Dasha's pre-match trash talk nothing to do with tennis
The war of words has started before their big French Open last-16 match - but with new Australian recruit Daria Kasatkina and her young friend Mirra Andreeva, the trash talk has nothing to do with tennis.
It's all about the pair's 'vlogging' talent with the two of them delighted to wind each other up over their respective skills behind the camera and on the mike when they're working on Kasatkina's popular YouTube channel "What the Vlog".
Giving its viewers an entertaining inside peek at the tennis scene, Kasatkina, who set up the channel with her figure skater girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, has given her fourth-round opponent Andreeva the chance to film the odd item for them too.
And it led to the opponents previewing their Paris clash on Monday with some unflattering banter about their respective media skills.
Asked what she thought of Kasatkina as an interviewer, Andreeva responded amid some laughter: "I think she can improve."
On hearing this, Kasatkina who had already joked "I hate her" about the uber-talented 18-year-old world No.6, doubled down in mock horror: "I was right. I hate her!
"Well, Mirra is not the one to talk about it because actually she had opportunity to interview players in our Rome vlog, so she took the camera, and went to talk with someone in the players' restaurant. It was terrible!
"Also, the filming skills were not on point, so she needs to learn."
Then, they were keen to point out that, actually, this knockabout stuff was just the way they communicate with each other.
"You know, we're just giving little s--t to each other all the time, just joking around," said Kasatkina.
"We are very good with each other. We were having ice bath together right now a couple of hours ago after our (third-round) matches."
When it comes to tennis, though, Kasatkina admits there's not much she can teach this soar-away French-based phenom Andreeva.
"The only thing I'm helping her, it's to get on the vlog," Kasatkina said. "Honestly, Mirra, she's a very nice girl and an amazing player. We've been quite good with each other. I can even say that I think we are kind of friends.
"She's super young and super talented, so she will achieve a lot of things."
The two Russian-born players have practised regularly but only played once last October in a final in Ningbo, China, won by Kasatkina in three sets.
"A big drama match," says the Australian, perhaps recalling how she ended up consoling the youngster, who was in floods of tears after letting a 3-0 lead slip in the final set.
So what will she have to do to beat Andreeva?
"I have to run a lot," she said. "Going to be long rallies. Mirra, she's not giving anything for free. You know, to get every point, I'll have to die on court. I'm ready for that."
The war of words has started before their big French Open last-16 match - but with new Australian recruit Daria Kasatkina and her young friend Mirra Andreeva, the trash talk has nothing to do with tennis.
It's all about the pair's 'vlogging' talent with the two of them delighted to wind each other up over their respective skills behind the camera and on the mike when they're working on Kasatkina's popular YouTube channel "What the Vlog".
Giving its viewers an entertaining inside peek at the tennis scene, Kasatkina, who set up the channel with her figure skater girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, has given her fourth-round opponent Andreeva the chance to film the odd item for them too.
And it led to the opponents previewing their Paris clash on Monday with some unflattering banter about their respective media skills.
Asked what she thought of Kasatkina as an interviewer, Andreeva responded amid some laughter: "I think she can improve."
On hearing this, Kasatkina who had already joked "I hate her" about the uber-talented 18-year-old world No.6, doubled down in mock horror: "I was right. I hate her!
"Well, Mirra is not the one to talk about it because actually she had opportunity to interview players in our Rome vlog, so she took the camera, and went to talk with someone in the players' restaurant. It was terrible!
"Also, the filming skills were not on point, so she needs to learn."
Then, they were keen to point out that, actually, this knockabout stuff was just the way they communicate with each other.
"You know, we're just giving little s--t to each other all the time, just joking around," said Kasatkina.
"We are very good with each other. We were having ice bath together right now a couple of hours ago after our (third-round) matches."
When it comes to tennis, though, Kasatkina admits there's not much she can teach this soar-away French-based phenom Andreeva.
"The only thing I'm helping her, it's to get on the vlog," Kasatkina said. "Honestly, Mirra, she's a very nice girl and an amazing player. We've been quite good with each other. I can even say that I think we are kind of friends.
"She's super young and super talented, so she will achieve a lot of things."
