I'm at the acceptance stage of grief. I've seen IVA Richards, Warney and Sachin play. Seeing The Rooster hit 4 inventive sixes in an over or Jasprit bowl 4 exceptional overs taking 2-14 - will I be remembering these things in 20 years?
Sadly,I have to agree with pretty much everything you say. I am of that older demographic that grew up and loved Test cricket, viewed the emergence of white ball one-dayers with suspicion before grudging acceptance, but cannot and will not regard Twenty/20 as “cricket”. This of course identifies me as an old fart resistant to change. As Gideon says, Australia cannot and will not priorise T/20 over Test in the cricket calendar any time soon, but as us old farts die off over the next 20 years this will change. T/20 provides a format through which many more countries can viably and competitively participate, and while that is not a bad thing in itself, it certainly doesn’t help Test cricket in the race for survival.
Unfortunately, the only way Tests will survive is as an anachronism - England and Australia will continue to play each other in the Ashes. India will keep playing until one combo of captain-coach-bcci chairman appear where none of the three care about Test cricket - it will basically end. Or when the IPL finally stops pretending and goes to a 6 month schedule. The only possible hope is that since we (India) are a nation of 1.5 billion, we may still have a few tens of millions of people who are still interested to keep it going commercially. Will the “best” players play it in 20 years? Not regularly, no. But the “B” team can play, maybe as a farm system for the IPL, and international T20, which will sit at the top. But it has been forty years (I would argue since the 1983 World Cup) when the games ultimate fate was sealed. Since then, it’s just been a long funeral procession. As much as I would be sad to see it go, I can’t see how Tests fit into the modern world or the modern lifestyle or any sort of modern entertainment landscape. You can have all sorts of empty platitudes from the administrators, and the journos can excoriate the administrators for “not investing” in Tests (whatever that means - note that those complaints are always lacking specifics), but people vote with their eyes and wallets. And it’s turning out to be a landslide.
I'm at the acceptance stage of grief. I've seen IVA Richards, Warney and Sachin play. Seeing The Rooster hit 4 inventive sixes in an over or Jasprit bowl 4 exceptional overs taking 2-14 - will I be remembering these things in 20 years?
Please can l have your autographs &* newsleters
you can have my autograph
Sadly,I have to agree with pretty much everything you say. I am of that older demographic that grew up and loved Test cricket, viewed the emergence of white ball one-dayers with suspicion before grudging acceptance, but cannot and will not regard Twenty/20 as “cricket”. This of course identifies me as an old fart resistant to change. As Gideon says, Australia cannot and will not priorise T/20 over Test in the cricket calendar any time soon, but as us old farts die off over the next 20 years this will change. T/20 provides a format through which many more countries can viably and competitively participate, and while that is not a bad thing in itself, it certainly doesn’t help Test cricket in the race for survival.
Oops, this was meant to be a reply to Lokhtar’s comment below, not to Mr Haigh’s article.
You're very kind to credit this article to me, Greg, but it's actually by Sam!
Oh dear, my second stuff up, I seem to be having an extended Biden moment. Apologies to everyone concerned.
Test cricket has to be entertaining to be surviving
Hope India's tour downunder is entertaining
Unfortunately, the only way Tests will survive is as an anachronism - England and Australia will continue to play each other in the Ashes. India will keep playing until one combo of captain-coach-bcci chairman appear where none of the three care about Test cricket - it will basically end. Or when the IPL finally stops pretending and goes to a 6 month schedule. The only possible hope is that since we (India) are a nation of 1.5 billion, we may still have a few tens of millions of people who are still interested to keep it going commercially. Will the “best” players play it in 20 years? Not regularly, no. But the “B” team can play, maybe as a farm system for the IPL, and international T20, which will sit at the top. But it has been forty years (I would argue since the 1983 World Cup) when the games ultimate fate was sealed. Since then, it’s just been a long funeral procession. As much as I would be sad to see it go, I can’t see how Tests fit into the modern world or the modern lifestyle or any sort of modern entertainment landscape. You can have all sorts of empty platitudes from the administrators, and the journos can excoriate the administrators for “not investing” in Tests (whatever that means - note that those complaints are always lacking specifics), but people vote with their eyes and wallets. And it’s turning out to be a landslide.