This summer, Australia hosted the West Indies in a Test series which was never a contest. Australia won convincingly and, as a result, crowd figures, TV viewers and general interest were all significantly down.
We were told this was an opponent problem, not a cricket problem.
Past Australian players, journalists and armchair pundits alike were keen to spruik the death of cricket in the once great West Indian region as a result.
Their best players shunned the series and chose to participate in the Big Bash instead, an unthinkable and insulting act to any cricket fan over the age of 25. We hold Test cricket as the holy grail, followed by the length of the straight and then the 50 over format. Twenty20 and its zinger bails are a distant last.
No longer is that the case.
During the Test summer, representative cricket is now accompanied by the Big Bash. This 20-over competition has risen to prominence in its five-year existence, culminating in a crowd of 81,000 who turned up to watch the Melbourne Stars and Renegades go head-to-head at the MCG in early January.
This is in direct contrast to the lowly figure of 53,000 that attended the Test match on Boxing Day only days earlier at the same venue. To older viewers this is barely believable, to nine and 10-year-olds, this is all they’ve ever known.
Fast forward to last night.
The West Indies won the World T20 after Carlos Brathwaite belted four consecutive sixes in the last over against England. This is the same West Indies who were embarrassed during the Australian summer, the same West Indies who supposedly could no longer compete on the international stage.
I watched the entire tournament closely and have never seen such parity in a cricket tournament. Ten nations competed in the group stage and every single match was just that, competitive.
The best example of this was when the eventual champions were beaten by Afghanistan in a thrilling encounter. Some would say that is due to the randomness and luck of T20, but I disagree.
The nuance of cricket is still there, but with more on the line, every ball is tense, every captaincy error harshly punished. You can’t get any more out of a cricket game than what Twenty20 provides, nullifying the need for one-day matches.
The last four months may be a peek into the future of cricket. It’s certainly the first time I have considered T20 may become the dominant form of the sport.
Since its inception, people have said that Twenty20 will kill Test cricket, others have said it’s nothing more than a gimmick, a bastardised format which ruins all that is good about the sport but which won’t last long.
Looking at the Test landscape, there are only four nations who remain competitive – Australia, South Africa, England and India. Even then, South Africa’s long-term viability remains uncertain.
The rest of the cricket-playing world are moving to the shortest format and, with the recent Australian summer in mind, it’s more than fitting the West Indies claimed their second World T20 trophy.
It will be fascinating to see what the next ten years holds for international cricket.
Last night told me West Indian cricket certainly isn’t dead. Instead, they may be one step ahead of the rest of us.
blanco
Guest
Twenty twenty and test are two formats which require different skill set. I do not even think twenty twenty should be taken serious, but then again that's me. West Indies have very good hitters, will that work in test? Of course not. West Indies will continue to struggle in test because its more than just the board issue, they really do not have test quality players.I would say the only two young batters who look remotely test quality are Bravo and Braithwaite ( think this is his name). Test is longer as compared to twenty twenty or even fifty overs so the stronger team should win most times, unlike twenty twenty it is not as dependent on one or two players having a blinder but in a test almost every player has to perform for consistent test success. Now don't get me wrong I think twenty twenty is good for the players pocket and should just be seen as entertainment nothing else. Good batting and bowling averagesin this format would not really tell you who is the best bowler or batsman. Guys have twenty overs to swing for the fences, why should a format like that be taken serious?
Niranjan Deodhar
Roar Pro
Look forward folks! don't worry now about Test Cricket or which format is better and so on, the major worry now as a Cricket fan is can this victory revive the state of Cricket in West Indies? Cricket needs WI just as Wi need Cricket. As of now as the players gear up for playing the IPL, I see no hope of Wi cricket getting back on track. When will the eternal dispute between the board and it's players end? They have players who can exceptionally play the limited-overs Cricket, but one should find a way to get these Windies players motivated to play Test Cricket and to do this it is highly imperative that players and even the board members shun their egos and focus on the job to be done. Lets hope the meeting that has been scheduled between players and the board after the culmination of IPL brings some rewards and WI field their best players across all the three formats.
The Bush
Roar Guru
None of their young talent coming through have anything that resembles a FC record (let alone test record) that suggests they can turn it around. Guys like Gayle (36), Badree (35), Samuels (35), Simmons (31) and Sammy (32) are yesterday's players - they're of n help. Russell's the only one with age on his side and a respectable FC record, except he doesn't even play FC cricket anymore. Roach is only 27, yet looks like he'll never find the spark again. Unless they unearth some random talent out of nowhere, I'm afraid Holder will spend the better part of decade captaining in losses, before they go the way of Zimbabwe.