The two Russian-born players have practised regularly but only played once last October in a final in Ningbo, China, won by Kasatkina in three sets.
"A big drama match," says the Australian, perhaps recalling how she ended up consoling the youngster, who was in floods of tears after letting a 3-0 lead slip in the final set.
So what will she have to do to beat Andreeva?
"I have to run a lot," she said. "Going to be long rallies. Mirra, she's not giving anything for free. You know, to get every point, I'll have to die on court. I'm ready for that."
The war of words has started before their big French Open last-16 match - but with new Australian recruit Daria Kasatkina and her young friend Mirra Andreeva, the trash talk has nothing to do with tennis.
It's all about the pair's 'vlogging' talent with the two of them delighted to wind each other up over their respective skills behind the camera and on the mike when they're working on Kasatkina's popular YouTube channel "What the Vlog".
Giving its viewers an entertaining inside peek at the tennis scene, Kasatkina, who set up the channel with her figure skater girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, has given her fourth-round opponent Andreeva the chance to film the odd item for them too.
And it led to the opponents previewing their Paris clash on Monday with some unflattering banter about their respective media skills.
Asked what she thought of Kasatkina as an interviewer, Andreeva responded amid some laughter: "I think she can improve."
On hearing this, Kasatkina who had already joked "I hate her" about the uber-talented 18-year-old world No.6, doubled down in mock horror: "I was right. I hate her!
"Well, Mirra is not the one to talk about it because actually she had opportunity to interview players in our Rome vlog, so she took the camera, and went to talk with someone in the players' restaurant. It was terrible!
"Also, the filming skills were not on point, so she needs to learn."
Then, they were keen to point out that, actually, this knockabout stuff was just the way they communicate with each other.
"You know, we're just giving little s--t to each other all the time, just joking around," said Kasatkina.
"We are very good with each other. We were having ice bath together right now a couple of hours ago after our (third-round) matches."
When it comes to tennis, though, Kasatkina admits there's not much she can teach this soar-away French-based phenom Andreeva.
"The only thing I'm helping her, it's to get on the vlog," Kasatkina said. "Honestly, Mirra, she's a very nice girl and an amazing player. We've been quite good with each other. I can even say that I think we are kind of friends.
"She's super young and super talented, so she will achieve a lot of things."
The two Russian-born players have practised regularly but only played once last October in a final in Ningbo, China, won by Kasatkina in three sets.
"A big drama match," says the Australian, perhaps recalling how she ended up consoling the youngster, who was in floods of tears after letting a 3-0 lead slip in the final set.
So what will she have to do to beat Andreeva?
"I have to run a lot," she said. "Going to be long rallies. Mirra, she's not giving anything for free. You know, to get every point, I'll have to die on court. I'm ready for that."
The war of words has started before their big French Open last-16 match - but with new Australian recruit Daria Kasatkina and her young friend Mirra Andreeva, the trash talk has nothing to do with tennis.
It's all about the pair's 'vlogging' talent with the two of them delighted to wind each other up over their respective skills behind the camera and on the mike when they're working on Kasatkina's popular YouTube channel "What the Vlog".
Giving its viewers an entertaining inside peek at the tennis scene, Kasatkina, who set up the channel with her figure skater girlfriend Natalia Zabiiako, has given her fourth-round opponent Andreeva the chance to film the odd item for them too.
And it led to the opponents previewing their Paris clash on Monday with some unflattering banter about their respective media skills.
Asked what she thought of Kasatkina as an interviewer, Andreeva responded amid some laughter: "I think she can improve."
On hearing this, Kasatkina who had already joked "I hate her" about the uber-talented 18-year-old world No.6, doubled down in mock horror: "I was right. I hate her!
"Well, Mirra is not the one to talk about it because actually she had opportunity to interview players in our Rome vlog, so she took the camera, and went to talk with someone in the players' restaurant. It was terrible!
"Also, the filming skills were not on point, so she needs to learn."
Then, they were keen to point out that, actually, this knockabout stuff was just the way they communicate with each other.
"You know, we're just giving little s--t to each other all the time, just joking around," said Kasatkina.
"We are very good with each other. We were having ice bath together right now a couple of hours ago after our (third-round) matches."
