Test cricket is dying, let's help save it

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Agreed would be a ridiculous thing for cricket. Don’t and never need it. If anything these weaker sides need more tests. They will only improve playing the best players.

Mate no offense but you flip flop between opinions more often than most people so I'm going to take your comments with a pinch of plugger all due respect.

What I mean by that is, if test cricket was tinkered with and it was a success you'd be on the bandwagon first

 

[PhatBoy]

I think most of the forum wants a contest not to see teams give up on foreign soil most of the time.

You seem to be clinging on to the exception of the status quo where teams pull out the odd win once in a blue moon. Then you use that miracle win as justification for why no one should tinker with test cricket.

Like I said mate, if I line up fifty balls on one side of a football field and kick them probably one's going to make it in the goal.

At some stage Sri Lanka were always going to fluke a win like they did in SA last year but that one fluke came amid decades of rubbish results overseas and now they struggle at home pretty much.

Why do open minded progressives like me and some others here frighten you? I'm trying to get tests back on track by promoting suggestions to improve the contest and the spectacle.

I'm using facts to justify my argument and I'm keeping my posts as emotion free as possible. If the health of the game is so good right now why are the boards around the world having these exact same discussions too?

They’ve lost 6 out of 22 home series over a decade

You still have literally given no reason as to why excluding 8 teams from playing the other 4 would be good for test cricket.

Who gives a f*** about the spectacle of its the same teams putting it on every two months

I use the odd win as proof that it can happen. If steps are taken to improve those sides, rather than exclude them and let them stagnate, the spectacle becomes better with the bonus that it involves more sides.

Would people give that much of a f*** about AFL if there were 4 teams that routinely staged brilliant contests but the other 14 teams were abortional and gave nothing?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Mate no offense but you flip flop between opinions more often than most people so I'm going to take your comments with a pinch of plugger all due respect.

What I mean by that is, if test cricket was tinkered with and it was a success you'd be on the bandwagon first

Hardly. You are the one that wants change when there’s no need for it. We need quality test cricket over 5 days. The players want it. How about you let them get that rather than trying to tier test cricket as it’s not European football. Cricket would just becone the EPL where 2 sides win every year, boring!

I’ve said all along, keep it as it is. By all means fiddle around with the toss but that’s it.

 

[Topkent]

One goes up, one goes down, in the model being debated.

Please, explain it to me again because I can’t get my head around it.

No team will improve to the required standard if that is the case. Whoever gets promoted will get beaten by the sides already in the top tier and be immediately relegated.

If you’re happy watching the same teams play amongst themselves time after time, good for you.
Pretty ******* boring version of sport.

Well in my model I proposed earlier it would be 2 teams each season. Also there's like 8 countries in the world we play anyway. Id rather watch meaningful cricket than watch us spank Pakistan 2-0 every 6 years in Australia

 

[PhatBoy]

Well in my model I proposed earlier it would be 2 teams each season. Also there's like 8 countries in the world we play anyway. Id rather watch meaningful cricket than watch us spank Pakistan 2-0 every 6 years in Australia

What about watching Australia get spanked every 6 years in Pakistan or the UAE

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Well in my model I proposed earlier it would be 2 teams each season. Also there's like 8 countries in the world we play anyway. Id rather watch meaningful cricket than watch us spank Pakistan 2-0 every 6 years in Australia

How are Pakistan going to improve? They had a poor tour but yet they still would have learnt so much from it. Young players only learn by playing the best players. Playing in Australia is a tough gig and lately only India last tour and SA have done well over here. India could say the same about us when we tour over there.

Where the improvements need to be made is bridging the gap between every country flat track bullying in their home conditions. How we do that is tough but we don’t need to change the fabric of the game to do this.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

What about watching Australia get spanked every 6 years in Pakistan or the UAE

Or India....when have we last done anything over there?

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

They’ve lost 6 out of 22 home series over a decade

You still have literally given no reason as to why excluding 8 teams from playing the other 4 would be good for test cricket.

