England vs. Australia: the only tests that matter?

[swingdog]

Listening to the ABC boys wrap up the action after the end of play yesterday, Harsha Bogle made the point that test cricket was really only healthy in England and Australia.

I can see the Future Tours program being abandoned at some point, especially if India continues to lose games and money, compared to IPL.

If we did go back to something like the 1930s where we pretty much only played England, would this be such a bad thing?

 

[ManWithNoName]

Still love playing SAfrica.

 

[swingdog]

So do I, but if their domestic board thinks they're not worth playing, then maybe we only play them every 4 years or so.

No other series has the cachet of The Ashes and there are plenty of sports which survive with strong domestic leagues and internationals against one or two sides (e.g. rugby league).

 

[Dixie Flatline]

The trouble with South Africa is that they love their own Boxing Day test, so they're loathe to give it up to tour Australia and play a Boxing Day test away from home. That means that the tours need to be either late October/November or in March, where the weather isn't so great.

Test cricket in England is healthy because the English cricket team is currently no. 1 in the world, but it is still an insular sport. England has a mix of cultures living in the country, but it's still pretty much a white, Anglo-Saxon sport.

With the money poured into association football, plus the Olympics later this year in England, cricket needs to compete with a lot of other sports for oxygen.

Even in Australia, the focus from Cricket Australia is shifting irrevocably from test cricket to T20 cricket, as the bigger money-spinner. Scheduling zero first class games while the Big Bash is being played out is a sign of the times. First class and eventually test cricket will not matter because money is made so much more easily out of T20 cricket. You have a result in three hours and everyone goes home happy (except the bowlers, who have been pounded around the ground).

 

[lusheslewis]

I bloody well hope not...

 

[swingdog]

So do I, but how about if the other option is no test cricket at all?

 

[Punchy Bassett]

So do I, but if their domestic board thinks they're not worth playing, then maybe we only play them every 4 years or so.

No other series has the cachet of The Ashes and there are plenty of sports which survive with strong domestic leagues and internationals against one or two sides (e.g. rugby league).

It is a pity the Windies have fallen away so much.

 

[eddiesmith]

Only issue with South Africa is Boxing Day, otherwise there would continue to be great 4 test series between the 2 countries

But the fact the BCCI, oops, ICC abandoned the Test championship untill 2017 is a very bad sign

 

[BluesMan]

Bloody T20 cricket, I blame you! I really hope we get over this phase and realise (worldwide) that tests are the premium. I would even get bored watching us vs. England only. That would be pointless.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Rubbish typical Indian clown. Anyone with a clue knows that Test Cricket is the ultimate. If the Indians want to focus on the IPL then so be it.

 

[Santana]

The obsession with the Ashes has gone way over the top recently in Australia. In fact it has gotten annoying. Most of the talk you hear today is “we’ve just got to get the Ashes back” or “we’ve got to rebuild so we can beat England next year”. What bizarre thinking. The goal should be to become the number 1 team in the world again, not just beat one side.

All test series mean something and I enjoy playing all Test nations. Playing the Ashes more then we already do would hurt the series. Which is why playing these back to back Ashes series next year is such a bad idea.

If the Ashes are the only series that means something then Test Cricket is in a really sad state of affairs.

 

[BluesMan]

Rubbish typical Indian clown. Anyone with a clue knows that Test Cricket is the ultimate. If the Indians want to focus on the IPL then so be it.

Yes, but how many international player play in it. It's like the top flight t20 comp. Everyone from everywhere wants to play, obviously effecting there respected countries.

 

[gbatman]

It would be a shame for South Africa not to play tests. India will be back, cricket is just far too big there, they just need to move on the old stagers. India will still be tough to beat at home.

The West Indies are the biggest shame in world cricket. What ever is being done over there to find players, develop players and get kids playing cricket is obviously a prime example of what not to do. Perhaps not enough money in cricket development there.

Sri Lank and New Zealand still play interesting cricket at test level, NZ just beat us in a test here remember. These sides always have at least one gun test player.

Pakistan would be a good test playing nation except their prison team is currently better than their national team. If it wasn't for corruption in their sport and them not doing enough to clean up the violence and terrorist problems in their country then they would be a fine test nation.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Yes, but how many international player play in it. It's like the top flight t20 comp. Everyone from everywhere wants to play, obviously effecting there respected countries.

That is because they get paid millions of dollars to play. At the end of the day an IPL championship means dick opposed to a test series win.

 

[Belnakor]

the best thing about playing the Poms is that you don't have to put with the usual shit that comes from India whinging and complaining about 1) decisions, 2) crowds 3) conditions etc etc. The poms generally just get on with it.

 

[BluesMan]

That is because they get paid millions of dollars to play. At the end of the day an IPL championship means dick opposed to a test series win.

Yes I know thats why they play, and thats why tests are being rivaled (even though they shouldnt be)

Tests are the premium. Always will be. But this IPL is the main source of the problem.

 

[swingdog]

While I can see IPL killing off one day cricket (which would be no bad thing), I can see test cricket surviving even with a diminished profile.

Might even be back on the ABC

Back in the old days, Australia quite often had domestic summers where we had no touring sides. The game would struggle now if that were the case but maybe with T20 driving revenue, we might have that again.