When it comes to tennis, though, Kasatkina admits there's not much she can teach this soar-away French-based phenom Andreeva.
"The only thing I'm helping her, it's to get on the vlog," Kasatkina said. "Honestly, Mirra, she's a very nice girl and an amazing player. We've been quite good with each other. I can even say that I think we are kind of friends.
"She's super young and super talented, so she will achieve a lot of things."
The two Russian-born players have practised regularly but only played once last October in a final in Ningbo, China, won by Kasatkina in three sets.
"A big drama match," says the Australian, perhaps recalling how she ended up consoling the youngster, who was in floods of tears after letting a 3-0 lead slip in the final set.
So what will she have to do to beat Andreeva?
"I have to run a lot," she said. "Going to be long rallies. Mirra, she's not giving anything for free. You know, to get every point, I'll have to die on court. I'm ready for that."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
35 minutes ago
- West Australian
Flickerfest returns to Kununurra with Aussie film gems
Australia's leading short film festival, Flickerfest, is set to dazzle the East Kimberley again with a one-night-only screening of the Best of Australian Shorts on Saturday, at Kununurra Picture Gardens. Kununurra's screening will feature a curated selection of stand-out films from across Australia including local production Farm Block A67, co-directed by Yawuru filmmaker from the Kimberley, Jason Haji-Ali. Other highlights include Marcia And The Shark, winner of the Panasonic Award for best Australian short film, starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey; the animated short The Fix-It-Man And The Fix-It-Wooman, created by artists from the Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp, Alice Springs and The Dog , featuring Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy). There is also the comedic short The Hoist about an outrageous true story. Now in its 34th year, Flickerfest continues to showcase the best in Australian short filmmaking, curating a collection of bold, original, and thought-provoking stories from both emerging and established filmmakers. This year's program was selected from more than 3500 submissions and was first shown to audiences in Bondi, Sydney in January. Flickerfest will be shown in Kununurra for one night only on Saturday, June 7 at 6pm. Tickets are available at the gate, and audiences are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the atmosphere and secure a good spot.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
'Yes, mate' - Kasatkina happy in Aussie spearhead role
Daria Kasatkina has made a big impression in her first grand slam as an adopted Aussie, both on and off the court at Roland Garros. She charmed the Aussie press at the French Open, called everyone "mate", proved open, fascinating and refreshingly honest when expounding on all things tennis and delivered her best performance of the season on her favourite clay courts as she made the last-16 and enjoyed being the last Australian standing. And if her eventual exit to teen comet Mirra Andreeva proved a step too far, reminding this brilliant 11-year professional that, at 28, it's hard to keep the young tyros at bay, her new allegiance to Australia has put a new spring in her step. Asked whether she felt she was now in the key years if she's to deliver one of the big prizes, Kasatkina insisted: "Well, you never know. We see a lot of examples where players they're peaking at the later stages of their careers. It's not a rare thing any more. "Careers are becoming much longer than before, the players more athletic. There is much more focus on recovery, building your body, recovering well, all this sort of stuff that prolongs your career. "I cannot expect from myself more than what I'm already doing, because I'm trying to squeeze everything I've got in my potential. If it's meant to be, very good. And if I'm giving 100 per cent every single day, I just cannot ask for more. I have to be fair with myself. I have to give a credit for myself." Could she get back in the top-10, closing in on her best position of sixth? "I've been in top-10 a few times, so I know this feeling. I know more or less what you need to be there. In my case, it's to be super consistent mentally and physically every single week, which is not easy, honestly, because I mean, we have a lot of tournaments in different countries. "The jet lag, just everything. Sometimes you just wake up and you don't feel the ball. Sometimes you wake up sick. Life happens!" she shrugged. "But at the end, I think it's important to stay always positive, when you are losing a couple of matches and then you feel that you are so bad. "It's very easy to get in the hole and very difficult to get out of it, so it's important to always stay on this right path and work hard." The standard of the women's game has rocketed, she believes. "Tennis is so physical. You know, everyone is athletic. There's no holes in the games of the girls, so it's tough. "And also, I mean, look at me. I'm not like an unbelievable physical girl, so I have to go out there and work every single day, try to be mentally there because for me, if I'm mentally dropping my level like five percent, I'm already not as competitive as I should be. "So it's tough, but this is part of the game, and my strength is to be consistent - and this is what I'm trying to do. Her