Brainfade Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 As much as I am a fan of test cricket, I have come to accept the reality that neither the Indian cricket administration nor the Indian cricket team is committed to it. Moreover, it is obvious from the sparse crowds at the test matches in India (and possibly sparse TV viewership in India) that Indian audiences are not drawn to it anymore. Only the old guard of players, fans and former players express any sincere support of test cricket. I am willing to bet that today's players just give it lip service because it is the right thing to say, and would be perfectly fine without it. It is obviously evident from their on-field performance and demeanour that they are not willing to put in the work that is required to keep them physically and mentally fit for 15 sessions - even if they "say" they love test cricket. They would much rather play more of the shorter version matches, generating more money for themselves and the board while providing what today's audiences want - instant gratification. It is time to put our emotions aside, deliberately dial down our support for test cricket, and invest more to expand our strengths - 50-over LOIs and T-20 LOIs. The BCCI mission/vision statement should be deliberate and formally state this: The mission of the BCCI is to ensure that Indian cricket reaches and sustains consistent dominance in the limited-over versions of the game. To this end, we will: (1) invest more revenues and substantially increase the number of 50-over LOIs and T20 internationals that we play per year. (2) decrease the number of test series to two 3-match series per year - one series at home, and one abroad. While we respect test cricket, we will not commit any resources to this format, except the bare minimum required to retain ICC test-status. (3) consequently, give priority in selection, training and contracting of players to those who are are well-suited for success in these formats of the game. Potential for success in test cricket will only be a minor consideration in pay negotiations with contracted players. (4) expect that state, district and other local cricket boards will recalibrate their selection and training methods to support this vision for Indian cricket. If you really think about it, we are already on the above path. It is time to formally state it, embrace it and work towards dominating LOI cricket like no one has done before. Head over heart.
ganeshran Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 There is no glory without performing well in Test cricket. As poorly as our team is performing now, I would still not advocate concentrating on LOIs at the expenses of tests Plus our domination in LOIs is at home, not abroad. P.S: not sure if a serious thread
Brainfade Posted January 4, 2012 Author Posted January 4, 2012 There is no glory without performing well in Test cricket. As poorly as our team is performing now, I would still not advocate concentrating on LOIs at the expenses of tests Plus our domination in LOIs is at home, not abroad. P.S: not sure if a serious thread It is a serious thread. I have reluctantly accepted the reality that, to Indian audiences, glory in test cricket does not mean as much as winning the world cup. All you need to do is look at the crowds in the stadiums. You and I can harp all we want about test glory, but it is passe'. We are better suited to LOIs and must commit to dominating at home and working towards expanding that domination abroad. And just be strategic, deliberate and honest about it. I see nothing wrong with that change. Is it radical? Yes. Will I be upset? Possibly. But, I (and other old fogies like me) will adapt.
BeautifulGame Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 There is no glory without performing well in Test cricket. As poorly as our team is performing now, I would still not advocate concentrating on LOIs at the expenses of tests Plus our domination in LOIs is at home, not abroad. P.S: not sure if a serious thread We won our last ODI series in Srilanka , Pakistan , Newzealand , West Indies and Bangladesh. Only two places we have failed were in Sa where we lost a close fought series and in ENgland we played our 2nd choice XI. SO how exactly we only dominate at home when we have won series last time we played in 6 of the 8 test playing nations
BERGKAMP Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 most people who are on this forum love test cricket and see it as the main priority. we are a very small percentage of the overall indian fan base however. most could not care less about tests and will love the increase in odis and t20s. bcci are also probably secretly glad we are getting thrashed abroad so can start to focus less on tests with not much opposition from fans. they will make money, players will make money, only hardcore fans will suffer but they don't give a **** about that. DLT will also be glad in a selfish way as they know nobody will now eclipse their records and their legacy as legends is cemented. the youngster have not got the stomach or heart to slog it out over 5 days when they know they can make millions of dollars in a month long tournament. these are dark days for us.
Cricket Tragic Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 We won our last ODI series in Srilanka , Pakistan , Newzealand , West Indies and Bangladesh. Only two places we have failed were in Sa where we lost a close fought series and in ENgland we played our 2nd choice XI. SO how exactly we only dominate at home when we have won series last time we played in 6 of the 8 test playing nations Australia as well.
ganeshran Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 We won our last ODI series in Srilanka , Pakistan , Newzealand , West Indies and Bangladesh. Only two places we have failed were in Sa where we lost a close fought series and in ENgland we played our 2nd choice XI. SO how exactly we only dominate at home when we have won series last time we played in 6 of the 8 test playing nations We have won matches outside the SC, but we dont dominate like we have been doing at home
Needforspeed Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 most people who are on this forum love test cricket and see it as the main priority. we are a very small percentage of the overall indian fan base however. most could not care less about tests and will love the increase in odis and t20s. bcci are also probably secretly glad we are getting thrashed abroad so can start to focus less on tests with not much opposition from fans. they will make money, players will make money, only hardcore fans will suffer but they don't give a **** about that. DLT will also be glad in a selfish way as they know nobody will now eclipse their records and their legacy as legends is cemented. the youngster have not got the stomach or heart to slog it out over 5 days when they know they can make millions of dollars in a month long tournament. these are dark days for us. +1. Talk to the school kids now. Even most of the guys below 20 don't care if there is a Test Series on. They strongly support IPL teams and spend time in front of TV while ODIs are on. I know this for a fact in my interactions with some of them. This is the way their friends behave too. Same thing with ladies. We are part of a minority. Probably that is why we join cricket forums and discuss all this. The TV Channels and Marketeers will dictate the direction cricket takes, at least in India and they won't be bothered about people like us.
