England's Andrew Strauss, 2nd left, drives a ball from Australia's Nathan Hauritz, obscured at right behind umpire, during the first day of the second Ashes Test cricket match at Lord's cricket ground, London, Thursday July 16, 2009. Hauritz dislocated the middle finger of his right hand, as he missed a difficult chance to take the wicket on England's Andrew Strauss. AP Photo/Tom Hevezi
The prognosis about the death of Test cricket is exaggerated and premature. But the passion for a five-day game is losing its spectator appeal in competition with the shorter three or eight hour versions.
Still, The Ashes draws big crowds and so do Test series’ involving Australia, India and South Africa. It’s the way tours are planned and the way meaningless matches are inserted in between Tests that is robbing the game of interest.
There is just too much limited-overs cricket.
I used to count the days before a Test would commence. Now I tend to forget who played the Adelaide Test in 2006.
Look at the tremendous interest that the 2009 Ashes in England evoked before and during the matches. The final Test at The Oval should have been left as the climax.
But no!
Soon after, there were seven one-dayers between England and Australia. The latter led 4-0, which made the next three ODIs ho-hum.
“Who cares?”, was the general attitude.
Then there were the Champions Trophy in South Africa and the Champions League in India, before one could say Venkataraghavan Sivaramakrishna.
Let’s face it, foreplay should come before the orgasm. But it was the other way around this season and most seasons in recent memory.
The organisers think that Test matches are the appetizers for the real thing: ODIs and Twenty20s. In my opinion, this is wrong.
It reminds me of movies these days. In the past, they ended with The End, and everyone went home thinking of the plot and the drama.
Not now.
After an exciting movie, the entire cast is shown, with the names of not only the stars, director, producer, photographer, and musical programmer, but also of every extra actor, every location … It lasts for some ten minutes of tedium as the names go up the screen ad-nauseum, spoiling the impact of the production.
The seven ODIs in England following the 2009 Oval Test were just like that.
Three or five ODIs (not seven) should have been played before the Ashes Tests as an entrée, but not after the Tests as a post-mortem.
It should have been aborted once Australia led 4-0 in the “when-will-it-stop” seven-match series.
Test cricket is not dying, but first-class cricket is.
The Sheffield Shield has long been lauded as the world’s toughest cricket competition, but how many go to watch it? A few decades ago, a crowd of 10,000 on a Saturday was the norm.
Now, barely a hundred faithfuls turn up to watch Shield cricket.
How will a rocket reach the moon if the launching pad is shaky?
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Brett McKay said | October 23rd 2009 @ 7:39am | Report comment
Sivaramakrishna – there’s a name from the past!! Didn’t he have some talent (until he disappeared five minutes later)
Kersi, it’s a delicate balance, for sure. Test cricket looks rock solid in Australia, England, and probably South Africa too, but elsewhere struggles to draw a crowd. 20 and 50 over cricket is king in India, and generally speaking, pays the cricket world’s bills.
The answer for all formats has to lie is smarter scheduling, and meaningful contests. There should never ever be another stand-alone 7 game ODI series. Never ever. There shouldn’t be ODI-only tours, like we’re about to see in India. Scrap international T20 cricket completely, and leave that format to the domestic and franchise leagues. Get rid of the Champions Trophy every two years. Shorten the overall length of the World Cup (2 months?!!?) Smarter scheduling..
Of course cricketing nations will then want to protect their patch though, and already this morning I’ve read that Aus, Eng, SA, and Ind have agreed to play each other more regularly. Which is fine for them, but what about the other 4.5 Test nations?? I can see this creating as many problems as the Future Tours Program…
Ian Whitchurch said | October 23rd 2009 @ 7:45am | Report comment
First class cricket, just like club cricket, is now purely a nursery or feeder competition. Its been overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of reasonable-to-good cricket fans now have access to, and that is just the way of the world. That said, if the idea of Provincial-level sides competing against each other in games funded by Indian pay TV/gambling interests keeps going, then we might see a revival in first-class cricket.
