Regular readers of TFT will know that we’re rather keen on test cricket, but somewhat indifferent to the shorter forms of the game – particularly ODIs, which dominate the international calendar like the BCCI seems to dominate the ICC.
It’s not that we’ve got anything against 50 over cricket in particular – the World Cup is always a great showpiece – but we’re worried that test cricket is being overshadowed, and not enough is being done to promote the purist, and most challenging, form of the game.
The fact that the inaugural world test championship playoffs are in serious jeopardy, simply because Asian TV networks would rather broadcast the mind numbing Champions Trophy, just about sums it up really.
When it’s at its best, test cricket smacks other forms of the game for six. That’s why it’s so vital that test series involving the best teams in the world, like England and South Africa, are given the maximum possible exposure.
So why are we only playing Graeme Smith’s men in a paltry three tests matches next summer? It’s not like there isn’t enough room in the calendar: we’re playing approximately eighty six thousand ODIs instead.
The people running the game need to know that this simply isn’t acceptable. Test cricket is meaningful because it pits the best players in the world against each other, with no fielding restrictions or artificial concepts like power plays. On the other hand, there are so many ODIs that they’re fast becoming meaningless.
That’s why we’d like to tell you guys, our faithful followers, about a petition called Testing Times. The organisers are doing their best to protect test cricket – starting with a campaign to expand next summer’s showpiece against the Cricket Boks to four matches (and sacrificing, or rearranging, some of the less important fixtures).
Check out the petition by clicking on this link http://bit.ly/uCdbeH. Over a thousand people have already signed up. You can also follow the campaign on twitter @testingtimesXI and facebook.
test cricket needs a proper context. if there is not proper test format and T20 and ODI’s continue to gain more financial and commercial favour, then test matches will become harder to justify. I am not against T20’s or the IPL…..all cricket has its place, but we need to maintain the balance so we can continue to create generations of cricketers with more competent & complete skills sets, so that when they do play T20’s & ODI’s to pay the bills they can have a some longevity.