cowboysfan Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 I may stop watching cricket if this is true.50 overs cricket is really a dead end and international t20 is a joke,if India is not serious about test cricket then they should stop playing it altogether and concentrate on IPL.
Karan114 Posted January 4, 2012 Posted January 4, 2012 Its not as simple as saying that we should just focus on limited overs cricket. Even the best ODI players have some sort of a grounding in FC cricket (that includes our ODI specialists like Raina and Yuvraj). If we just focus on limited overs tournaments then the quality of our ODI players will also go down and we will start losing in that format too.
BeautifulGame Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I may stop watching cricket if this is true.50 overs cricket is really a dead end and international t20 is a joke' date='if India is not serious about test cricket then they should stop playing it altogether and concentrate on IPL.[/quote'] Then u should just stop watching cricket.
BeautifulGame Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I hate it when some here try to project as if most Indian fans care about tests more than ODIs and T20 when it is far from reality. I seriously doubt some of them have even been to India in recent times.
Mariyam Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 Interesting post!!! Cricaddict. At the end of the day, the BCCI is a commercial establishment. And like any commercial establishment, it would function to maximize its long term profits. The thing with test cricket is that it hardly contributes to the coffers of the BCCI. Remember reading an article in the ET that showed a split of BCCI earnings (declared) on various parameters like state associations, channel television income and by the form of cricket. Bulk of the revenues are from T20s and ODIs ( for important tournaments). The ad slots for a prime T20s match are priced nearly a five times than that for prime time test games. Maybe someone from an advertising background can shed more light on this. For how much longer will BCCI keep feeding the problem child?
Vijay.Sharma Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I don't think the issue about the format of the game. Fans, no matter which part of the world they are from or what culture they come from, love just two things in their teams - a. Win! b. Don't lose humiliatingly and put up a fight before you lose. Go down fighting! The mission statement should be geared towards the above two immaterial of the format we play. And for this the mission statement would be i. The fan is the bread-winner. Do not take her for granted. Make fan experience as the most important requirement for all games. ii. Ensure work ethic and dedication to the values of the sport are of prime importance for all National teams. iii. Ensure the above is percolated to the State and Age Group Levels. iv. The meaning of "Work Ethic and Dedication to the sport" should be made to be understood as the following - iv.a - Skill = Consistency * Performance iv.b - Never Give Up! iv.c - Be honorable in victory and defeat iv.d - Ingrained belief that our abilities and our actions control our destiny v. Celebrate victory and encourage dominating scorelines for victory. Incentivize performances based on the degree of domination. vi. Look losses in the eye and avoid knee jerk reactions. vii. Emphasize on all formats of the game equally, having equal importance in their own rights. In other words, focus on FC for Test selection and improve that aspect of the format. Similar direction for the other formats Trust me, if the above mission statement comes anywhere near to getting achieved Tests played in India will have capacity turn outs
akshayxyz Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 Agree with Cricaddict on the part - if we manage to win majority of ODI/T20 tourneys in next decade - with nothing much to show in tests. I will take it. However, due to lack of professionalism evident at multiple levels - BCCI, selectors, ground management, domestic FC cricket and even some players in National side, it will ensure that we wont be thoroughly dominating any format, any sooner. But yes, even with messed up system, we have better chances at shorter formats - due to sheer size of the ODI/T20 talent pool.
jairamesh Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 I have been saying this for ages. BCCI and the vast majority of Indian team arm chair supporters don't give a rats **** about Test cricket. The the smart money (sponsors) knows this and hence pour their investments into IPL and ODIs. So why would one expect young players to strive for Test cricket? When BCCI morphed into a profit making entity any planning and objectives to dominate cricket were a secondary issue. As long ODIs and IPL attract ad money, BCCI is going to jack to remedy the decline of India Test cricket. And even when India was no.1 in Tests the stadiums were still empty, TV ratings lower than ODIs, ad revenue paltry compared to IPL. I struggle to see the next Future Tours Program containing many Test matches from India's POV.
zen Posted January 5, 2012 Posted January 5, 2012 The cricket I like to follow is test cricket esp the high profile series .... the odis i follow are of usually major tourneys test cricket is like reading novel, every day is like an interesting chapter ....
Brainfade Posted February 26, 2012 Author Posted February 26, 2012 Time for me to eat crow? If the logic presented in the OP were to be applied now, India should give up international cricket altogether! Oh well ...
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