Is Cricket 'DEAD' Thread

[go hawks!!!]

I thought I could open up some discussion on the ‘mustard pot’ about my summer sport, that is cricket.

I can tell you that over the last 2 years, my interest in cricket has wavered, I mean, I find it extremely boring and disinteresting. I used to be able to watch any team play, including games on Fox Sports. Ever since 20/20 was introduced, one day cricket is so obviously dead, but also test cricket. This has been primarily due to the introduction of the IPL and the huge amounts of money involved, which has lead to changes in the quality of test cricket as these guys are training for 20/20 and the obvious lack of interest in test cricket.

I was saddened to watch a game yesterday at the MCG, where there seemed to be a crowd for a domestic game not an international game of cricket. It was disgraceful!

An example is the West Indies, where Kieron Pollard, a 20/20 star and future champion of the game in all forms, did not accept a contract from the WICB for test cricket (he is yet to play a test) as the test cricket schedule may interrupt/ clash with his 20/20 committments.

So, the million dollar question:

IS CRICKET DEAD?

I think once the poms come there will be increased interest in the cricket, but what about next year, where our team is currently not performing to the level we expect and resembles more of a ‘dad’s army’ than a cricket team.

Further, the Australian Cricket Board is losing a significant amount of cash, with decreased interest, will Channel 9 persist?

Well, what are your thoughts?

Personally, I’m old school and love test cricket and can’t stand 20/20.

 

[Henry Jr]

I'm a cricket tragic and will watch anything.

However, like you GH, my faith in the shorter form of the game is wavering.

I can quite easily sit there and watch 540 balls of Test cricket and love it.

What I don't love is the side that the selectors keep picking.

I mean, look at the lift that people like Smith and even Doherty give to the team. Bouncing around like Grizz after a red cordial or two. If we are losing anyway, atleast play the youngsters.

With the test team

Outs: Hussey, North and Horrible Hauritz

Ins: Khawaja, Fergerson and Doherty

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I hope so.

 

[TAITA]

Dunno.

Who's winning?

 

[Woodside Hawk]

I understand what you're saying GH, but personally I greatly enjoyed yesterday's game.

Test Cricket is far and away my favourite form of the game, but I enjoy 20/20 as well. I have concerns about 50-over cricket, though. Too often the middle 20-or so overs are just flat out boring, waiting for the 40-over mark to tick over before the final onslaught. All the power-plays etc just seem to me to be tinkering at the edges to try to generate excitement in a game that has probably been adequately replaced by 20/20 (which is really just the first 10 and last 10 overs of a one-dayer compressed, when you think about it!).

As far as selectors go....can anyone explain Brad Hodge to me? What was it, a double-century in his last test innings and never seen again in the baggy green?

I suspect Ponting will lose the ashes this year at home, and if that happens, retire. Unfortunately I'm not sure Clarke is up to the job, but he'll likely it anyway due to a lack of other options. I agree with HenryJr's call for change in the test side, and North would be my first target. I can't figure out how he's lasted this long!

Anyway, personally I am looking forward to watching the day/nighter tomorrow and can't wait for the Ashes to start.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Yep.

I'm a former cricket lover, can't stand it now. The whole thing just doesn't make sense. Playing random teams with random players in there etc.

I like sports that have a league, or an international round robin competition, in which a 'best' is decided. i.e. out of all possible competitors, we know that: collingwood is the best in the AFL, or Spain is the best soccer side, or Federer is the best tennis player, etc.

Cricket - so we play Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa across a three month period. Some of these teams play each other, some don't. There are some other teams that get around, India is one of them, West Indies another - they might swing in for a day or two, may or may not have their best team there. At the end of the day we've played a bunch of cricket and it all just seems to mean nothing at all.

The stats don't mean anything anymore because the number of games played is completely different. The sport can't decide which format it wants. The crowds are full of racist piss-heads, the game lacks characters (can be said of AFL now also), Richie Benaud is gone, kids don't play cricket in the street anymore, cricket bats cost too much, fielding is an undervalued skill and all of a sudden we're hearing about WAGs. I really don't need to know what a WAG is but I do - and it's all centred around non-sport gossip shit. It pisses me off - I'm over it.