South Africa, because of the Boxing Day clash, is a special case. Not sure how we get around that other than perhaps rotating - one year here, one year there.

 

[Santana]

One day cricket isn't going anywhere, nor should it.

 

[Blessed]

Neither is Test Cricket.

T20 rules.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Rubbish typical Indian clown. Anyone with a clue knows that Test Cricket is the ultimate. If the Indians want to focus on the IPL then so be it.

He didnt dispute Test Cricket being the ultimate though from a purist point of view, he just made the point that it is clear that England and Australia are where Test cricket is far and away the preferred format of the public, and you cant really say that elsewhere (at last from a bums on seats perspective), and this could lead to much of the test calander focusing in on these areas.

 

[Dipper]

Test cricket in England is healthy because the English cricket team is currently no. 1 in the world, but it is still an insular sport. England has a mix of cultures living in the country, but it's still pretty much a white, Anglo-Saxon sport.

With all respect mate, this is absoulute rubbish.

England has been rubbish for most of the 80s all of the 90s and flattered to deceive for much of the 2000s and yet during that time the crowds flock to Test matches.

You couldn't be more off the mark in making out that England's no1 status is the reason for Test cricket being healthy in England.

Also I'm not sure what relevance the leargely white anglo-saxon make up of the side has on whether test cricket is doing well in England but your point is misguided anyway, around 90% of the population of Great Brtian is white, so you'd expect the Test side to reflect that, in the current Test squad you have Monty and Bopara, out of a squad of 16 that puts it ahead of the national average anyway.

They had Nasser Hussain as captain for a number of years as well, I don't see too many other nations having had a captain from a distinct minority group.

With the money poured into association football, plus the Olympics later this year in England, cricket needs to compete with a lot of other sports for oxygen.

This is wrong too, it's not like Australia where different sports feel that they are directly competing with one another for the same $.

Rugby, football and cricket remain as the big three with more than enough room for other sports to find their place, even league and union aren't really in competition.

Football internationals are invariably sold out as are rugby ones, Test matches tickets sell well and all this is on the back of lucrative television deals with Sky.

 

[smasha]

The obsession with the Ashes has gone way over the top recently in Australia. In fact it has gotten annoying. Most of the talk you hear today is “we’ve just got to get the Ashes back” or “we’ve got to rebuild so we can beat England next year”. What bizarre thinking. The goal should be to become the number 1 team in the world again, not just beat one side.

All test series mean something and I enjoy playing all Test nations. Playing the Ashes more then we already do would hurt the series. Which is why playing these back to back Ashes series next year is such a bad idea.

If the Ashes are the only series that means something then Test Cricket is in a really sad state of affairs.

West Indies firing again would be a godsend to test cricket.

 

[Donnie Darko]

Many fans treasure an epic series with Bangladesh.


Seriously ,I can only watch test matches. never been into pyjama cricket .
20/20 is for people who dont even like cricket .Its for the hacks like Afridi and Gayle .

 

[Yabba]

The West Indies are the biggest shame in world cricket. What ever is being done over there to find players, develop players and get kids playing cricket is obviously a prime example of what not to do. Perhaps not enough money in cricket development there.

...

Pakistan would be a good test playing nation except their prison team is currently better than their national team. If it wasn't for corruption in their sport and them not doing enough to clean up the violence and terrorist problems in their country then they would be a fine test nation.

I think the West Indies will be better than what people think when we go to play them in April. Under Sammmy they actuallty look like a team that cares, with out the disruptive players (Gayle, Dwayne Bravo) they are starting to be competitive. They pushed India in India only a couple of bad sessions cost them wins. Darren Bravo is a real talent who could be the one they build around.

Pakistan won every series they played in 2011, I know they are playing in Dubai, but it will be a competitive series against England. Ajmal & Gul are very good bowlers. They seem to have gotten rid of 2 of the Akmals who had questions over integrity.

I think test cricket is in reasonable shape, if India were playing well it would not even be spoken about, there are enough countries playing it well for it to be in good shape.

 

[JimDocker]

The obsession with the Ashes has gone way over the top recently in Australia. In fact it has gotten annoying. Most of the talk you hear today is “we’ve just got to get the Ashes back” or “we’ve got to rebuild so we can beat England next year”. What bizarre thinking. The goal should be to become the number 1 team in the world again, not just beat one side.

All test series mean something and I enjoy playing all Test nations. Playing the Ashes more then we already do would hurt the series. Which is why playing these back to back Ashes series next year is such a bad idea.

If the Ashes are the only series that means something then Test Cricket is in a really sad state of affairs.

Agree with this to an extent. I am a Pom and 45 years of age and right now is the only time in my life time when we have been the best team in the world. Australia have generally been the benchmark apart from the great South African side prior to their suspension and West Indies in the 80s.

Australia needs to focus on getting the basics right, which means having a stronger first class competition and playing ruthless cricket, which they have started doing again.

I am really looking forward to this test series between Pakistan and England as Pakistan have shown a lot of improvement and should provide a very stern test for us.

the best thing about playing the Poms is that you don't have to put with the usual shit that comes from India whinging and complaining about 1) decisions, 2) crowds 3) conditions etc etc. The poms generally just get on with it.

Very true. We are not as bad at whingeing as we are made out to be