This is why test cricket is fading away

[G_B_]

Take a look at New Zealand in ODIs in 2013. Won an ODI series in South Africa Won an ODI series in England Lost an ODI series in BD Will this sequence of events happen in test cricket? Believe me BD have played very good cricket. Its not as if NZ have been complacent or poor. The point in all this is that the shorter formats allow more teams to be competitive. Even now an upset is more likely in the limited over than in the tests. Before Zimbabwe beat Pakistan, when was the last time there was an upset in the tests? Very rarely. I have to go all the way back to when NZ beat Australia in Australia. Look at Sri lanka in Australia. Never won a test match in Australia but have won many ODIs in Australia over the past 2-3 years. Teams like NZ WI and SL become competitive home and away in the ODIs and T20s against the big nations. In years to come we can add BD on this list of countries who can be competitive home and away in the ODIs agains the big revenue nations. This is what test cricket needs to solve. It needs to have 8-9 teams capable of being competitive home and away (i am not saying winning series but capable to winning tests with regularity)

[King Tendulkar]

No this is why we love test cricket. SORTS THE MEN OUT FROM THE BOYS!

[G_B_]

No this is why we love test cricket. SORTS THE MEN OUT FROM THE BOYS!

they way its going there are just going to be 2 men left. They can **** each other off.

[fineleg]

No this is why we love test cricket. SORTS THE MEN OUT FROM THE BOYS!

On this topic, agreed with dsr. All the Pollards and Yusuf Pathans can be heros in T20 but it takes real skill and temperament to win Tests

[King Tendulkar]

On this topic, agreed with dsr. All the Pollards and Yusuf Pathans can be heros in T20 but it takes real skill and temperament to win Tests

sadly have to agree with this post

[G_B_]

come on guys. your missing the point totally. you need atleast 8-9 strong teams for a format or any sports to be strong. As things stand there are like 5-6 teams that are competitive home and away from world cricket at most venues. Fine it separates men from boys. Agree on that front. Problem is what incentive is there for teams like NZ who have a population of 4 million to be competitive in test cricket?

[Crookbond]

There's some merit in what G_B_ is trying to say. But, the blame lies at the door of the BCCI, ECB and Cricket Australia. All these three have not done anything to help Test cricket spread.

[carnish]

Test Cricket Fading Away ... Really?? I dont think so. Its just that the Boards have lost their priorities.

[Raghav_12]

No this is why we love test cricket. SORTS THE MEN OUT FROM THE BOYS!

On this topic, agreed with dsr. All the Pollards and Yusuf Pathans can be heros in T20 but it takes real skill and temperament to win Tests

Have to be agree with both of you :cantstop:

[Zap_Brannigan]

Test Cricket Fading Away ... Really?? I dont think so. Its just that the Boards have lost their priorities.

Why do you think that certain boards have changed their priorities?

[G_B_]

^ the answer is simple. People are not watching in numbers. Key reason being (A) it can be boring. IE some people prefer 4s and 6s to the grind which test cricket is. Plus at the end of the day. In odis and t20s barring a freak result or weather issues you know somebody is going to win and somebody is going to lose (B) lack of competition. Australia and England are the only bastions of test cricket remaining. Even something sucky as the champions league t20 is currently having more viewers than the average test series in India. The youth especially are moving away from test cricket. What test cricket needs is competition among a large number of teams home and away.

[carnish]

Why do you think that certain boards have changed their priorities?

Greed

[G_B_]

Greed

if people in india don't want to watch cricket. are you going to put a gun to their head and say "you must watch cricket?" This is what the "test cricket is real cricket" brigade need to realize. Rather than blaming boards for greed or anything else they need to ensure that their product is worth watching. The BCCI is simply fulfilling a demand which is there from the masses. As things stand a record number of test matches are being playing from 20 years ago. So boards are trying. But I fear in the next 20 test cricket will effectively involve 2-3 teams competitive home and away. That is going to be the final nail in the coffin.