Personally, I treated the ODI series after the Ashes just like I treat the credits of a movie – I upped and left as they were being shown. Heck, I can hardly pay attention when my team is playing ODIs
An indication of the contempt that everyone shows First Class cricket nowadays is the alleged Australian tour of England and Scotland. I say alleged, because while Australia did play a full slate of Tests in England, they played a single solitary one day game in Scotland. No opportunity at all for the Scots to play against fringe players, or for touring players to establish some form, or fringe players to get some experience in different conditions or make an argument for selection.
That said, I think many players are playing too much cricket, but thats an argument for bigger touring squads and more rotation of players (as a side note, England sent simultaneous MCC teams to the West Indies and New Zealand in 1929-30).
As far as the general health of test cricket, part of it is just that we’re in a down period for superstars right now – the Old Guard of Tendulkar, Lara, Warne, McGrath, Shoaib and so on are gone, and the new superstars have not established themselves.
But even with all that said, I am eagerly awaiting the start of play at Chittagong on the 12th of March – yes, it will be a weakened England side, but no-one cut us any slack when we lost half the first team to the ICL, and I’ll take my wins where I can get them (even at full strength, it’s still a weaker England team than the one that toured in ’03, and apart from Masrafee, theres two members of the ’03 side I’d give a run in the Tigers first XI today). Its going to be ten days that determine Bangladesh’s future in Test Cricket, and I think all the Tigers at least know the stakes we’re playing for.
Test Cricket. It’s meant to be hard.
And right now, I’m backing the Tigers to take the series against England 1-0
sheek said | October 23rd 2009 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Of course,
It was okay for England to send simultaneous touring teams in 1929-30 & acknowledge the internationals on both tours as tests (Windies’ second only test series; NZ’s first ever).
Yet great internationals by England & australia against the World (1970 & 71/72), WSC (77-79) & Commonwealth tours of india in late 40s & early 50s are ignored of test status.
Also the 19 internationals played by South Africa against rebel teams 1981-89.
Just one of my bugbears. But better now…..
Kersi Meher-Homji said | October 23rd 2009 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Brett,
Perceptive as usual.
BTW, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan played nine Tests (1982-85) as a spinner and took 26 wickets at 44.03. Best Test figures 6-64. He is now a cricket commentator.
Ian,
Interesting observations. But surely you jest when you say Tigers will beat England.
And hey, Tendulkar is not retired yet! He wants to score 15,000 runs in Tests and play in the 2011 World Cup. And Shoaib, the show pony, will bowl a beamer at you for saying that he is gone. I agree though that Shoaib should go.
Brett McKay said | October 23rd 2009 @ 1:41pm | Report comment
Kersi, I was about 8 or so when Sivaramakrishnan first came to Australia, and I recall him taking an absolute bagful in a one-day in Melbourne. And I think at the time Sivaramakrishnan was the only name of Indian extraction that I could pronounce properly, so he stuck in my mind. And I did know he was a commentator too, as I recall thinking he was that guy who took those wickets in Melbourne…
Ian Whitchurch said | October 23rd 2009 @ 9:21am | Report comment
Kersi,
Nope. It’s at home, England dont have a spinner, the Tigers have had plenty of recent practice learning how to win, and England have three one dayers and one three dayer to get used to the conditions.
That, and the fact that England will be missing some stars, and have other regulars who dont want to be there.
I’ll probably write up something closer to the date, but what odds will you give me on a Tigers series victory ?
Ian Whitchurch said | October 23rd 2009 @ 9:53am | Report comment
.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | October 23rd 2009 @ 10:06am | Report comment
Ian,
Not being a betting man, I can’t give you odds! But on paper, the Ashes holders should beat the courageous Tigers in Tests. ODI is a different issue as upsets do happen. I shall be pleased but surprised if Bangladesh Tigers overcome the English Lions, despite home advantage for the Bangladeshis.
