- Dec 14, 2008
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- Essendon
Most people know the best conversations spring out from nowhere, and before long the tangent can take you into unexpected places - that's where Moon theories are born.
A mate suggested to me that cricket is unique in the fact that its probably the only sport in the world where the level of the competition across the world isn't on a constant improve, infract its probably regressing.
Think about this, put an NBA team from today against one from the 80s, it probably puts 170 points up and demolishes it.
Put prime time Rafter up against anyone in the top 50 today and he gets poleaxed. Wayne Careys norf or even 80s hawks would get flogged by Richmond today. The 100m running record and swimming record, almost all records are constantly getting better as techniques and technology evolve...
Its the way its always been, we evolve, get better understanding, better training, better diets, better technology of equipment. Slowly but surely all records are broken and things get better.
But not in Cricket.
You could put Border or Gatting or the Waughs or Sobers in today and they would still make runs, Akram, Donald, Warne would still wreck top orders...Hell while the 100m record is constantly being shaved, the bloke with the highest ever batting average is nearly double the next bloke and played near on 70 years ago! (on uncovered pitches, with a paddle pop stick)
I know Bradman is an outlier so other stats may need to be factored
Of the top 15 highest batting averages, 2 players have played this century.
But why? why is this? Is it purely because cricket is a unique game? its a team sport but in essence its really 1 v 1, a batsman v a bowler at any one time.
At a time where technology has created these bats that can rocket a ball to the boundary, super high tuned athletes, video analysis of technique ect ect, the standard of test cricket has stagnated or more likely regressed. Nobody really wins away from home any more, Nobody is really pushing the averages of times past. Players are making a lot of runs but that's only because they are playing more games, the averages are the true figure to read, not amount of runs.
Im laying the blame squarely with short from cricket. Cricket has eaten itself alive from the inside, self cannibalized.
Players are not progessing because they have diverted to short from mentality and techniques. Like a kids brain being stunted by video games on tablets maybe the art of being a test cricket player is slowly dying in lieu of short form trickery. Short cut cricket rather than building a solid base of skills via the long form.
Back in the day you had your test team - then a one day team that was usually similar, but in essence they were shoe horning test players into a shorter game, some adapted, some didn't. Then we saw the beginning of the one day specialist. But mostly they were trying to mould test players into one day players - but the player had a solid technical base to work from.
These days it seems like we are trying to turn short form and 20/20 players into test players, and it aint working, they just don't have the technique, or the aptitude or the mental stamina or fortitude.
That's why we now have 3 day test matches, they were usually unheard of!
The shield game has become a mickey mouse operation - star international players come in and play day 3 only to get miles in their legs or a hit out. Bowlers bowl ten overs as per their quota for the national team physio.. The whole thing has been shuffled two and fro to fit in more big bash or hit and giggle stuff.
I understand in this now fast paced life, with this instant gratification culture, a 5 day game with periods of 8 hours of sometimes nothingness may not wash with todays world, but I love it, and I miss it. it IS cricket.
To me that game is dying before our very eyes, the canary in the cage is the regression of stats...its the beginning of the possible end. I really hope cricket dosent become a relic of the past but it very well may.
I can see a time where cricket as we know it no longer exists, it becomes just a 20/20 thing of trick shots and slower balls.
Please prove me wrong - it makes me sad.
A mate suggested to me that cricket is unique in the fact that its probably the only sport in the world where the level of the competition across the world isn't on a constant improve, infract its probably regressing.
Think about this, put an NBA team from today against one from the 80s, it probably puts 170 points up and demolishes it.
Put prime time Rafter up against anyone in the top 50 today and he gets poleaxed. Wayne Careys norf or even 80s hawks would get flogged by Richmond today. The 100m running record and swimming record, almost all records are constantly getting better as techniques and technology evolve...
Its the way its always been, we evolve, get better understanding, better training, better diets, better technology of equipment. Slowly but surely all records are broken and things get better.
But not in Cricket.
You could put Border or Gatting or the Waughs or Sobers in today and they would still make runs, Akram, Donald, Warne would still wreck top orders...Hell while the 100m record is constantly being shaved, the bloke with the highest ever batting average is nearly double the next bloke and played near on 70 years ago! (on uncovered pitches, with a paddle pop stick)
I know Bradman is an outlier so other stats may need to be factored
Of the top 15 highest batting averages, 2 players have played this century.
But why? why is this? Is it purely because cricket is a unique game? its a team sport but in essence its really 1 v 1, a batsman v a bowler at any one time.
At a time where technology has created these bats that can rocket a ball to the boundary, super high tuned athletes, video analysis of technique ect ect, the standard of test cricket has stagnated or more likely regressed. Nobody really wins away from home any more, Nobody is really pushing the averages of times past. Players are making a lot of runs but that's only because they are playing more games, the averages are the true figure to read, not amount of runs.
Im laying the blame squarely with short from cricket. Cricket has eaten itself alive from the inside, self cannibalized.
Players are not progessing because they have diverted to short from mentality and techniques. Like a kids brain being stunted by video games on tablets maybe the art of being a test cricket player is slowly dying in lieu of short form trickery. Short cut cricket rather than building a solid base of skills via the long form.
Back in the day you had your test team - then a one day team that was usually similar, but in essence they were shoe horning test players into a shorter game, some adapted, some didn't. Then we saw the beginning of the one day specialist. But mostly they were trying to mould test players into one day players - but the player had a solid technical base to work from.
These days it seems like we are trying to turn short form and 20/20 players into test players, and it aint working, they just don't have the technique, or the aptitude or the mental stamina or fortitude.
That's why we now have 3 day test matches, they were usually unheard of!
The shield game has become a mickey mouse operation - star international players come in and play day 3 only to get miles in their legs or a hit out. Bowlers bowl ten overs as per their quota for the national team physio.. The whole thing has been shuffled two and fro to fit in more big bash or hit and giggle stuff.
I understand in this now fast paced life, with this instant gratification culture, a 5 day game with periods of 8 hours of sometimes nothingness may not wash with todays world, but I love it, and I miss it. it IS cricket.
To me that game is dying before our very eyes, the canary in the cage is the regression of stats...its the beginning of the possible end. I really hope cricket dosent become a relic of the past but it very well may.
I can see a time where cricket as we know it no longer exists, it becomes just a 20/20 thing of trick shots and slower balls.
Please prove me wrong - it makes me sad.