 

[Woodside Hawk]

Sorry LP but I gotta call you on this -

1) - Richie Benaud is alive and calling...heard his dulcet tones coming out of my TV only last night.

2) - I may be wrong on this, but I believe WAG's to be an English soccer press invention, (ie Victoria Beckham is a WAG...) so I don't believe Cricket can take the blame on that front.

Apart from that, fair points!

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Sorry LP but I gotta call you on this -

1) - Richie Benaud is alive and calling...heard his dulcet tones coming out of my TV only last night.

2) - I may be wrong on this, but I believe WAG's to be an English soccer press invention, (ie Victoria Beckham is a WAG...) so I don't believe Cricket can take the blame on that front.

Apart from that, fair points!

Richie Benaud is alive ? Geezus, where am I getting my info?

 

[TAITA]

Yep.

I'm a former cricket lover, can't stand it now. The whole thing just doesn't make sense. Playing random teams with random players in there etc.

I like sports that have a league, or an international round robin competition, in which a 'best' is decided. i.e. out of all possible competitors, we know that: collingwood is the best in the AFL, or Spain is the best soccer side, or Federer is the best tennis player, etc.

Cricket - so we play Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka and South Africa across a three month period. Some of these teams play each other, some don't. There are some other teams that get around, India is one of them, West Indies another - they might swing in for a day or two, may or may not have their best team there. At the end of the day we've played a bunch of cricket and it all just seems to mean nothing at all.

The stats don't mean anything anymore because the number of games played is completely different. The sport can't decide which format it wants. The crowds are full of racist piss-heads, the game lacks characters (can be said of AFL now also), Richie Benaud is gone, kids don't play cricket in the street anymore, cricket bats cost too much, fielding is an undervalued skill and all of a sudden we're hearing about WAGs. I really don't need to know what a WAG is but I do - and it's all centred around non-sport gossip shit. It pisses me off - I'm over it.

Agree with this LP, but also believe that crickets greatest problem is the evolution of the game itself - particularly at the short form where medium pace bowling and accrual of runs took precedence over skill and entertainment.

Rose colored glasses on, but I remember bowlers such as Holding, Gardner, Lillee, Thompson and Marshall who would come steaming in with the intention of knocking your head clean off your shoulders, and blokes like Richards, Greenidge, Jones, Chappell, Gower and Lloyd to name a few who would just as quickly put you straight back over your head.

It was gladiatorial - when Jim Higgs would go out to bat at 11 you had genuine and well founded fears he may not return.

I miss that.

 

[Langford4FBOTC]

I'm a cricket tragic. Loved watching and playing the game. Also a traditionalist... give me a test match any day.

The problems as I see it are:
Too much cricket... one tournament blends into the next. I mean I had no idea (because I wasn't paying attention and wasn't anticipating it) that Sri Lanka and Australian were playing at the G yesterday until I jumped into the car after work and caught the last couple of overs.

Standardisation of pitches. Give me a low scoring 3 day result over a 5 day run fest any day. Get some true character back into cricket grounds.

Match/Spot fixing.

We aren't that good at the moment.

As far as selectors go....can anyone explain Brad Hodge to me? What was it, a double-century in his last test innings and never seen again in the baggy green?

Didn't fit into the team ethos of the time

 

[Hawkinspired]

For those that say you loved Cricket but your loosing interest, would you say you interest in Australian Football has got stonger?

5 years ago i liked them both equally. Now i'm a footy tragic and have a passing interest in Cricket...

 

[Woodside Hawk]

Thanks Langford4FBOTC. Is it really just as simple as not fitting in (if that's what you mean)?

BTW, seems like North isn't going anywhere, if this article has any truth to it:
http://au.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article/-/8256313/clarke-captaincy-doubt

TAITA - I 100% agree with your sentiment about the gladitorial aspect missing. Last night watching the Aussies once again fail to close a game when they were on top it really felt like they were missing a true strike bowler. Shaun Tait at his best is what they need - unfortunately he doesn't seem capable of providing it regularly. Are there any other true express fast bowlers waiting in the wings?

