Time to Jazz up Test Cricket?
Test cricket is the earliest format of the game of cricket. The word “Test” signifies that these matches are a trial of ultimate potential and endurance of a team. A Test match is played between the teams that have been awarded the Test status by the ICC, a niche where every every cricketing nation wants to see itself; the example of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751 biding to become only the 11th Test playing nation in the world in front of us.
At present only 10 countries are the privileged Test match-playing nations. Several others have put forward their petition from time to time to the ICC for recognition as the Test cricketing nation.
Be it the Ashes series between the arch cricketing rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Test cricket tournaments, despite the five days long schedule, Test matches have managed to attract spectators and keep them engrossed in a display of quality cricket.
However, things have begun to change in the last few years, where the advent of modern forms of the game such as One Day Internationals and T20 Test cricket has ensured that the fans are fast moving away from it.
The threat that Test cricket faces from T20 is similar to the one faced by classical music from pop or jazz. The rising public interest in these younger siblings have put a question mark on the survival of the traditional forms.
While the T20 is a quick way to entertain and make money, it is widely accepted by the players and critics alike that Test cricket still occupies the cult status as the ultimate test of cricketing skills. That doesn't mean anything though, if no spectators are coming to watch these matches.
Until few years back, a Test series was organised between two nations with mutual consent and the host team appointed the umpire. However, with inclusion of more countries in this format of the game an official system has been devised to ensure that every Test cricketing nation gets a chance to play against every other country at least once in a period of six years. Also the countries and players are allotted separate ICC Test rankings on the basis of their performance. The ICC has also appointed a panel of eleven elite umpires to officiate these mega cricketing events. It is hoped that these initiatives would generate interest in Test cricket.
But that bid appears to be failing, leaving players, critics and administrators hunting for ways to generate more interest in the time-honoured form of play.
The ICC Chief Executive, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Haroon-Lorgat-c61719 has proposed that England could host the first ever Test championship in 2013 instead of the scheduled Champions Trophy. Champions Trophy is a smaller version of the World Cup, where only the top eight teams compete in a fifty overs competition.
This is seen as another attempt to popularise Test cricket and move it beyond the conventional series like Ashes. The ICC Chief has said that the Test championship would be a good way to keep the crowds interested.
He has suggested that the top four Test cricketing nations could have a semi-final and final match among themselves to decide the ultimate cricketing nations. Earlier, as a convention, the Test series were played between two countries. However, the inclusion of four best teams in a single series is bound to generate excitement and interest among spectators.
However, Lorgat agrees that the proposal is still in the pipeline and a lot more needs to be done before the final execution.
Nonetheless he is optimistic and said that a plan has already been made for the next chief executive's committee meeting. Lorgat added that the need to generate interest in Test cricket is being realised by many members in the executive committee and thus hopes that he will succeed in getting their approval.
According to a report, the viewership of Test cricket has dropped almost by 40% since the advent of T20 format of the game. The declining viewership is also drifting sponsors away from the game. Thus it remains to be seen if ICC’s initiative could bring its lost glory back to the Test cricket because unless steps are taken to jazz up the Test cricket it would be extinct in a matter of time.
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