For the first time, News Corp Australia is launching its summer of cricket coverage and the Fox Cricket channel with a 32-page guide to the 2018-19 season that will wrap around The Daily Telegraph, Herald Sun, The Courier-Mail and The Advertiser.
News Corp managing director of sales Lou Barrett said: “We are taking the cricket fans beyond the game, with the ultimate experience, keeping them engaged with News’s suite of assets, including analysis, game day updates and commentary, as well as ‘second screen’ initiatives including Supercoach, the premiere location for any fan looking to be part of the game in a whole new way.
“Today is the start of us redefining cricket in Australia, with unprecedented coverage across a print and digital network that reaches 12 million sports fans a month, including five million cricket fans.
“Australians have an insatiable thirst for information about what happens beyond the game – and we are better placed than any other media group to satisfy that demand. This 32-page cricket wrap demonstrates just that and it’s only the beginning of the largest print and digital launch of cricket in history, 24/7 right throughout summer.”
Back covering cricket this year is iconic sporting journalist and commentator Robert “Crash” Craddock, who has covered more than 150 cricket Tests for News Corp and been involved with a series of Fox Sports shows including The Back Page, Summer 360 and Cricket Legends
“After more than 30 years of covering the game, I am more excited than ever to be part of the News Corp cricket team and to help launch this landmark guide to cricket, like never before,” said Craddock.
“Since Fox Sports gained the cricket rights, our daily newspapers have made a nationwide commitment to rejuvenate our coverage with extra space and manpower and a complete overhaul of our traditional coverage, from statistics to news and analysis pieces.
“In this wrap, we deep dive into statistical areas, telling readers not just how a player is performing but the reasons why he is playing that way, and there are scoreboards and general stats presented as they have never been presented before.”
The News Corp cricket wrap features the fresh opinions of the new Fox Cricket commentary and analysis team with a series of exclusive columns from:
Shane Warne on how the Australian men’s cricket team needs to win back respect and make the world fear us again
Warne names his BBL SuperCoach team starting XI and bench
Adam Gilchrist on Australia’s best XI for the One Day International series against India and why we can be a force at the World Cup in England next year.
Mark Waugh on how Australia’s world-class pace attack can exploit India’s vulnerable batting lineup going into the summer Test series.
Mike Hussey preview of the Big Bash League. Mr Cricket’s power rankings predict where your BBL team will finish and why.
Darren Lehmann analysing Australia’s T20 international stocks ahead of South Africa match on the Gold Coast and the three game series against India.
Mel Jones on how the Aussie women’s team finally has the firepower to win the ICC World Cup in the Windies starting November 10.
The 32-page wrap also includes a pull-out wall chart with all cricket fixtures this summer.
Coinciding with the cricket wrap, in a united push, News Corp major metro newspapers are today seeking to reignite the debate about the controversial ball tampering saga and sanctions by determining whether people think former Australian cricketers Steve Smith and Dave Warner should be reinstated to the national side.