CA cracks down on on-field interviews

Published October 20, 2006

SYDNEY, Oct 19: Cricket Australia (CA) said on Thursday they would not allow television interviews of dismissed batsmen as they leave the field during next month's Ashes Test series against England.

The CA crackdown follows an incident involving high-profile Australian Test leg-spinner Shane Warne during a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia in Perth last Tuesday.

As Warne left the WACA Ground arena, a female journalist from Australia's Channel Nine approached and asked him about rumours he and ex-wife Simone were reuniting.

An annoyed Warne ignored the questions and his Victorian team subsequently fired in a complaint to the television station involved.

The unprecedented interest in Australia's fight to regain the Ashes has prompted home broadcaster Channel Nine to try and boost its coverage, including on-field questioning of players.

But CA chief executive James Sutherland said there would be set limits on the broadcaster's coverage, prohibiting questions of aggrieved batsmen.

“You're not going to see people talking to them straight after they have got out, that wouldn't be appropriate,” Sutherland said on Thursday.

“There has to be some parameters that are appropriate to the circumstances.”

Australia's 25 contracted players have discussed Nine's desire for a more personal coverage during their training camp last August.

Sutherland and the players' union said the players were open to helping provide a better viewing coverage but it couldn't come at a cost to their roles in the game.

“The players are more than happy to encourage the coverage as long as their boundaries are respected,” the Australian Cricket Association spokesperson said.—AFP

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