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Watching the last Test series from afar got me thinking about two questions that were being asked concurrently but with little thought devoted to their conflict.
The first, as Test cricket is the first love of Australian sports fans, how does it continue to be the pinnacle of the game?
The second, how do you rebuild the West Indies to their former glory?
These two questions asked independently are akin to asking, how do we resolve middle eastern conflict? Or, how do we disarm North Korea? All tough and important, but ones that bring up further questions than answers.
Watching this series progress, two things stood out.
The West Indies are young, their line-up reads: 22, 23, 26, Marlon Samuels, 24, 24. This should not be lost on anyone. Secondly, they improved as the series progressed, and there are bright spots.
Darren Bravo has the wristy backlift and saber-like follow through of his cousin, an average of 50 in a losing team is something to be very proud of. Jason Holder is a leader of men and a talented cricketer. The Kraigg and Carlos Brathwaite showed fight and Jermaine Blackwood can develop.
Their biggest weakness is their bowling, the old crop of Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor are on the way out and are out of their depth. Here’s hoping they can unearth a couple of seven footers who can hit a length.
The conflict is obvious when these questions are answered together. Test cricket cannot be the pinnacle when teams are not given the time to develop. Test cricket is a game built in the furnace of time, effort, concentration, attrition and love for the game.
We want Test cricket but it seems we aren’t willing to allow it to develop, when a young West Indies team shows up at our house we seat them at the kids table against a third-string team and then send them to the lion’s den for three Tests and cry ‘Test cricket is dead, oh well, who is playing in the Big Bash League?’.
Why can’t we be constructive and commercial, why can’t we schedule two four-day games against a true Victorian and Queensland XI for example and let them have a chance to fortify their bodies and minds in the heat of battle? Shock horror, it may even result in a more competitive series.
In administrator language that equals a bigger gate. Cha ching!
The conclusion for Australia, England and India is if they truly want Test cricket to be the pinnacle they need to foster the development of their opponents. Winning teams are great, wins sell in the short term, but ultimately we want a competition. Let’s give them a chance.
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