthews.
Where else would you want to start?
It's like start from the foundation. So to what extent has playing Sydney Test cricket in the 80s and 90s, first grade opening bat, against guys like Greg Matthews, been formative in your career in some of the most combative administrative contexts like the NRL and also cricket right now in the current global tumult?
I would answer that by saying the formation of the resilience gene. That's the best way to describe it. I was actually on the way here thinking, what will be the first question? Because I loved your interview with Phil Waugh when you got him on his first question. So I was thinking, what have they got in store for me today? I reckon you've softballed me early. That's good.
Where is Rocky Olsen? Do we know? Do we know? Do you know?
Let me text Phil. Let me ask him.
It was one of the great openers to a podcast. Todd, the great maxim, of course, is that if you are a better cricketer than someone, you're a better person than them. You are literally top of the tree. You are the CEO of cricket in this country. But you never played a test. So how seriously can we take your answers?
Yeah, well, in the grade cricket mantra, not very seriously by the sound of that. You know, bragging status is about how many runs you scored last weekend. Exactly. None more, none less. In fact, I've just recently come back from my annual weekend reunion with my cricket club mates at Randwick. And I always drive back Sunday afternoon thinking that I was amazed I didn't play 100 tests because the way we talk about how good we all were, it's literally amazing that we didn't. But the only thing that kept us back was just pure talent.
Who was in that round?
Well, that group, there's about 15 of us and we just celebrated our 20th annual reunion. So actually we have a chairman and president who run the organisation for us. Basically they book the house and get the beers cold. But this year on the 20th they decided that we'd have a cat presentation. And we would pick a cap and present it to each other. And we were told who we're presenting to. And then you had to stand in front of the group and present to that person about why they're important in your life. And it was actually quite moving, quite emotional. You know, 15 alpha males who used to share a dressing room then together 20 years on, talking about the importance of mateship and camaraderie and It's the beauty of cricket, really.
But Michael Cheekwee is the chairman, Richard Cheekwee. A whole pile of other really ripping guys who became mates of mine as a kid and they're best mates today.
You must like, you're the Cricket Australia CEO. I mean, at an event like that. people must have a couple of opinions to be thrown your way.
It's funny because the opinions get louder as the night gets on. So by the end, I've got to defend George again and everyone else in our selection committee. But, yeah, there's no shortage of opinions. But it is the measurement of the sport when you've shared dressing rooms with these guys your whole life. And then you come back in and we're from all walks of life. And lots of people have had different challenges here and there, but I think that's the essence of cricket, that mateship. And that's really what your podcast, as much as you take the mickey out of everyone, that's what it's about. It is about the mateship and the camaraderie, the dressing room that we all played in.
Do you know, like, we were getting quite misty-eyed, I suppose, just privately talking about the SCG. after the Ashes, Todd. And just because what the cricket ground means to you when you're a kid growing up, it reminds me of the first time my dad took me to a test match and coming along to family and going to the indoor nets and thinking that you were going to be one of the guys that make it one day.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the main challenges facing Australian cricket this summer?
0:00–4:39
2
How does Todd Greenberg view the future of the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests?
4:39–6:32
3
What impact do two-day Test matches have on Cricket Australia's finances?
6:32–9:37
4
How does the Australian team compare to its competition despite recent successes?
9:37–13:05
5
What are the implications of privatization for Australian cricket?
13:05–15:22
6
How is Cricket Australia addressing the global trends in cricket?
15:22–17:48
7
What is the public's expectation of Australian cricket players?
17:48–19:46
8
What long-term strategies is Cricket Australia implementing for future growth?
19:46–54:32
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from The Grade Cricketer
Private bunce, Razaullah jawline, Zimbabwe favourites, with Alex Malcolm
Greenberg greenlights Knight Rider bunce
PCB Clown Show, with Vithushan Ehantharajah
Batting issues, Carse handcuffs, Jaiswal headbutt, with Greg Chappell
Dreadful Australia win by an innings | Day 2 | AUS v BAN | Mackay Test
Embarrassing Australia take massive first innings lead | Day 1 | AUS v BAN | Mackay Test