Who gives a f*** about the spectacle of its the same teams putting it on every two months

I use the odd win as proof that it can happen. If steps are taken to improve those sides, rather than exclude them and let them stagnate, the spectacle becomes better with the bonus that it involves more sides.

Would people give that much of a f*** about AFL if there were 4 teams that routinely staged brilliant contests but the other 14 teams were abortional and gave nothing?

Resorting to swearing and emotional charged comments render your (admittedly poorly made) points moot. I'm disengaging from this conversation and I reckon you should get some fresh air and chill dude.

I made my point multiple times, backed up with clear data and kept my posts on topic.

You seem like a very angry, argumentative person who cannot tolerate other points of view.

I'll leave with this,

Test cricket is not in a good state. Objectively, most games are boring home dominated four day forgettable rubbish.

The governance of many home boards is questionable and leadership seems weak. Test crowds are down and T20 is taking centre stage.

The powers that be know this and are thinking up ways to fix it as we speak so if you want to keep everything as is and your head in the sand, best you write the ICC and let them know your concerns before the changes come into effect.

Change is inevitable.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Or India....when have we last done anything over there?

At least we compete often.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

How are Pakistan going to improve? They had a poor tour but yet they still would have learnt so much from it. Young players only learn by playing the best players. Playing in Australia is a tough gig and lately only India last tour and SA have done well over here. India could say the same about us when we tour over there.

Where the improvements need to be made is bridging the gap between every country flat track bullying in their home conditions. How we do that is tough but we don’t need to change the fabric of the game to do this.

You've contradicted yourself. You have an issue with our pitches but you've always violently defended subcontinent ones.

Now ALL countries are flat track home bullies?

Which is it?

 

[PhatBoy]

Resorting to swearing and emotional charged comments render your (admittedly poorly made) points moot. I'm disengaging from this conversation and I reckon you should get some fresh air and chill dude.

I made my point multiple times, backed up with clear data and kept my posts on topic.

You seem like a very angry, argumentative person who cannot tolerate other points of view.

I'll leave with this,

Test cricket is not in a good state. Objectively, most games are boring home dominated four day forgettable rubbish.

The governance of many home boards is questionable and leadership seems weak. Test crowds are down and T20 is taking centre stage.

The powers that be know this and are thinking up ways to fix it as we speak so if you want to keep everything as is and your head in the sand, best you write the ICC and let them know your concerns before the changes come into effect.

Change is inevitable.

You’ve literally said nothing aside from ‘this will make it better.’
You haven’t said why, you haven’t said how, you have literally given a solution with nothing to back it up.

Saying things like ‘chill out’ don’t suddenly give you 140 years of test cricket data to back up your point

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

You’ve literally said nothing aside from ‘this will make it better.’
You haven’t said why, you haven’t said how, you have literally given a solution with nothing to back it up.

Saying things like ‘chill out’ don’t suddenly give you 140 years of test cricket data to back up your point

Mate take a breath, go outside and get some air. Just relax.

You're upset because I've called out your team and backed it up. I also had the dignity to concede it was only my opinion.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

At least we compete often.

Hardly. We’ve won about 2 tests on goodness knows how many tours

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Hardly. We’ve won about 2 tests on goodness knows how many tours

We don't just rock up and bowl half volleys and nothing short stuff all day every day though. We actually compete over there and make teams work hard. Teams come here and give up first day of the series often.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

You've contradicted yourself. You have an issue with our pitches but you've always violently defended subcontinent ones.

Now ALL countries are flat track home bullies?

Which is it?

All countries are home track bullies period, especially recently. I rather English or South African pitches though. At least sub continent pitches you know it will turn late. Hardly my favourite cricket region though. Our pitches were better this summer anyway.

 

[PhatBoy]

Mate take a breath, go outside and get some air. Just relax.

You're upset because I've called out your team and backed it up. I also had the dignity to concede it was only my opinion.

Bahahahahaha.

Mate get a hold of yourself
I used examples from a handful of different sides. When there are only 12 test nations, there’s a good chance one of them will be the team I support.

