ICC To Preserve Test Cricket?

Question

Acting chief of the ICC Dave Richardson has said the World cricket board intends to put measures in place to preserve test cricket. He denied wild claims from 'certain' quarters that stated ICC were not interested in test because of the rise in popularity of 20/20 matches. Nothing could be further from the truth he said, & that also included 50 over games. When you ask players from most countries where their loyalties lay, they all answered that test cricket was first. At the next meeting in Dubhai, 29th June, ICC will discuss plans for a test championship, a league spread over 1,2, or 4 years.But the mean to keep test cricket at the pinnacle of the game.'It is a perfect balance between 50& 20 over cricket' Richardson said. Richardson was a former wicket keeper for S.Africa.

What are your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

Expect to see dozens of 'Triangular Tournaments' popping up all over the world, especially in Asia, to 'popularise' theTwenty20 format.

Players will 'retire' from Test cricket to concentrate on Twenty20, because that is where the money is.

ICC will create a gimmicky World Test Chamionship, where all play all over a 4 year period, or even worse, a World Test Cup held over a three month period, no doubt with Super Eights, semi-finals, and a Final played out in pitch darkness

I don't really think the ICC can determine whether Test cricket should be preserved. I believe Test cricket is the best form of the game. However, cricket has been evolving for hundreds of years, and it will continue to evolve. Twenty20 may be the way forward. On the other hand, it may be a flash in the pan, people will bore of it, (as they have with the longer version of the shortened game), and return to a love of Test cricket.

One observation I would make is that if India have a hugely successful Test side, then Test cricket will boom. Twenty20 is booming now because India won the Twenty20 World Championship. If say, England or New Zealand had won that competition, then I doubt the IPL would have happened.

Answer 2

what a relief that is

cricket just wouldnt seem right without tests

im glad they have put a few fears to rest

Answer 3

I fully support the measures to be taken by ICC  to maintain the interest in test cricket

Answer 4

Bingalee is back & ready to answer your Qs.Despite what those'certain' people hope or plan,test cricket will never be pushed out of the way.Especially the Ashes, which is much coveted by those countries not entitled to compete for it. No way the Poms or Aussies will give that up without a fight!

BTW, all those contacts I had to dispense with when I left are welcome to re-connect as I dont remember any names apart from a few.

Answer 5

Great news, I luv test crkt.

Answer 6

I think this is a brilliant idea..and will get more people interested as it's going to be a tournament. One thing the ICC need to be aware of is that they shouldn't drag the tournament on...e.g. like the 2007 World Cup (people got bored of it). They should have it well spread out in the 1-4 years that the tournament may take place in.

Test cricket as well as ODI is here to stay along with new T20. I think the ICC just need to make little ideas like this to makes sure each form of the game is balanced and is watched as much as the next form.

Answer 7

I think there a great deal of paranoia floating around after the rise of 20-20 cricket. If something is really good, you don't need to run scared trying to protect it from so called threats, it can take care of itself. What happened to test cricket after the "Kerry Packer circus"? Did it fold up and die? And this was after a major part of the cricketers actually chose that over test cricket. Nothing of that sort has happened in 20-20 cricket, where it is being emphasized that it can easily co-exist with test cricket.

Why do we keep holding on to something we are comfortable with since some time,as opposed to accepting subtle changes in our favourites? How many of us who consider tests to be the 'real thing', know that it has reached this stage after innumerable mutations and subtler changes, including the positive effects of ODIs in it? Real thing indeed!!!

Look at the bright side, with the advent of 20-20, the old sticks in the mud are actually considering changing the way tests are being played (like a world test series) without realizing that this was the exact intended effect, Change or Die. You will have more such changes being brought in, which if left to ourselves, would never take place (the real thing argument!!!). We need electric shocks to galvanize us, but after that, we move along and use the same electricity that shocked us, not sit and criticize it.

Answer 8

About time the ICC has stepped up to save Test Cricket for all the Test fans...

I am glad people realise there are still so many people out here who regard Test their preference..

I dont hate 20/20, but i get more of a kick out of watching a good tough Test match.

Answer 9

Test cricket has to be preserved. Twenty20 is brilliant and revolutionary, but nothing beats a hard fought Ashes series like 2005.

Answer 10

Dat'll rip the fork out of da injuns nities. lmao