T20 Calling as Cutting Calls it Quits

Ben Cutting’s announcement yesterday of his decision to retire from first class cricket and concentrate his career on the T20 game brought with it the usual concerns from some corners of the cricket world as to where the game was headed in the future, and if this was an indication of what modern cricket will become, with young(ish) men abandoning the ‘real’ cricket in order to play the more lucrative T20 tournaments around the world. There is a legitimate thought process regarding this kind of thing happening, but if you ponder this as an individual case, then surely Cutting has made a fair and rational decision for his own future, which will not impinge upon the future of his state and country.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the long form of the game above all others, and would hate to see it diminished in any way by players choosing to abandon it to feather their nest with quick cash from the T20 format at the expense of a longer career in the first class and international game. In this case, I don’t think either side of the argument would be disappointed.

Cutting has had a reasonably successful career with Queensland. In 51 first class matches he took 170 wickets at 28.41, and averaged 23.65 with the bat while scoring one century and seven fifties. At the height of his powers in 2013 and 2014 he played four ODI’s for Australia and also seven T20 internationals, but was never able to quite hold his place. He was on the verge of a dream Test selection when he was named in the squad to play against New Zealand in 2010/11, but again couldn’t quite crack the final eleven.

Over the past two seasons, Queensland has made a conscious decision to move in a different direction in regards to their pace attack. In 2016/17 Cutting played only three Shield matches and seven Matador Cup matches. Despite reasonable returns, he was unable to get a look in for a match in either competition in 2017/18. Given that Queensland won the Sheffield Shield competition this season without his input in any match, it is fair to assume that he has been surpassed for future selection.

At 31 years of age there is every possibility that if he put a solid pre-season behind him he could again challenge for a place in both Queensland teams next season. In the past, when in order to make money from playing cricket he would have had to have a State contract, this is most likely what he would have done. But it is the modern age, and given his success as a pinch-hitting batsman capable of massive strikes when at the crease, mixed with his straight, full and at times fast bowling, it is easy to see why T20 franchises would be looking to employ him, and for more money than he would be able to earn with a State contract.

This one is a win for one of the good guys. Ben Cutting served his state and country to the best of his ability, and gave Queensland and Australia everything he had on every occasion. Some may look at his career and say he didn’t live up to expectations. Perhaps they need to look at it from another perspective, and see that he was a very good state cricketer was given the chance to represent his country on several occasions, and he didn’t let anyone down. That he can still continue to play a high exposure form of cricket without holding up a state contract for a young and up-and-coming cricketer is perhaps the best scenario for both state and player.