There it was in today’s Daily Telegraph, the bold headline above three living legends of West Indies and world cricket, “West Indies Legends: T20 is Killing Cricket”.
Those three legends in question were Sir Viv Richards, Michael Holding and Joel Garner.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t an accompanying paragraph in which the famous three said: “Sheek of The Roar alerted us to this problem and we concur fully with his point of view”.
You see, you don’t need to be an Einstein to figure out that T20 is killing cricket, specifically Test cricket. The evidence is plainly there for all to see. However, it appears to be a common human trait that we often allow ourselves to see only that which we wish to see.
Some fellow Roarers believe I hate T20 cricket, but this is not the situation at all. I’m not a vindictive person and while I dislike many things, there are few things I actually hate.
Hate is a corrosive emotion and one any person should attempt to purge from their existence. I see T20 cricket as ultimately destroying Test cricket, but I don’t hate T20.
How can I? It’s an inanimate object.
Anyway, let’s read what the three Windies legends had to say.
Holding: “I have been on committees at ICC level, and West Indies Cricket Board level, and my problem with most of those committees is that you don’t have enough people with balls on them.”
“You don’t have enough of that in world cricket. I have nothing good to say about Twenty20 cricket.
“You should not be playing international Twenty20s. It should remain as domestic tournaments.
“It’s big money for the players, and I must tell you if I was playing today I would want to play because if someone’s giving me $1 million for six weeks I ain’t going to say no. I don’t blame the cricketers, I blame the administrators. It is like a family, the parents are supposed to be leading the way.
“The administrators who run the game are a waste of time, and they’re allowing Twenty20 cricket to basically destroy world cricket.”
Garner: “They’re the ones who are giving the windows and making the time available to slot Twenty20 competitions in.”
Richards: “The ICC, maybe because of the Indian influence, you have found a lack of leadership where these matters are concerned.
“I just want balance, and if you have balance you will have a much better ratio of individuals wanting to represent their countries.”
The three legends went on to add that India had too much say in how international cricket was structured as well as the various forms. They cautioned against any one country dominating the cricket agenda, and urged the other Test playing nations to stand up to India.
What amazes me is how people fail to appreciate the enormous effect T20 is having on traditional forms of cricket, specifically Test cricket and comps like the Sheffield Shield.
Firstly, it is so easy to make so much money from T20, the motivation to aspire to Test cricket will become less and less.
If you’re a player of moderate ability making a fortune from T20, where is the incentive to develop your skills for Test cricket?
Secondly, T20 is breeding a type of cricketer whose skills will become further and further removed from those skills required for Test cricket. As this occurrence increases, the standard required of Test cricket players will fall, followed by a natural decline in interest for that form of cricket.
This is already happening. Only slowly at present, but the signs are there. Batsmen who lack the patience or the technique to build an innings. They will become fewer.
Bowlers who lack the patience or technique to bowl to a plan and a specific line and length, gradually enticing the batsman to play a false stroke. They will become fewer and fewer.
Spin bowlers are dying out. They are surplus to requirements of shorter forms of the game. Proponents of T20 will argue that teams often begin their overs with their spinners. That’s fine, we can continue to use them until there are no more!
Everything said about players, quadruple that for administrators and curators.
You don’t need to be a smart administrator to make money from T20. Just bung on a comp and watch the money pour in. When it is so easy to make money from T20, would you bother with Test cricket?
And curators don’t need to apply themselves to the ancient art of preparing pitches that have something for everyone anymore. Heck, a bit of a trim here, or a bit of watering there. Who’s going to know or care how the pitch is playing when the game’s all over in 3-4 hours?
Have we mentioned the structure of the season yet? Where’s the 2-4 Sheffield Shield games to hone players’ skills before the first Test of the season? Simply can’t squeeze them in, old boy.
You see, there’s a money-making T20 comp somewhere in the world requiring the participation of Australian cricketers as well as cricketers from other countries.
If you lose the opportunity to practice the skills required for a particular form of the game, then eventually you’ll lose the skills to effectively play that form of the game.
Imagine if all the leading Wallabies were playing in 7s tournaments instead of Super Rugby or premier club rugby? Those already poor skills they’re exhibiting in the set pieces would become even worse!
It’s not rocket science, folks. Just join the dots. The damning evidence is there. T20 is fine as an introduction for young kids and teenagers. Even as a form of cricket for grade, shire and country comps.
But there should be no T20 cricket at senior rep level, either domestic or international. To suggest otherwise is to eventually ensure the extinction of Test cricket.
The ICC has to decide, “take the cake home or eat it now”.
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