next stop will be the grass-court season where she's had notable successes, winning in Eastbourne last year and having reached a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018. And like her evident enjoyment at thriving again in Paris, she looks forward to Wimbledon with special affection as the years continue to roll by. "This is what I'm trying to enjoy. Because with the years, you're realising that it's not forever. When you're younger, you think it's always probably there, but with the years, it's unfortunately not." But with Aussies at her back, she smiles: "Yes, mate. I'm honestly enjoying it, I'm already getting used to it..." Daria Kasatkina has made a big impression in her first grand slam as an adopted Aussie, both on and off the court at Roland Garros. She charmed the Aussie press at the French Open, called everyone "mate", proved open, fascinating and refreshingly honest when expounding on all things tennis and delivered her best performance of the season on her favourite clay courts as she made the last-16 and enjoyed being the last Australian standing. And if her eventual exit to teen comet Mirra Andreeva proved a step too far, reminding this brilliant 11-year professional that, at 28, it's hard to keep the young tyros at bay, her new allegiance to Australia has put a new spring in her step. Asked whether she felt she was now in the key years if she's to deliver one of the big prizes, Kasatkina insisted: "Well, you never know. We see a lot of examples where players they're peaking at the later stages of their careers. It's not a rare thing any more. "Careers are becoming much longer than before, the players more athletic. There is much more focus on recovery, building your body, recovering well, all this sort of stuff that prolongs your career. "I cannot expect from myself more than what I'm already doing, because I'm trying to squeeze everything I've got in my potential. If it's meant to be, very good. And if I'm giving 100 per cent every single day, I just cannot ask for more. I have to be fair with myself. I have to give a credit for myself." Could she get back in the top-10, closing in on her best position of sixth? "I've been in top-10 a few times, so I know this feeling. I know more or less what you need to be there. In my case, it's to be super consistent mentally and physically every single week, which is not easy, honestly, because I mean, we have a lot of tournaments in different countries. "The jet lag, just everything. Sometimes you just wake up and you don't feel the ball. Sometimes you wake up sick. Life happens!" she shrugged. "But at the end, I think it's important to stay always positive, when you are losing a couple of matches and then you feel that you are so bad. "It's very easy to get in the hole and very difficult to get out of it, so it's important to always stay on this right path and work hard." The standard of the women's game has rocketed, she believes. "Tennis is so physical. You know, everyone is athletic. There's no holes in the games of the girls, so it's tough. "And also, I mean, look at me. I'm not like an unbelievable physical girl, so I have to go out there and work every single day, try to be mentally there because for me, if I'm mentally dropping my level like five percent, I'm already not as competitive as I should be. "So it's tough, but this is part of the game, and my strength is to be consistent - and this is what I'm trying to do. Her next stop will be the grass-court season where she's had notable successes, winning in Eastbourne last year and having reached a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018. And like her evident enjoyment at thriving again in Paris, she looks forward to Wimbledon with special affection as the years continue to roll by. "This is what I'm trying to enjoy. Because with the years, you're realising that it's not forever. When you're younger, you think it's always probably there, but with the years, it's unfortunately not." But with Aussies at her back, she smiles: "Yes, mate. I'm honestly enjoying it, I'm already getting used to it..." Daria Kasatkina has made a big impression in her first grand slam as an adopted Aussie, both on and off the court at Roland Garros. She charmed the Aussie press at the French Open, called everyone "mate", proved open, fascinating and refreshingly honest when expounding on all things tennis and delivered her best performance of the season on her favourite clay courts as she made the last-16 and enjoyed being the last Australian standing. And if her eventual exit to teen comet Mirra Andreeva proved a step too far, reminding this brilliant 11-year professional that, at 28, it's hard to keep the young tyros at bay, her new allegiance to Australia has put a new spring in her step. Asked whether she felt she was now in the key years if she's to deliver one of the big prizes, Kasatkina insisted: "Well, you never know. We see a lot of examples where players they're peaking at the later stages of their careers. It's not a rare thing any more. "Careers are becoming much longer than before, the players more athletic. There is much more focus on recovery, building your body, recovering well, all this sort of stuff that prolongs your career. "I cannot expect from myself more than what I'm already doing, because I'm trying to squeeze everything I've got in my potential. If it's meant to be, very good. And if I'm giving 100 per cent every single day, I just cannot ask for more. I have