[carnish]

@GB ... There is no less demand for tests among the public than it was in 2001 but yes the numbers are less than those for T20s .... Which means when BCCI organizes tests it earns more than ever ... Only problem is T20 gives them more money ... So they concentrate on that ... Its just like youngsters in UK playing soccer instead of cricket because it pays more and not because they have lost interest in cricket

[RedFever]

Yes interesting like where this is going. I think it sort of also ties in with the culture/kind of economy the 'test' playing nations have :--D. The masses by and large have/had a serious amount of down time to follow this format of the sport though with time will or should only change. Still the kids/college going lot who do have 'time to spare' :) and at an impressionable age can be sold anything and so by extension believe not enough is done to promote the longest format particularly in this segment. Do not care if the aunties and the 50-60 hr working uncles? switch on to the t20s and what have you and just 'follow the sport' as it were. The younger lot should be offered quality test cricket (would think not entirely captured by the number that gets played?) for them to make an informed choice. This is where i think is important for the boards and the administration to be a bit more responsible (this is where a certain degree of call it priority if u like - should kick in) - not entirely different from the kind of rules that govern advertisements catering to 'kids' :).

Aunties who are housewives have lot of time in hand and can watch test cricket. That should be the target audience for the cricket boards :haha:

[G_B_]

@GB ... There is no less demand for tests among the public than it was in 2001 but yes the numbers are less than those for T20s .... Which means when BCCI organizes tests it earns more than ever ... Only problem is T20 gives them more money ... So they concentrate on that ... Its just like youngsters in UK playing soccer instead of cricket because it pays more and not because they have lost interest in cricket

actually its the ODIs that earn the BCCI most of the money. Its a format long enough to carry advertising. T20 is not at all profitable. Which is why India dont play international t20 cricket much. Have a look at the ICC international T20 rankings and look how less India have played in that format. The reason BCCI makes a profit in the IPL is because of franchise fees. Which is why domestic T20 is a winner than international. The fact of the matter is that India-Aus in which India defeated the aussies 5-0 has a TPR of 1 or something like that which is abysmally low compared to a routine ODI series india player. Which tells me that some 80% of Indian fans (my own guesstimate) prefer the limited overs formats. Let me take you down history road. During the 1970s and 1980s the BCCI did not want to play much ODI cricket (even if India won the world cup in 1983). The reason being they got a significant chunk of their total revenue from people attending in the stands. So during that time they did prioritise that. Despite people preferring the limited over formats. Television revenues changed the equation. They could not look the other way on market demand. I strongly recommend that you study where the finances of world cricket come from. At this moment its the ODI format. On average India play 10 tests in a year. Which is sufficient to cater to the test cricket fans in this country who form the minority. Ranji cricket too has not suffered due to the IPL etc. Established first class player still play about 9-10 games in a season.

[Vilander]

Test cricket should become the bowlers game, out and out then it would survive.

[G_B_]

Yes interesting like where this is going. I think it sort of also ties in with the culture/kind of economy the 'test' playing nations have :--D. The masses by and large have/had a serious amount of down time to follow this format of the sport though with time will or should only change. Still the kids/college going lot who do have 'time to spare' :) and at an impressionable age can be sold anything and so by extension believe not enough is done to promote the longest format particularly in this segment. Do not care if the aunties and the 50-60 hr working uncles? switch on to the t20s and what have you and just 'follow the sport' as it were. The younger lot should be offered quality test cricket (would think not entirely captured by the number that gets played?) for them to make an informed choice. This is where i think is important for the boards and the administration to be a bit more responsible (this is where a certain degree of call it priority if u like - should kick in) - not entirely different from the kind of rules that govern advertisements catering to 'kids' :).

If anything the IPL IMO has got the aunties into cricket. Now i am a fan of day night cricket. That means person can come from home and watch the match. Students and men in prime time.

[fineleg]

Aunties can watch test cricket. That should be the target audience for the cricket boards :haha:

Mariyam likes T20 :winky:

[jusarrived]

if people in india don't want to watch cricket. are you going to put a gun to their head and say "you must watch cricket?" This is what the "test cricket is real cricket" brigade need to realize. Rather than blaming boards for greed or anything else they need to ensure that their product is worth watching. The BCCI is simply fulfilling a demand which is there from the masses. As things stand a record number of test matches are being playing from 20 years ago. So boards are trying. But I fear in the next 20 test cricket will effectively involve 2-3 teams competitive home and away. That is going to be the final nail in the coffin.

Why the assumption that people in India have stopped watching Tests ? Check the attendance for test matches in past few years . I have watched 3-4 matches in this period and every time getting a ticket was not easy and sold out . if anything people have lost interest in ODI's .