 

[Rev08]

I actually think that provided its handled the right way this current poor performance by the Aussies could be the best thing for Australian cricket.

Cricket got boring (cue people bolding this quote and saying...was it ever not? Please don't, it's predictable) when the Aussies won everything all the time. People stopped watching because the result was predictable and it was the same players dominated every game. There was never a need though to change the team because everyone was performing, and those that weren't were being covered up by the strength of the rest of the team.

Now though that we're no good people are uninterested because the selectors STILL won't change the team. They still pick players regardless of form.

In my eyes the future of Australian cricket (both playing wise and supporter base wise) sits with the current selectors. Keep picking older players such as Hussey, North, Ponting and Katich, and players that have shown that they are not up to international standard anymore such as Hauritz and Hopes and we will continue to lose, and people will lose interest. However if they bring in some fresh faces, people will turn on again. We might not win again, but people like to see kids develop into stars. So the sooner we bring in Khawaja, Ferguson, Smith, Paine, Doherty and other fresh faces the sooner we will get people through the gates.

It's the same theory behind Richmond supporters being so excited at the moment. They're not winning, but their supporters love watching the younger players develop and look forward to the future.

My ideal test team for the first test would be:

Katich
Watson
Clarke
Ferguson
Khawaja
Ponting
Paine
Doherty
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

Need some experience in there with Katich and Ponting. Ponting should go to 6 though as he is looking slower against the new ball. Doherty is the in-form spinner in Australia and should be picked.

 

[ventor1]

Dead as a door nail... killed by the selectors!

The same 11 picked to play year in and year out. No basis on form, but rather on what they've achieved in the past. Maybe the Hawks should recruit Langford, Platten and Dunstall as mature aged rookies?
The best 11 should be picked from their selected state squads based on performance, which in turn prompts me to ask; what has Ponting done for Tassie, Clarke for NSW or Hussey for W.A? That might be a bit harsh considering that Ponting is the only one who is scoring any runs.

Either way I'll turn the TV back on when Hodge is part of the 11!

 

[Langford4FBOTC]

Thanks Langford4FBOTC. Is it really just as simple as not fitting in (if that's what you mean)?

BTW, seems like North isn't going anywhere, if this article has any truth to it:
http://au.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/news/article/-/8256313/clarke-captaincy-doubt

TAITA - I 100% agree with your sentiment about the gladitorial aspect missing. Last night watching the Aussies once again fail to close a game when they were on top it really felt like they were missing a true strike bowler. Shaun Tait at his best is what they need - unfortunately he doesn't seem capable of providing it regularly. Are there any other true express fast bowlers waiting in the wings?

Never as simple as that, but it was at the core.

I agree with the gladiatorial side too. The thing is that unless you're reversing it, it's not about speed, it's about bounce. That's what separates the good from the great bowlers and the good from the great batsman (ability to play it in the batsman's case).

 

[Rioli magic]

I'm still a fan of test cricket but losing interest in the other forms very quickly. It's strange that most of us in here are saying we still love Test cricket, yet the game seems to be going the other direction.

I think there are a few factors helping it's demise:

Media - kids with pay tv and even OneHD have sport readily available from around the world and there's no drawcard to watching the Ausse's play cricket, let alone turn up to watch.

These kids don't have backyards anymore and are more likely to be playing Mortal Kombat than backyard cricket with their family/mates.

We don't have the characters or the hero's to admire like we used to - and we're shit.

Other sports/activities are simply taking over - extreme sports, MMA, skateboarding etc.

And of course the IPL and all it's money.


I still think the Ashes will spark interest but overall the game is turning to shit IMO.

 

[eldorado]

As I've gotten older, it seems that the fragmentation of the game into tests (popular here, but waning elsewhere) ODIs (meaningless, but still huge on the subcontinent and 20/20 (hit and giggle family fun) have really diluted my interest in it as a serious sport.

It has the feel more of a travelling roadshow, a less lively Crusty Demons, than a serious sport. A circus, perhaps?

My weeks during the year are made on whether Hawthorn wins or loses. The bigger the margin, the better. Nothing else apart from my family is as important in my life than that

With cricket, I find myself increasingly a) just hoping for a close match and b) hoping the other win sometimes....or c) not even knowing that there is a game on.

