Test cricket is dying, let's help save it

[PhatBoy]

It pretty much already happens now as most crap teams play each other more often with zero interest as there is nothing at stake. Perhaps the WTC might change things who knows

No one has said the current system is perfect and more people than not, I would wager, would be of the opinion that every team outside of Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe who are all very much works in progress for one reason or another, should be playing each other on a reasonably regular basis. The one thing everyone in this thread DOES agree on is that something needs to be done to improve test cricket. Having the same teams play one another all the time with little variety isn’t going to help the strength of the game or the quality of the product.

Now that doesn’t mean I or anyone else wants to see each team playing a 5 test series home and away against every other team, but for every ashes series there should be at least a 2 test series between Australia and Bangladesh, for example.

 

[The Speaker]

The other option to divide the teams up is just to have two groups of six, whoever finishes top of each after 2 years plays the WTC Final, and repeat.

 

[PhatBoy]

The other option to divide the teams up is just to have two groups of six, whoever finishes top of each after 2 years plays the WTC Final, and repeat.

Then change the division in order to get the sides playing each other?
If you swapped 3 sides each cycle, 3 cycles would ensure everyone plays everyone

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

No one has said the current system is perfect and more people than not, I would wager, would be of the opinion that every team outside of Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe who are all very much works in progress for one reason or another, should be playing each other on a reasonably regular basis. The one thing everyone in this thread DOES agree on is that something needs to be done to improve test cricket. Having the same teams play one another all the time with little variety isn’t going to help the strength of the game or the quality of the product.

Now that doesn’t mean I or anyone else wants to see each team playing a 5 test series home and away against every other team, but for every ashes series there should be at least a 2 test series between Australia and Bangladesh, for example.

It would have to be in Bangladesh every time as they wouldn't put up any fight here

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

The players have spoken, 5 day tests are here to stay. Now fix up the pitches where sides can be knocked over day one and we will have more entertaining cricket.

Its common knowledge that the pitches prepared for international cricket are prepared for a commercial reason unless a subcontinent groundsman gets a bribe. So just saying fix up the pitches is not an answer.

 

[big_e]

It would have to be in Bangladesh every time as they wouldn't put up any fight here

And the way to make sure they get better at playing in Australia is by never playing here?

 

[PhatBoy]

It would have to be in Bangladesh every time as they wouldn't put up any fight here

Based on its aversion to spin most of the time, I’m not sure Australia would put up much of one there either


Do you know how Tamim Iqbal got good enough to score back to back centuries in England?

He was given the chance to play decent test opposition, then given the chance to play decent opposition in England, where he peeled off 55 (run out) 103, 108 and 2 at Lords and Old Trafford.


How does that ever happen if they don’t play here?
Put them up at Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Canberra - who cares. Give them the opportunity to get better.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Its common knowledge that the pitches prepared for international cricket are prepared for a commercial reason unless a subcontinent groundsman gets a bribe. So just saying fix up the pitches is not an answer.

I wasn’t answering a question, test cricket is fantastic in my opinion. It is the be all and end all for a cricketer, test cricket is the only format where you are really rated. You Can make heaps of money playing 20/20 but you will be forgotten very quickly.

 

[PhatBoy]

Its common knowledge that the pitches prepared for international cricket are prepared for a commercial reason unless a subcontinent groundsman gets a bribe. So just saying fix up the pitches is not an answer.

Why is that not an answer? South Africa has as much history of corruption as any other cricket nation and their pitches are by far the best.

 

[Seedsfan]

I know it sounds stupid and anti patriotic and all that having someone like a neser or Tremain etc playing for the enemy. But imagine the battles out in the middle with blokes who actually know how to get it done on these pitches. Same as us getting some Indian gun bats to smoke Ashwin etc over there on those turning pitches

Worst suggestion ever

 

[Seedsfan]

As usual, you are making assumptions based on personal bias. You post subjective opinion, NOT facts and once again you have spectacularly missed the point.

Those two big stories you mention are two examples of atrocious test teams getting up ONCE.

The rest of the time they hardly put up a fight. Now I'm no athlete but I reckon if I kick fifty footballs from one end of the field to the other, at least one would get in the goal.

Those two teams were bound to have the planets align and luck out once as an exception but it certainly isn't the rule.

As for your posts about the same top teams playing, which teams would that be exactly? As we compete overseas nicely but don't have the batsmen of times past, India are always only a tour away from being a rabble overseas and SA could struggle now with the quota targets.

England I would actually have in the second tier right now too.

Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to win in South Africa, that’s a pretty big accomplishment been 22 tours there by Asian sides. Was good for the game to see that

 

[PhatBoy]

Sri Lanka became the first Asian team to win in South Africa, that’s a pretty big accomplishment been 22 tours there by Asian sides. Was good for the game to see that

And having done that, imagine how much better they will be for it when they go back there.

 

[Seedsfan]

And having done that, imagine how much better they will be for it when they go back there.

It will give them confidence next time they tour. Problem with Sri Lanka is the pathways

 

[deanc]

The players have spoken, 5 day tests are here to stay. Now fix up the pitches where sides can be knocked over day one and we will have more entertaining cricket.

I suspect the Indians are working on that right now for game 2 and 3 of this current ODI series. I'll be shocked if we see another flat bouncy batting friendly surface at either of the next two respective venues...

