Do you even consider T20 as preserving the genuiness of cricket?

[Mariyam]

No disrespect to you Fineleg, you are one of my fav posters, but this constant and incessant putting down of T 20 in every second thread as if its the only ill plaguing Indian cricket at the moment is getting tiresome. What is more tiresome is that people are behaving as if banning the T 20/IPL is some sort of panacea for everything wrong with cricket. Such thinking just reeks of insecurity. A few points in perspective: 1) We would have lost lost the series against England even if there weren't any IPL and our players were fit. Apart from the physical aspect, our boys weren't just prepared mentally for the test matches. There hardly was any will to fight. 2) Its easy to blame the IPL for the players' injury, but the ultimate blame lies on the players. If they know they have shaky fitness standards, they should have taken better care of their health or prioritized. 3) T 20 is here to stay. In terms of RoI, it offers much more back to cricket than any other form. Thats a business reality. The sooner you accept it, the better it is for you. Not long ago, people said the same thing about ODIs. Now ODIs, because of the WC are the most popular form of cricket. 4) If test cricket has to survive in the long run, it should be made more sell-able. As of now, selling test cricket to our youngsters ( more than 60% of the population) and to girls is extremely difficult. Test cricket loses out on those markets.

[Blue Panther]

T 20 is a great advt for the game. Esp in countries where they dont know abt cricket. Nobody is gonna watch test cricket in countires like usa or canada. But t20 can do the trick if it is marketted smartly.

[fineleg]

A few points in perspective: 1) We would have lost lost the series against England even if there weren't any IPL and our players were fit. Apart from the physical aspect, our boys weren't just prepared mentally for the test matches. There hardly was any will to fight.

IPL crap does not just cause physical fatigue. Our players were mentally exhausted too. A break (after the WC) would have provided both physical and mental respite.

2) Its easy to blame the IPL for the players' injury, but the ultimate blame lies on the players. If they know they have shaky fitness standards, they should have taken better care of their health or prioritized.

The BCCI (based on things I've read here) - does insist our players to participate in IPL. Yeah the blame is to be shared - bcci and players - both are responsible.

3) T 20 is here to stay.

Maybe it will stay. And thats a sad thing for cricket.

4) If test cricket has to survive in the long run, it should be made more sell-able. As of now, selling test cricket to our youngsters ( more than 60% of the population) and to girls is extremely difficult. Test cricket loses out on those markets.

Test cricket pitches need to be improved to produce results. That will take care of a lot of things. Make it an even fight between the bat and the ball and the game will sell itself to the youngsters. As for boys or girls - the ones who like the game and have the ability to appreciate it, will like it irrespective of the gender.

[rkt.india]

IPL cause fatigue..this is one of the funniest argument I hear several times. A 3 hrs of game every 2nd or 3rd day causes fatigue that is not right argument. Bowlers only bowl 4 overs in 2-3 spells that cannot fatigue any bowler. Any player would like to play that kind of cricket whole year. Ishant bowled 50 overs in one and a half month of IPL and in just one single Lords test, he bowled more than that in 5 days, now tell what is more tiring. IPL has become one of the easiest and untiring way to play cricket. I can accept argument that IPL is giving cheap money for less time of cricket, but IPL causes fatigue is a flawed argument. Any players who says they are fatigued because of IPL, he should stop playing cricket.Because IPL is one and a half month long fun party, nothing else.

[fineleg]

And 'Yam - Congratulations! (for the engagement, albeit the wishes coming 2 months later)