My emotional investment in cricket has gone way, way down.

The last World Cup, where it took two months, played in front of empty stadiums, was another signpost that cricket just wasn't grabbing my, or others, attention

The last thing I was passionate about was seeing how long we could hold the Ashes for. When we lost them in 2005, a large slab of my interest went with it.

Now, we win the Ashes..they win the Ashes back...we win the Ashes...see you next year...who cares?

I've realised it really isn't that important to me.

Get rid of all ODIs, except for the World Cup. That might keep ODIs vibrant.

20/20 is, I feel, is a major reason for cricket losing its air...it has diminished the "brand" of cricket, as a whole, as an important cultural event with deep emotional ties...and has subtly re-branded it as just more cheap entertainment, which you can really get anywhere.

At to it the corruption, the centralised control of India, and their suspicious and antagonistic relationship with the 'old guard' countries of Australia and England, and it appears in serious trouble going forward.

People still like it, but don't trust it, and aren't investing emotionally in it.

That's what i think, anyways...

 

[Arkadia]

Cricket has gone the way of modern society- Impulsive-We want results NOW , thus 20-20 has taken over as the bread and butter for cricketers around the world who wish to make a buck, rendering the game to cheap entertainment. The test Matches do not have any relavance anymore. How could people be interested when the aussies play test matches in Darwin against Bangladesh.

I will always play the game in the back-yard with the kids just like i played in the streets with all the lads in the neighbourhood, we would play from morning to dusk. We had an interest in the game, watching the Aussies play the great West Indian Team of the '80's &'90's, the Waugh Brothers, the great one-day games, never a dull moment.

There is so much cricket today, i don't know where or when the aussies are playing anymore. Classic example was last night , never knew there was a one-day-game, even though i was interstate. We seem to change captains, players to accomodate the different style of game.

Sadly the game of Cricket will go the way of the 'Dinosaur'

 

[grizzlym]

I find that only test matches have any appeal to me now. And even then, its greatly diminished.

The sport is over-saturated and the players appear to lack true passion (probably because everyone looks like they're going through the motions most of the time).

 

[market]

is cricket dead? well its certainly in an unhealthy state,.....

really, if someone was to ask you, when was cricket at its most exciting, i reckon (well certainly the case for me) it was when we had DK Lillee and Thomo storming in at a million miles an hour to kill the poms...(who give them their due, did what they could to hold up the flag) and when the West indies were a lean mean fighting machine, that served it up to us every time they played....

Now, not sure if this is being wistful (bit like remembering the 80's teams of the Hawks), but there is no similar excitement level today when we play india, pakistan, south africa, england, west indies etc..

How many characters are out there now? at least Merv used to get the crowd going with his warm-ups etc

Apologies to Warnie, as he was a one man excitement machine when he was interested...

 

[Hawkamania!]

This video says it all.

[youtube]BxoMhIGKqB0[/youtube]

I lost interest in cricket in my teens. Its far too boring compared to other games featuring an egg shaped ball.

 

[Henry Jr]

FFS....X-man dropped after (taking 4 wickets and a runout) for Horrible.

WHATS BLOODY GOING ON!

 

[Woodside Hawk]

Couldn't agree more HenryJr. I thought of this thread the moment I heard that!

And now...rain delays. The commentators on ABC radio were pointing out they'd played entire days in worse rain in English county cricket. There appears to be no recognition of the fact that (an admittedly small number of) people have paid money to be entertained!

They really don't seem to have a clue at the moment.

 

[TAITA]

This video says it all.

[youtube]BxoMhIGKqB0[/youtube]

I lost interest in cricket in my teens. Its far too boring compared to other games featuring an egg shaped ball.

Any friend of 'The Goodies' is a friend of mine Hawkamania (if we weren't already).

However, just looking at that YouTube, a national shame has been lifted and allayed - t'was the British who first had the idea of underhand bowling.

 

[Henry Jr]

If Ponting wants to continue playing Test cricket, its time for him to do a Steve Waugh and put away the Pull and Hook shots.

Just put two men back, bowl some short stuff and you'll be sure to get him hook, line and sinker every time now.