to be fair with myself. I have to give a credit for myself." Could she get back in the top-10, closing in on her best position of sixth? "I've been in top-10 a few times, so I know this feeling. I know more or less what you need to be there. In my case, it's to be super consistent mentally and physically every single week, which is not easy, honestly, because I mean, we have a lot of tournaments in different countries. "The jet lag, just everything. Sometimes you just wake up and you don't feel the ball. Sometimes you wake up sick. Life happens!" she shrugged. "But at the end, I think it's important to stay always positive, when you are losing a couple of matches and then you feel that you are so bad. "It's very easy to get in the hole and very difficult to get out of it, so it's important to always stay on this right path and work hard." The standard of the women's game has rocketed, she believes. "Tennis is so physical. You know, everyone is athletic. There's no holes in the games of the girls, so it's tough. "And also, I mean, look at me. I'm not like an unbelievable physical girl, so I have to go out there and work every single day, try to be mentally there because for me, if I'm mentally dropping my level like five percent, I'm already not as competitive as I should be. "So it's tough, but this is part of the game, and my strength is to be consistent - and this is what I'm trying to do. Her next stop will be the grass-court season where she's had notable successes, winning in Eastbourne last year and having reached a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018. And like her evident enjoyment at thriving again in Paris, she looks forward to Wimbledon with special affection as the years continue to roll by. "This is what I'm trying to enjoy. Because with the years, you're realising that it's not forever. When you're younger, you think it's always probably there, but with the years, it's unfortunately not." But with Aussies at her back, she smiles: "Yes, mate. I'm honestly enjoying it, I'm already getting used to it..." Daria Kasatkina has made a big impression in her first grand slam as an adopted Aussie, both on and off the court at Roland Garros. She charmed the Aussie press at the French Open, called everyone "mate", proved open, fascinating and refreshingly honest when expounding on all things tennis and delivered her best performance of the season on her favourite clay courts as she made the last-16 and enjoyed being the last Australian standing. And if her eventual exit to teen comet Mirra Andreeva proved a step too far, reminding this brilliant 11-year professional that, at 28, it's hard to keep the young tyros at bay, her new allegiance to Australia has put a new spring in her step. Asked whether she felt she was now in the key years if she's to deliver one of the big prizes, Kasatkina insisted: "Well, you never know. We see a lot of examples where players they're peaking at the later stages of their careers. It's not a rare thing any more. "Careers are becoming much longer than before, the players more athletic. There is much more focus on recovery, building your body, recovering well, all this sort of stuff that prolongs your career. "I cannot expect from myself more than what I'm already doing, because I'm trying to squeeze everything I've got in my potential. If it's meant to be, very good. And if I'm giving 100 per cent every single day, I just cannot ask for more. I have to be fair with myself. I have to give a credit for myself." Could she get back in the top-10, closing in on her best position of sixth? "I've been in top-10 a few times, so I know this feeling. I know more or less what you need to be there. In my case, it's to be super consistent mentally and physically every single week, which is not easy, honestly, because I mean, we have a lot of tournaments in different countries. "The jet lag, just everything. Sometimes you just wake up and you don't feel the ball. Sometimes you wake up sick. Life happens!" she shrugged. "But at the end, I think it's important to stay always positive, when you are losing a couple of matches and then you feel that you are so bad. "It's very easy to get in the hole and very difficult to get out of it, so it's important to always stay on this right path and work hard." The standard of the women's game has rocketed, she believes. "Tennis is so physical. You know, everyone is athletic. There's no holes in the games of the girls, so it's tough. "And also, I mean, look at me. I'm not like an unbelievable physical girl, so I have to go out there and work every single day, try to be mentally there because for me, if I'm mentally dropping my level like five percent, I'm already not as competitive as I should be. "So it's tough, but this is part of the game, and my strength is to be consistent - and this is what I'm trying to do. Her next stop will be the grass-court season where she's had notable successes, winning in Eastbourne last year and having reached a Wimbledon quarter-final in 2018. And like her evident enjoyment at thriving again in Paris, she looks forward to Wimbledon with special affection as the years continue to roll by. "This is what I'm trying to enjoy. Because with the years, you're realising that it's not forever. When you're younger, you think it's always probably there, but with the years, it's unfortunately not." But with Aussies at her back, she smiles: "Yes, mate. I'm honestly enjoying it, I'm already getting used to it..."
