ICC Chairman - "Test cricket is dying"

[to1994]

Free hits in Test Cricket would be embarrassing. If people are bowling no balls to get wickets then that's on the bowlers and the coaches and we don't need extra rubbish to make it easier for batsman.

If we want to save time, remove ball tracking from the DRS. It's stupid, clearly inaccurate (that Finch footage the other night was awful) and it's the most controversial element of DRS that causes the most confusion. Keep it to edges etc. and the DRS actually makes sense to both viewers and umpires and ensures that the majority of overturned decisions are actually howlers.

 

[Cleavy]

an unpopular solution, but perhaps run penalties is the only way to get over rates up to speed?

 

[Kram]

Free hit slogging would be a silly look in Test cricket.

What about make it a real scoring penalty like 4 runs for a no ball.

 

[PhatBoy]

Free hits in Test Cricket would be embarrassing. If people are bowling no balls to get wickets then that's on the bowlers and the coaches and we don't need extra rubbish to make it easier for batsman.

If we want to save time, remove ball tracking from the DRS. It's stupid, clearly inaccurate (that Finch footage the other night was awful) and it's the most controversial element of DRS that causes the most confusion. Keep it to edges etc. and the DRS actually makes sense to both viewers and umpires and ensures that the majority of overturned decisions are actually howlers.

The ball tracking the other night was simply a wrong button being pushed.

 

[The Speaker]

The solution to both things, as with most laws, is to actually enforce the law.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The solution to both things, as with most laws, is to actually enforce the law.

This is true, but the game has evolved into a massive time wasting exercise. It used to be the fielding team who were the big time wasters, now it's batsmen and umpires as well. Any excuse to hold up the game, we're taking it. A batsman gets hit on the shoulder, they used to shake it off and face up to the next ball. Now, out run physios, followed by drink monitors for the fielding team, and it turns into a BBQ while everyone stands around for 5 minutes. Batsmen changing their gloves every 10 minutes, messages being sent out to batsmen, and the ridiculous situation where a batsman gets hit on the helmet. We all know the helmet will be changed, but out comes physios, water monitors, etc, and finally they call for a new helmet. Why not take one out straight away?

Make a rule that if a batsman is in need of medical assistance, then he must retire hurt and come back later. You'd soon see batsmen waving away the physios.

DRS, what a massive time waster this is. First of all there's the committee meeting before they decide they will go ahead with the review. Someone wakes up the 3rd umpire who needs to view the incident, over and over and over again, even though it is abundantly clear from the first viewing what the outcome should be. Then we must check for a no-ball after each wicket. We saw the ridiculous situation the other day of someone having to get Stokes out of the change rooms to come and resume his innings. Insanity. When they do have a review, out come all the drinks, etc, it's a joke.

We see batsmen, apparently actually concentrating on the game, then manage to see someone on the 3rd tier of the grandstand unwrapping a crunchie bar, so they stop the bowler half way into his run up. Pietersen was a recidivist, and there are others.

Then, whenever the bowlers cannot get the ball to swing, there's the endless attempts to get the ball changed, passing the ball through the rings. When it's decided the ball should be changed, out runs someone with a box full of balls and they take an eternity to select one.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Umpires actually have the power to tell players to get on with it, but they just stand there scratching their balls. If we did a time and motion study during a session of Test cricket, I think many would be amazed at how much wasted time there is.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Several Boxing Day/New Year tests are played these days in NZ/South Africa. Crowds are nowhere near what ours are. Tests are typically scheduled around public holidays in India and Sri Lanka as well and rarely get crowds like ours.

Sounds like Test cricket isn't popular.

 

[big_e]

Seems a good place to put this.



I, for one, am in favour. Would be very few international-level team sports where those on the field don't have something identifying them.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Seems a good place to put this.



I, for one, am in favour. Would be very few international-level team sports where those on the field don't have something identifying them.

Yeah, no problem with this. Numbers work pretty well in the Shield. Names probably won't do much for those at the ground, but unlike some sports should work for TV.

 

[Gough]

With the way we've shopped and changed out team lately it would be a huge help, our first fielding session has been a bit of a nightmare in the last couple of years working out whose fielding where.

 

[big_e]

With the way we've shopped and changed out team lately it would be a huge help, our first fielding session has been a bit of a nightmare in the last couple of years working out whose fielding where.

Even worse for touring teams. Used to be able to rely on the commentators to get it right and you could then figure it out but not so much these days.

 

[Ishikawa]

I don't mind the idea - not entirely sure it's necessary but think on appearances the look of it has been proven to be fine in the number of years its been in place for County & Shield cricket.

 

[corbies]

Sounds like Test cricket isn't popular.

And as we know popular = good.

 

[ChampTurboBucko]

Yeah but Bomberboyokay got bored on Boxing Day once so test cricket sucks arse.