Why Australian stars like Ian Healy are praising Bluey’s cricket delivery – and even swallowing their tears – after it surpassed the Aussies who won the World Test Championship
- Bluey episode called ‘cricket’ has stolen the hearts of many fans
- Shows character Rusty’s rise from backyard cricket to stardom
- Test celebrity Ian Healy felt it was a throwback to simpler times
- Commentators Andy Maher & Trent Copeland also made an impression
A number of Aussie cricket identities – including decorated wicketkeeper Ian Healy – can’t get enough of the animated series Bluey after the popular children’s show paid homage to the sport in a recent episode.
The episode in question was a ratings hit – it had more viewers than Pat Cummins’ team that won the World Test Championship against India on Sunday night.
Healy, who played 119 Tests for Australia, felt the Brisbane-produced show is a throwback to simpler times.
“We think we’re busier than ever, backyards are smaller than they were and if we just go to the park now there could be safety issues,” he shared News Corp.
“At a time when the game is trying to get cricket into more schools, it’s good to see this episode come out. I like Bluey – just the simple strong messages. You sit down to watch one episode and end up watching three or four.”
A number of Aussie cricket stars – including decorated wicketkeeper Ian Healy (pictured) – can’t get enough of the animated series Bluey after the popular children’s show paid homage to the sport
The seven-minute episode showed Rusty’s sporting journey from the backyard to Test cricket
The Bluey episode (563,000) had more views than Australia’s World Test Championship victory over India (524,000) on Sunday night
Former opening batsman Ed Cowan reportedly choked to tears while watching the episode, with ex-Aussie paceman turned media personality Trent Copeland tweet ‘how good’ after sitting back and enjoying the show.
Commentator Andy Maher found the series three episode to be a “thing of beauty”, with The Grade Cricketer co-presenter Sam Perry stating that the details were “perfect” from start to finish.
In the episode of Bluey, simply titled “Cricket,” viewers meet Rusty, whose passion for cricket rivals Steve Smith.
He is seen playing the sport at any free time, be it with his brothers in the backyard, with other friends in the park, and even alone, hitting a tennis ball against the wall and trying to knock over a single tree stump .
As if that wasn’t devoted enough, the cricketing tragedy also sleeps with a cricket bat next to his bed.
Rusty’s talent – which begins in the backyard, as it does with so many of the game’s stars – eventually pays off, with one of the final scenes showing the batsman walking onto Brisbane’s famous Gabba pitch to represent Australia.
And given that the Bluey episode (563,000 views) had more eyes on the screen than the victory over India (524,000) at the Oval, cricket may yet explode in the US, where the show is a huge hit.