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
CA boss Greenberg's vow to protect Aussie Test summer
New Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg has vowed to protect the sanctity of the Test summer, adamant it must be safeguarded during a time of debate about the global calendar. Officials were expecting the biggest pre-sale event in Australia since Taylor Swift's Eras tour when tickets for this summer's matches became available on Tuesday. That interest is buoyed by an Ashes series headlined by the arrival of England's Bazball mentality, along with Australia's white-ball matches against crowd-pullers India. But Greenberg is well aware the success of the red-ball game in Australia, India and England is at odds with most of the world, and this summer comes at a critical time for the sport. The World Cricketers' Association this year presented the ICC with a proposed model for the sport's future, recommending ways to protect the international game. Included in it were recommendations for four 21-day international windows with no franchise T20 cricket taking place from 2028, in a model similar to world football. Windows would also be scheduled for ICC events, while other international cricket outside those periods would remain in direct competition with lucrative T20 leagues. This Australian men's home international schedule runs from August to January, while a minimum six-week window is realistically always required to fit in the five home Tests. "We've got to protect what's sacrosanct to Australians, which is pretty obviously the Test match summer period," Greenberg told AAP. "We've enjoyed that over a period of time and it is getting stronger and stronger. "You have to make sure that you have a protection view of what your revenue drivers are. "And unashamedly, men's red-ball cricket is a significant revenue driver for our partners, for both our broadcasters and also through ticket sales." Greenberg, who moved from players' union boss to Cricket Australia CEO in March, takes an open-minded approach to any global discussions. Cricket Australia has a broadcast deal in place until 2031, while the global calendar is so far only locked in until March 2027. It's unlikely any introduction of windows would impact marquee series like the Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the wealth of the big-three nations. But it is unclear what impact it could potentially have on player availability for other nations outside of the international widows, and if it would give franchises more power. "You absolutely try to maximise those rivalries, whether it's against India or against England in the Ashes this year," Greenberg said. "But also we want to bring other countries to the mix. "We want to make sure that New Zealand and Pakistan and South Africa have opportunities to play against us both here and away. "That's part of the challenge of making sure you find a calendar that can accommodate all those things. "It is a very delicate balancing exercise, trying to make sure that you get that part of the system right." Australia's five Tests against India last summer broke records for average daily attendances. Registrations for the June 3-13 pre-sale window for the summer are already significantly up on last year, with Greenberg ready to use Bazball as an Ashes marketing tool. "We're in the business of entertainment. So we'd be crazy not to market that," Greenberg said. "We've had twice as many individuals register for the pre-sale than we had for this time last year. "That gives you some indication about how big I think the Ashes will be this year for the five Tests." New Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg has vowed to protect the sanctity of the Test summer, adamant it must be safeguarded during a time of debate about the global calendar. Officials were expecting the biggest pre-sale event in Australia since Taylor Swift's Eras tour when tickets for this summer's matches became available on Tuesday. That interest is buoyed by an Ashes series headlined by the arrival of England's Bazball mentality, along with Australia's white-ball matches against crowd-pullers India. But Greenberg is well aware the success of the red-ball game in Australia, India and England is at odds with most of the world, and this summer comes at a critical time for the sport. The World Cricketers' Association this year presented the ICC with a proposed model for the sport's future, recommending ways to protect the international game. Included in it were recommendations for four 21-day international windows with no franchise T20 cricket taking place from 2028, in a model similar to world football. Windows would also be scheduled for ICC events, while other international cricket outside those periods would remain in direct competition with lucrative T20 leagues. This Australian men's home international schedule runs from August to January, while a minimum six-week window is realistically always required to fit in the five home Tests. "We've got to protect what's sacrosanct to Australians, which is pretty obviously the Test match summer period," Greenberg told AAP. "We've enjoyed that over a period of time and it is getting stronger and stronger. "You have to make sure that you have a protection view of what your revenue drivers are. "And unashamedly, men's