And isn’t Graeme Swann a quality spinner?
I look forward to your write up on the Lion-Tiger growling tussle come March 2010.
Ian Whitchurch said | October 23rd 2009 @ 9:42pm | Report comment
Kersi,
No Graeme Swann is not a quality spinner. Heck, I wouldnt pick him ahead of Enamul, and he cant get a look in with the Tigers (mind you, I’d also pick Enamul ahead of any of the current Australian excuses for slow bowlers).
I tell you, we’ll do England. They have a tour with not enough first class games to prepare, will be tired, many of them dont want to be there – but the big thing is this, frankly, is a crap English side with Freddy Flintoff and Andrew Strauss in it, and they arent planning on showing up.
sheek said | October 23rd 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
Kersi,
Like you I used to count the days to the next test match. Also like you, I can’t remember anymore what happened in 2006.
Back in say the 80s, there were less tests more evenly spaced apart. You had the time & opportunity to savour what had happened in the previous test before the next one came along.
Today there is too much of all forms of cricket, & the memory bank can’t cope anymore.
Test cricket was destroyed by administrators who turned it into an everyday t-shirt, instead of preserving it as a valuable silk shirt to only be worn on special occassions.
Regrettably test cricket is dying, & even more regrettably, players & administrators no longer have the will or perhaps desire to fight for its retention.
The simple answer is money. Too much money in T20 cricket. Why play any other form when there is a fortune to be made out of T20, playing for just a couple of hours?
When test cricket goes, so will Sheffield Shield, because its principle cause for existence was as a final finishing school for future test players.
prowling panther said | October 23rd 2009 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
There is just too much limited-overs cricket
Thats cricket’s problems in a nutshell. Personally I think they should reduce the number of 50 over games and explore 3 or 5 match T20 series. T20 is the future of the game because it is an entertainment package around as long as football.
Test cricket is the heart of the game.. I hope they don’t get to day night games…
Less cricket and people will put more value on the games that are played. FGS Australia are playing a SEVEN match series in India before the Aussie summer…
Re: the order of playing games….I don’t mind test cricket first then limited overs for a tour. It certainly works for the Aussie summer. Its like cricket letting its hair down after the serious work of Test cricket (provided limited overs series are not too long like in England)
sheek said | October 23rd 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
The last great tour, if not one of the last great tours, was West Indies to Australia 1975-76. The two major sponsors as I recall were Benson & Hedges (yep, a tobacco company) & Brut 33 ( men’s deodorant). The Windies even did a jingle for the brut commercial.
The tour involved 6 tests (Melbourne 3 & 6, Brisbane 1, Perth 2, Sydney 4 & Adelaide 5), & first class matches against all 6 states, plus extra matches against South Australia & Tasmania. One day matches were played against WA Country, SA Country, Vic Country, ACT, Southern NSW Country, Northern NSW Country & Qld Country.
There was just one limited overs international between Australiai& Windies. It was an awesome tour, but little did we realise this was a pasing age. Commericalism was coming into the game in a big way. More playing & touring time was required of the players, but they weren’t being recompensed.
This is why World Series Cricket happened. By the time peace had been declared between WSC & the major cricket associations/boards, the way cricket was played had changed forever. Some of the post WSC changes were for the better, some for the worse.
Sometimes a new idea is beneficial (like limited overs cricket) but then the carpet-baggers get hold of it, & basically destroy its original good intentions.
The rampant rush for the commercial dollar/pound, etc, has probably been a less savoury part of those changes.
I should clarify, 1975-76 was one of the last great tours before numerous one-day international matches became part of the itinerary.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | October 23rd 2009 @ 1:29pm | Report comment
Sheek,
I agree 75-76 was a great tour. Then came the thrilling centenary Test, Packer supertests and India in Australia in 77-78. All provided marvellous cricketing spectacles but the professional era had started. Money is important and cricketers got what they deserved. But there is a difference between money being important and money being ALL important. Sadly, these days we have reached money being ALL important phase.