Winners and Losers: Cricket’s world order is changing

Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.

OPINION

LOSER: The Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals

Boring… hardly an interesting moment
in four sudden-death games, which takes some doing.

LOSER: This Drua mad moment

The surging Fijian Drua made a crazy call to take a penalty shot at goal, when trailing the Blues 22-5 at Eden Park.

The Fijian side were dominating possession and close to finding out if the Blues would crack but turned down the chance to set up a try-scoring attack.

Even worse, they missed the goal. Contender for worst on-field rugby decision of the year so far.

WINNER: This rugby thought…

Australian rugby was at its best, and at times ruled the world, when it had three main provincial sides.

The contest between old enemies New South Wales and Queensland – with the Brumbies acting as super-impressive innovators – worked superbly for Aussie rugby.

Attempts to invade Aussie Rules strongholds with more new teams have failed on every level. The Aussies should go back to having three teams. They won’t, of course.

Meanwhile, the Brumbies continue to fly the flag for Australian rugby, as the only Super semifinalist.

WINNER: Alex Paulsen

The Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper has made one of the biggest leaps in the history of New Zealand sport, going from relative A-league obscurity to a contract with English Premier League mid-table team Bournemouth.

It is also a huge boost for New Zealand football and the image of the A-League, where bad financial news is never in short supply.

LOSER: The Black Caps and cricket

There have been interesting results in cricket’s T20 World Cup, but are many people interested?

Cricket is killing the golden goose, holding T20 World Cups every second year. They don’t feel special.

The Black Caps fell to Afghanistan, a result inevitably described as embarrassing and humiliating.

For my money, these are tired phrases that don’t take into account the changing nature of cricket’s world order, or give enough respect to Afghanistan.

WINNER: Iga Swiatek

The Pole is establishing herself as the new superstar of tennis, crushing Italian Jasmine Paolini to claim her fourth French Open title and fifth Grand Slam.

WINNER/LOSER: Jitka Klimkova

The Football Ferns coach has got her job back, resuming her long-term contract after being stood down over an unspecified employment matter.

But it means a cloud hangs over Jitka Klimkova’s tenure, which seems very unfair. The whole matter adds to the impression of a national football administration that is out of its depth.

WINNER/LOSER: Caitlin Clark and women’s basketball

Any publicity is good publicity, and Caitlin Clark is providing more of it after being reportedly left off the USA Olympic team.

The former college star, a worldwide PR phenomenon, is starting to find her game in the WNBA and went on a three-point scoring spree for the Indiana Fever against the Washington Mystics.

But it was a tumultuous week for Clark – including a vigorous foul on her during a match against Chicago that filled the headlines.

Clark may be the biggest figure in American women’s team sport since footballer Megan Rapinoe. Probably even bigger.

The reasons for leaving her out of the Olympic team apparently include potential publicity problems if she didn’t get much court time.

But the Americans have missed a trick if indeed she is not going to the Olympics in France.

WINNERS: The Warriors and Addin Fonua-Blake

Crushed a tired North Queensland Cowboys, who were heavily affected by a State of Origin hangover. Prop Addin Fonua-Blake had a very strong game on return, after being stood down by coach Andrew Webster.

The Warriors, returning to full strength, are on a winning run that has revived their title hopes.

WINNERS/LOSER: Linnea Strom, Scottie Scheffler, Jack Nicklaus/gushy golf commentary

Sweden’s Linnea Strom produced among the most staggering come-from-behind wins in all of golf at the latest LPGA tournament in New Jersey.

Her 11-under par 60 was the lowest final round ever in the LPGA, as she went from 52nd and post-cut last to victory on the final day.

It was a maiden win for the 27-year-old, who started the final day seven shots behind the leader.

Scottie Scheffler’s domination of men’s golf is truly incredible and he won yet again, this time at the Jack Nicklaus-hosted Memorial Tournament in Ohio.

It was also fantastic to hear some Nicklaus insights from the commentary box. Unfortunately, fellow commentators’ over-deference to the 18-time major winner zoomed way past a sickening point.

LOSER: Novak Djokovic

A poor season – by his incredible standards – got worse when the tennis superstar had to pull out of the French Open because of a knee injury. Former American player Andy Roddick advised the Serb to sit out the year and get healthy.

“Novak needs his wheels. He is probably the best defensive player in the history of tennis, and with defence, you rely on your legs,” Roddick said.

LOSER: Sport’s integrity

The spectre of gambling issues in sport, and concerns about the depth of the problem, are ever-present.

San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport, after placing nearly 400 bets in a short space of time. He is the first active MLB player given a life ban for gambling in a century.

WINNERS: Real Madrid… BUT

The Spanish giants signed French superstar Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain for five years on eye-watering money. His reported signing-on bonus alone is $265 million. Kind of sickening, if true.

In response, Bayern Munich boss Max Eberl predicted the football bubble will burst as “hundreds of millions” are sucked out of the market by elite players who let their contracts reach the free-transfer point. This, in turn, would allow Saudi Arabia to pick up the pieces.

Eberl described the Mbappe deal as a “nail in football’s coffin”.

LOSER: The Olympics… if this succeeds

Microsoft issued a warning, saying Russian-linked hackers are targeting the Olympics and trying to make people afraid of attending.

They also said the hackers are trying to damage the reputation of the International Olympic Committee… which, to be fair, wouldn’t be hard to do.

The hackers’ weapons will, of course, include artificial intelligence, according to a Microsoft analyst.

WINNER: This name from the past

Michael White, one of New Zealand’s greatest pitchers, is winning plaudits after guiding the Texas Longhorns to unprecedented heights in American women’s college softball.

The 56-year-old White could be seen on our screens over the weekend, as number one seeds Texas fell to powerhouses Oklahoma in the final.