red-ball cricket is a significant revenue driver for our partners, for both our broadcasters and also through ticket sales." Greenberg, who moved from players' union boss to Cricket Australia CEO in March, takes an open-minded approach to any global discussions. Cricket Australia has a broadcast deal in place until 2031, while the global calendar is so far only locked in until March 2027. It's unlikely any introduction of windows would impact marquee series like the Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the wealth of the big-three nations. But it is unclear what impact it could potentially have on player availability for other nations outside of the international widows, and if it would give franchises more power. "You absolutely try to maximise those rivalries, whether it's against India or against England in the Ashes this year," Greenberg said. "But also we want to bring other countries to the mix. "We want to make sure that New Zealand and Pakistan and South Africa have opportunities to play against us both here and away. "That's part of the challenge of making sure you find a calendar that can accommodate all those things. "It is a very delicate balancing exercise, trying to make sure that you get that part of the system right." Australia's five Tests against India last summer broke records for average daily attendances. Registrations for the June 3-13 pre-sale window for the summer are already significantly up on last year, with Greenberg ready to use Bazball as an Ashes marketing tool. "We're in the business of entertainment. So we'd be crazy not to market that," Greenberg said. "We've had twice as many individuals register for the pre-sale than we had for this time last year. "That gives you some indication about how big I think the Ashes will be this year for the five Tests." New Cricket Australia boss Todd Greenberg has vowed to protect the sanctity of the Test summer, adamant it must be safeguarded during a time of debate about the global calendar. Officials were expecting the biggest pre-sale event in Australia since Taylor Swift's Eras tour when tickets for this summer's matches became available on Tuesday. That interest is buoyed by an Ashes series headlined by the arrival of England's Bazball mentality, along with Australia's white-ball matches against crowd-pullers India. But Greenberg is well aware the success of the red-ball game in Australia, India and England is at odds with most of the world, and this summer comes at a critical time for the sport. The World Cricketers' Association this year presented the ICC with a proposed model for the sport's future, recommending ways to protect the international game. Included in it were recommendations for four 21-day international windows with no franchise T20 cricket taking place from 2028, in a model similar to world football. Windows would also be scheduled for ICC events, while other international cricket outside those periods would remain in direct competition with lucrative T20 leagues. This Australian men's home international schedule runs from August to January, while a minimum six-week window is realistically always required to fit in the five home Tests. "We've got to protect what's sacrosanct to Australians, which is pretty obviously the Test match summer period," Greenberg told AAP. "We've enjoyed that over a period of time and it is getting stronger and stronger. "You have to make sure that you have a protection view of what your revenue drivers are. "And unashamedly, men's red-ball cricket is a significant revenue driver for our partners, for both our broadcasters and also through ticket sales." Greenberg, who moved from players' union boss to Cricket Australia CEO in March, takes an open-minded approach to any global discussions. Cricket Australia has a broadcast deal in place until 2031, while the global calendar is so far only locked in until March 2027. It's unlikely any introduction of windows would impact marquee series like the Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the wealth of the big-three nations. But it is unclear what impact it could potentially have on player availability for other nations outside of the international widows, and if it would give franchises more power. "You absolutely try to maximise those rivalries, whether it's against India or against England in the Ashes this year," Greenberg said. "But also we want to bring other countries to the mix. "We want to make sure that New Zealand and Pakistan and South Africa have opportunities to play against us both here and away. "That's part of the challenge of making sure you find a calendar that can accommodate all those things. "It is a very delicate balancing exercise, trying to make sure that you get that part of the system right." Australia's five Tests against India last summer broke records for average daily attendances. Registrations for the June 3-13 pre-sale window for the summer are already significantly up on last year, with Greenberg ready to use Bazball as an Ashes marketing tool. "We're in the business of entertainment. So we'd be crazy not to market that," Greenberg said. "We've had twice as many individuals register for the pre-sale than we had for this time last year. "That gives you some indication about how big I think the Ashes will be this year for the five Tests."