Bakkies
Guest
Sammy can't talk about the test team as he isn't in it. He is available for selection but from memory hasn't played a test in two years.
VivGilchrist
Guest
I love the Windies, they are my 2nd favourite team. Let's be honest though. This is an aging team full of T20 mercenaries. This has become there only skill set. They don't chop and change technique from one format to another. They should win as other teams have players that focus on other formats as well. This won't change there Test cricket one bit.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
One big issue with this story is the line "This is the same West Indies who were embarrassed during the Australian summer, the same West Indies who supposedly could no longer compete on the international stage." Actually, it's not the same West Indies. Sammy's comment's after the final we to the point, referring to the test team taking inspiration from this it was "them" taking inspiration from "us". Because that's what it is. While other teams have a decent number of players better at the short forms who haven't been able to break through at test level, but have at T20 level, so the team changes a lot, the West Indies have lots of players who themselves have basically given up on even wanting to play test cricket, and just spend all their time playing T20's around the world. That was what made up most of this side. Very little overlap between that team and the one that played tests in Australia a few months back.
Simoc
Guest
You don't have to be to smart to work out all the most popular world sports get a result in three hours, and the TV pay machine likes it that way. T20 fits the bill perfectly being an upmarket version of baseball with more skill and athleticism involved. For some South African test venues the crowd is easy to count. No-one turns up, like Sheffield Shield here. Test cricket is dead now in the rest of the world. West Indies rule the popular game, which is T20.
Paul Potter
Roar Guru
Anon, for someone who likes to sneer at the "conservative Aussie stuck-in-the-mud male", your comments very much remind me of someone who is "stuck-in-the-mud". Ok, we get it. You don't like Test cricket. Also, if you don't like the name Big Bash League, maybe come up with an alternative instead of moaning about it?
ChrisB
Guest
I think you're probably right. It's unfortunate but I reckon even here and England tests will start to decline in interest over the next 15-20 years. Even for myself have to admit the thought of sitting in the sun for eight hours watching a boring run fest or someone graft it out in the old style and then fight traffic or crowds seem much less appealing than a 3-4 hour T20 match. Kids aren't bored, or if you're with mates you're at the pub quicker.
Rodo
Guest
It goes to show the West Indies team turn-up to play when the big bucks are handed out!!! But i for one think test cricket is on the way out because the younger generation get T20 as it is brash, in your face sports entertainment.
Bakkies
Guest
OzTam based on ratings samples of the 5 main capital cities doesn't tell the full story and can be misleading when Aus ratings figures get publicised overseas.
Bakkies
Guest
'Test cricket is dead, but the conservative Aussie stick-in-the-mud male who thinks test cricket is REAL CRICKET just watches test cricket out of habit. Same reason for years they always bought a Holden or Ford sedan.' Utter rubbish. You wouldn't be paying the high prices that the ACB charge for Test tickets if you going to a day's play out of habit. Proper Cricket is the India v Aus 2001 series, 2005 Ashes and the last Ashes Series high intense Cricket in front of great crowds.
Brendon
Guest
TV ratings were not that low for the West Indies tour. Check OzTam and some sessions where in the top 20 programs of the week. 25 years ago 53,000 to a boxing day test was pretty good.
anon
Guest
Test cricket is dead, but the conservative Aussie stick-in-the-mud male who thinks test cricket is REAL CRICKET just watches test cricket out of habit. Same reason for years they always bought a Holden or Ford sedan. Did anyone actually go to the Boxing Day Test to be entertained or for the contest? No, 55,000 turned up out of habit. Because that's what you do on Boxing Day in Melbourne. Did 81,000 turn up for the domestic T20 match out of habit, or because they knew they'd get a contest, it would have excitement, it would be fun, it would be entertaining. Honestly, you have to be a masochist to spend a day watching test cricket, or even ODI's when T20 exists. Test cricket is basically, take all the worst aspects of cricket and stagger it over 5 miserable days in the baking sun. Please don't bring up pink ball tests. If you're going to play tests in prime time it begs the question. Why not just play some T20 matches instead? Part of T20's problem in Australia is image. Calling it the Big Bash League cheapens it. It makes it sound like it is hit and giggle and Cricket Australia view it as nothing more than hit and giggle when it's called the BIG BASH League. It makes it seem like merely hitting it out of the park is of more importance than the result.
GD66
Guest
Good for them ! Winning the WT20 as well on the same day is great for the Windies, and on the back of their U19 ODI trophy, cricket is back in the headlines in the Caribbean. Let's hope the interest and effect of these results continues. Very happy to see this.