I’ll ask one more time.

Why, and how, will your idea work. You have stated your position numerous times - I don’t care mate. I know what your position is. I want to know why you think it will help test cricket.

As far as I can see, all your idea does is ensure the 3 countries that actually support it regardless of how they’re going get to play each other more often.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

We don't just rock up and bowl half volleys and nothing short stuff all day every day though. We actually compete over there and make teams work hard. Teams come here and give up first day of the series often.

Have you actually seen (watched) our last few tours? Highly debatable. Barring one match where OKeefe did something we’ve been pathetic over there.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

All countries are home track bullies period, especially recently. I rather English or South African pitches though. At least sub continent pitches you know it will turn late. Hardly my favourite cricket region though. Our pitches were better this summer anyway.

Exactly. Do we want this trend to continue? Home dominant tests ending in four days with little competition out in the middle?

 

[PhatBoy]

Imagine if the AFL expanded to include the non Victorian states but then only allowed one of them to play against Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon if they were the 3 strongest sides in the comp.

 

[PhatBoy]

Exactly. Do we want this trend to continue? Home dominant tests ending in four days with little competition out in the middle?

Better that than just having 2 opponents series after series with a rotating 3rd one getting flogged

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Bahahahahaha.

Mate get a hold of yourself
I used examples from a handful of different sides. When there are only 12 test nations, there’s a good chance one of them will be the team I support.

I’ll ask one more time.

Why, and how, will your idea work. You have stated your position numerous times - I don’t care mate. I know what your position is. I want to know why you think it will help test cricket.

As far as I can see, all your idea does is ensure the 3 countries that actually support it regardless of how they’re going get to play each other more often.

Get some air bro. This is going nowhere if you keep asking for things I've clearly provided in this thread.

If you have trouble discussing a topic without becoming angry and argumentive I suggest you lay off this place for a bit. I'm not sure it agrees with you.

 

[PhatBoy]

Get some air bro. This is going nowhere if you keep asking for things I've clearly provided in this thread.

If you have trouble discussing a topic without becoming angry and argumentive I suggest you lay off this place for a bit. I'm not sure it agrees with you.

You have provided nothing.

I’ve provided numerous examples of how playing the best sides has helped low teams compete better.

You’ve provided nothing.

‘Because I said so’ holds no weight.

And by the way? It’s a discussion forum.

If everyone agrees and don’t debate, the forum doesn’t really need to exist.
If you can’t handle people pointing out that you’ve not made a point, maybe don’t post.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Better that than just having 2 opponents series after series with a rotating 3rd one getting flogged

That's a facetious thing to say. The points raised on a tiered system were not to ensure global domination by three teams but to ensure competitive cricket. You've speculated on who those top teams would be but if home boards got their act together anything could change

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Exactly. Do we want this trend to continue? Home dominant tests ending in four days with little competition out in the middle?

Your solutions aren't the answer and they don't improve this at all. In fact they go the opposite way. We need more countries to get better and they will. There's been a lot of very good test matches over the last 12 months, and funnily these matches went the full 5 days....funny that. Be patient and countries will get better. Countries like Pakistan, NZ, SA are only a year (maybe 2 or 3) away or so from being back to where they were.

 

[PhatBoy]

That's a facetious thing to say. The points raised on a tiered system were not to ensure global domination by three teams but to ensure competitive cricket. You've speculated on who those top teams would be but if home boards got their act together anything could change

No it wouldn’t. The 3 most powerful boards are the 3 richest. Riches generally equal strongest onfield results.

Tiered structures ensure that the rich teams stay rich, and thus strong on the field. I have no problem with strong teams staying strong. I have an issue with weak sides having no scope to improve and compete.

Playing other struggling sides doesn’t help anyone improve. Might teach them a bit about winning, nothing more.

I’m enjoying seeing the West Indies finally learning how to win by beating sides like Afghanistan and Ireland in one day cricket. The real learning and improvement has come from playing series against India, however.