 

[Topkent]

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.

s**t analogy. In the AFL every one beats everyone and they play a season which makes the matches have context which is something you are against apparently.

 

[Topkent]

Teams learn more from playing the best too. I use Pakistan for instance- imagine how much those teenage quicks would have learnt? But no....let’s stop that and have tiers! Dumb!

We play the Windies and Pakistan like every 6 years. In the 2 tiered system they'd actually have the chance to play Australia every single year so the * are you guys on about

 

[Topkent]

The other option to divide the teams up is just to have two groups of six, whoever finishes top of each after 2 years plays the WTC Final, and repeat.

Only reason I don't like that is because I want there to be a consequence for losing aswell not only winning.

 

[Topkent]

Also I feel like my idea got passed over. The groups of 6 would play in one country for summer then one for winter and would then have the score of the 10 games altogether. So if the season falls in NZ for summer and then India for Winter is very possible that Australia gets relegated that season. If it falls in Australia for Summer and then England for Winter it's very possible that India gets relegated that season.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Based on its aversion to spin most of the time, I’m not sure Australia would put up much of one there either


Do you know how Tamim Iqbal got good enough to score back to back centuries in England?

He was given the chance to play decent test opposition, then given the chance to play decent opposition in England, where he peeled off 55 (run out) 103, 108 and 2 at Lords and Old Trafford.


How does that ever happen if they don’t play here?
Put them up at Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Canberra - who cares. Give them the opportunity to get better.

As I've stated 57886433 times I have no problems with giving teams the opportunity to get better. My argument is let those teams earn that opportunity.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

And the way to make sure they get better at playing in Australia is by never playing here?

If they can compete with us in their conditions regularly they can earn the right to play us at home

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

We play the Windies and Pakistan like every 6 years. In the 2 tiered system they'd actually have the chance to play Australia every single year so the fu** are you guys on about

There's not a lot of thought being put into these anti progress posts imo. Just emotionally charged stubbornness. People just gotta learn to relax and let change happen.

Can you imagine this place when Edison came up with the lightbulb??? They'd be shouting him down worrying about how candles wouldn't get a chance.

 

[Gibbke]

Test cricket doesn't accommodate the notion of multi-team competition very well. The current championship structure is odd, and simply a way to enforce schedule rotation with a token prize at the end which will never outweigh the strength of the rivalries...

It's a catch 22 - the only games of guaranteed viability are between only a few nations with long standing cricket histories and geographical/political rivalry, with the odd top team battle capturing the focus. You could simply rotate Australia, England and India to ensure big summers for each country...hang on...

Or you could adopt various equalisation measures suggested throughout, with an associated cost of non-profitable series, and much worse, the dumbing down of the sport itself. 4 days v 5 days is a much bigger change than it sounds. My own thoughts of artificial pitches to a common standard does completely change the context of 143 years and over 2500 tests, and doesn't guarantee even a continuation of cricketing standards, much less an improvement, even though it might even out the results a little...

What is true though is that exposure improves standards. Learning in sport is a constantly regenerative process...the knowledge the Windies would have been able to impart from the 1980's is totally lost now, and their current side is relearning all of it. Afghanistan did some seriously good things at the WC despite losing every match - when they lined up against Ireland in a recent 3-format series, they totally outclassed them, much of that to do with their base in India and the last few years of experience...

The most realistic solution to improving competitiveness between countries (not necessarily popular with various boards) would be lower sides playing top sides. Ensuring Australia drops in and plays Ireland during an Ashes series, or we play a game or two in Cairns or Darwin in July against Afghanistan. It's not the venue that's necessarily important, because all venues need to reach a certain standard (I'd wager that no ground in Zimbabwe is as good as Cazaly's in Cairns!), just the opposition. Bangladesh toured a couple of times a decade ago, and were slaughtered, but it all aided their development...

It's one of the few big world sports that doesn't function world cup style as well as it functions as a one off event. A regular Trans Tasman Boxing Day test would probably stay huge forever, if done sparingly (not every 32 years, maybe drop this to 4 or 5) and with a sense of occasion which the fans will bring. It doesn't have to be for points, just the grudge...

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Why is that not an answer? South Africa has as much history of corruption as any other cricket nation and their pitches are by far the best.

That's your opinion. I don't rate it at all but you're entitled to it.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Based on its aversion to spin most of the time, I’m not sure Australia would put up much of one there either


Do you know how Tamim Iqbal got good enough to score back to back centuries in England?

He was given the chance to play decent test opposition, then given the chance to play decent opposition in England, where he peeled off 55 (run out) 103, 108 and 2 at Lords and Old Trafford.


How does that ever happen if they don’t play here?
Put them up at Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Canberra - who cares. Give them the opportunity to get better.

So the sum total of Bangladesh touring overseas and stinking it up for over twenty years is two tons from their opening batsman in a test series they lost by plenty? FMD I'm having a hard time trying to reconcile your posts. I think you're trolling tbh

If you're not trolling, for someone so forgiving of crap teams playing crap cricket ad neaseum you don't share much of those niceties towards your fellow posters.

 

[Aucklander]

I don't know if this has been posted, but it's very good viewing.

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz