The officials of Amul, an Indian based company, were standing alongside New Zealand cricketers on their jersey launch for ICC Champions Trophy, 2017.
New Zealand Cricket was still having a blackout in India, with no broadcaster televising the games.
Sony had purchased the rights to televise the India-New Zealand series in 2014 and at the end of it, they too passed it on.
Indian audiences could not see Brendon McCullum bidding adieu to the international game in style, when he smashed fastest ever century in the history of Test cricket in his final game – as there was no telecast.
Finally, Star ended this blackout in November 2017, buying the rights to telecast Kiwi cricket in India until 2020.
It’s been more than four years since India have played a Test match in New Zealand, although the Kiwis visited the subcontinent to be part of history, when they played India’s 500th Test match in 2016.
The plan to play the Black Caps in their own backyard was possible until a few weeks back, but the board decided to cut down ‘days cricket’ matches from the tour, as it did not suit their pockets.
How?
A Test match in New Zealand starts at 3:30am (IST), when even ardent fan may find it difficult to keep awake.
It was not financially suitable for the board and thus, the BCCI decided to shelve the Test matches, thus putting monetary benefits ahead of what could have been a crunch series.
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By reasoning that the World Cup will be around the corner at the same time, the board said that it is more beneficial for the Indian team to play limited-overs cricket, rather than Test matches.
Interestingly, last year, the BCCI did not play even a single ODI after the month of January, with the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled to be played in June.
The only tournaments they played were the IPL and a Test series against Australia in February-March.
So the board giving the World Cup as the reason not to play the Test series is not legit. The sole reason is the money which the board stood to lose.
As per the scheduled announced, the Indian team’s new season will commence in June, with an historic Test match against Afghanistan, after which India will play two T20Is against Ireland – who will make their Test debut with a match against Pakistan in May.
India will then fly to England for a jumbo series comprising three T20Is, three ODIs and five Test matches.
On return, after a stay of more than two months, India will play the Asia Cup, the venue of which is yet to be announced.
A full-fledged home series against the West Indies, followed by the Australia tour (four Tests, three ODIs, three T20s) will keep them busy.
In the New Year, Virat Kohli’s men will have only a white-ball challenge against New Zealand, before Australia and Zimbabwe – for limited-overs series – will come to India to mark an end to the season.
The IPL will be a recreation for T20 fanatics, after which ten teams will again play the ICC World Cup 2019 in England.
The Test action between India and New Zealand will now only be seen in 2020, the same year the T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place.
Should the BCCI think of the financial suitability even then, the idea to defer it for few more years may not come as a surprise.
Rats
Guest
BCCI stopped respecting Indian test fans long time back... It's sad..
nimaprice@hotmail.com
Guest
Windies are in trouble in test cricket, there ODI side barely made the world cup via the qualifers. scotland might well of won had the rain not come down and saved the windies under the D/L system and narrowly.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
The upcoming change to the test rankings system has possibly played a part in the most powerful administration in world cricket moving their test team off the subcontinent for virtually the first time (apart from one series in the West Indies) in over three years. South Africa, England and Australia in the same year. It will be interesting to see just how it pans out come 2019. There will remain little incentive for the leading test nations to play the minnows. Money will always speak very loudly and series against minnow countries just doesn't pay the bills.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The way it is structured, so that teams' don't have to play all others to get maximum points (not even all others in the nine) that seems unlikely. I much prefer a simple points system, no weighting, that favours every team being played home and away even it needs to be a longer period to fit it in. Sides could stil play games on top of that. But, then, money hungry boards (all of them) would just not chase the Test championship anyway.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Hopefully, the Test Championship will, in part, even up some of the inequities in recent test schedules.
Bilbo
Guest
This leads to a two tier world really, but it also means staleness IND will look at playing SA, Eng, Aus, Pak, SL Forget NZ and WI Playing the same teams over and over, kind of like the A League
BrainsTrust
Guest
Well the way Test cricket works, is New Zealand gets the money for its home series and India gets the money when NZ visits India.. Test cricket is run by barter, you visit us and we will visit you. So its about the box office that NZ can generate for India in India, which is low plus there is no overseas money from NZ for tv rights when NZ go to India. So India will be thinking why bother going to NZ in order for them to then visit India in the future. The biggest money earner for India will be England thats why they play a 5 match test series.
Bilbo
Guest
Haven't we also semi black listed the Kiwis test wise I recall the hyped up series in 87/88 against Hadlee, the '93 series in NZ was also a good one and then it kind of died
Therealnews
Guest
Thank you for this info. This is very disappointing as a NZ cricket fan. Our board are also to blame. We are currently only playing 4 tests a year which is terrible for our players.