The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Test cricket selling out is not in the game's best interests

Roar Guru
30th November, 2015
Advertisement
The pink ball should be the new universal standard in cricket. (AAP Image/James Elsby)
Roar Guru
30th November, 2015
47

The long anticipated Adelaide Test has come and gone, and now for the first time in cricket history, we can reflect on a non-red-ball Test match.

Before the Test you fell into three categories: those willing to move with the times and accept the pink ball (we can call these people ‘the sell outs’), those who preferred to keep the red ball and day Test cricket (‘the traditionalists’), and those who weren’t sure (‘the fence sitters’).

The sell outs claim that exposure to the masses is the way forward for cricket. The sport needs to grow its audience, and change is the one inevitability in life.

It’s essential to take cricket to the wider public. Grow the game. Expose cricket to the masses!

The traditionalists argue that some things are worth preserving, that Test cricket has its following and people enjoy it for what it is. A battle over five days between bat and ball with that beautiful 138-year-old cherry. Just like in life, there are various colours of cherries, but would you really want a cherry that isn’t red?

The fence sitters were willing to take the ‘wait and see’ approach so often associated with those with high levels of common sense, and splinters in their backside.

The cricket provided was the best of the three Tests. New Zealand, with an excellent approach to cricket that the West Indies could learn from, never gave up right to the end. This too after some terrible umpiring from the man upstairs on Day 2.

The pink ball appeared to pass the test, however that is all we really know in the short term. The ball is only a few years old, and has only been involved in one Test.

Advertisement

One issue that may arise is if the pink ball continues to produce low-scoring Tests, are we going to break stats into ‘red ball’ and ‘pink ball’? I’m sure someone is working on that one already.

Day-night cricket also needs to worry about influential cricketers. If the modern-day Ian Chappell decides he doesn’t like it – let’s call this anonymous player ‘David’ – his opinion may sway others.

Crowds were great. Ratings were strong too. Things that are new tend to excite people – even the Adelaide Rams drew some good crowds when they started. However, 18 years later a lot of people will need to google ‘Adelaide Rams’ to have an idea who they were.

Regardless of whether you are in the camp for change and growth, or want to preserve Test cricket and value what it stands for, you would have watched the pink-ball Test with interest.

You will also watch the next pink-ball Test. It’s intriguing to see what will happen both short and long term. And hopefully with a bit of luck, this gimmick will fade faster than the Adelaide Rams.

close