MCC To Revive Test Cricket With Day/ Night Matches
The declining popularity of Test cricket is causing concern among the governing bodies, which resulted in the Marylebone Cricket Club putting forward a proposal for starting day/night Test matches.
The committee met at Lord’s last week and discussed how drastic steps had to be taken to save Test cricket. They called for the immediate introduction of day/light matches, especially in countries which have experienced a decline in the attendance at Test matches.
Test cricket has lost its popularity to the more attractive Twenty20 cricket, but the MCC is hopeful that the traditional format of the game can be revived with the right planning, and they believe day/night matches is the way to go about it.
The committee which met last week in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Singapore-c3005 consisted of not only officials but also former players, with the aim to revive Test cricket. With the successful testing of pink balls, it’s now very possible to start floodlit Test Matches sooner or later.
The former Australian captain, Steve Waugh, who was on the MCC committee said, “a day night Test would be a chance to be part of history by taking the game in a different direction and Test cricket needs a few changes, to get people back on board.”
To stress his point, he mentioned World Series Cricket and how it had changed the game since its beginning in 1977, he finished off by saying how even though it had taken time, cricket fans had eventually adjusted to night matches, with white balls and colored clothing.
The reason why the idea of introducing day/night Test matches was even held back until now was the traditional white ball, but with the testing of different colored balls has been very positive. The pink ball has been the most successful so far, and it seems like it’ll only be a matter of time before the first floodlit Test match is held.
The International Cricket Council President, David Morgan was strongly in favor of day/night matches and said he had already discussed the issue with administrators in Australia and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s Chief, James Sutherland had suggested that trials for floodlit Test be held in the second XI games in the 2010-2011 season.
The growing popularity of Twenty20 and the decline in the audience of Test cricket is nothing new, in the 1980’s and 1990’s Test cricket faced a similar threat by One Day Internationals. It was predicted that with all the competition from the more attractive formats, Test cricket would not survive, but it has lasted this long, proving that there is still life in Test cricket.
The only thing needed now is something new that will recapture the interest of the cricket fans. The traditionalists who are still very supportive of Test cricket, agree with the revival of the traditional format, but aren’t really in favor of day/night Tests, saying that they do not want the game to be changed too much.
With T20 riches on offer, the committee feels that national governing bodies should do all that they can to retain their best talent and ensure Test cricket is a financially rewarding career.
There are freelance cricketers who see a profitable career in playing shorter forms of the game but the committee wants to prevent an increase in their number. The committee understands that market forces will always dictate what type of cricket spectators want to watch and that people can't be forced to watch Test match cricket.
At the moment, however, cricket authorities around the world need to make a more concerted effort to attract audiences to Test cricket: a World Test Championship, played by well-rewarded cricketers – on fair pitches – at a time of the day that suit the paying public, would provide the Test game with the boost it requires. This was said in an official MCC statement.
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