Park cricketer
Club Legend
- Nov 29, 2018
- 1,771
- 2,367
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Not sure when we are going to acknowledge it. Yes, the concept of a grand final can be suitable for the T20 and ODI formats where the conditions mostly remain the same for both innings except for maybe the dew. But the idea of deciding the best team in Test cricket based on a single one off game feels like a gimmick to me. It should at least be a 3 test series between the finalists. Ideally I would prefer the final to be conducted across 3 conditions (one in the subcontinent to test the teams against spin, one in Aus/SA to test against pace and bounce and one in Eng/NZ to test against swing/slow seamers), a bit like how teams play home and away legs in a semifinal tie in the Champions league football match. But I know that's unrealistic, so a best of 3 series in any fixed venue country would suffice.
Having a one off test doesn't tell you if it's the best team or not. Imagine Australia or New Zealand winning across the world and imagine if Sri Lanka or Pakistan or India makes the final on the back of winning ruthlessly at home and the final is scheduled on a rank turner in Sri Lanka or India, and Australia or NZ loses the toss in the final. I see the WTC in its current form to evoke interest in Test cricket among the casual fans more than it caters for the purists. We didn't need the WTC to decide which was the best team in test cricket for more than a 100 years before, but for a format that values longevity, endurance, versatility and survival, having a one off final to decide the best team in Test cricket feels like a pyjama cricket gimmick to me.
Your thoughts?
Having a one off test doesn't tell you if it's the best team or not. Imagine Australia or New Zealand winning across the world and imagine if Sri Lanka or Pakistan or India makes the final on the back of winning ruthlessly at home and the final is scheduled on a rank turner in Sri Lanka or India, and Australia or NZ loses the toss in the final. I see the WTC in its current form to evoke interest in Test cricket among the casual fans more than it caters for the purists. We didn't need the WTC to decide which was the best team in test cricket for more than a 100 years before, but for a format that values longevity, endurance, versatility and survival, having a one off final to decide the best team in Test cricket feels like a pyjama cricket gimmick to me.
Your thoughts?