blockerdave
ICC Chairman
There’s a lot of runs to be had with the edge to third man. Ian Bell made a career of it.He was still the first player to 1000 runs in T20 cricket.
There’s a lot of runs to be had with the edge to third man. Ian Bell made a career of it.He was still the first player to 1000 runs in T20 cricket.
There’s a lot of runs to be had with the edge to third man. Ian Bell made a career of it.
I don’t know - I’m happy to keep tryingIs there anything I could say about Cricket that you couldn't use to kill Ian Bell?
Heard of Mahela Jayawardene? He had a lot of runs coming down the third man. It was more like the finesse in his batting. Ian Bell was more like a player who used deft touch. I think he was the best ever white ball player for England until 2015. Also a very reliable Test player who scored over 7,000 Test runs. He liked playing against teams from the sub-continent and India in particular (even KP, Cook & Root have scored loads of runs against India. Graham Gooch batted on a different level against the Indians)There’s a lot of runs to be had with the edge to third man. Ian Bell made a career of it.
I mean did you forget about KP?I think he was the best ever white ball player for England until 2015
Ian Bell was the only active player amongst the leading run-scorers that time. I am actually talking about the time when Australia, India and England played in the Carlton Mid Tri-Series. He had infact missed a double ton in one of the matches.I mean did you forget about KP?
I think it's difficult to ensure that test cricket is seen as the pinnacle of the sport without excluding teams. It's already an exclusive club of 12, with the World Cup even more exclusive.@Velocity @wasteyouryouth - Continuing our discussion here. Hear me out... I know this is not going to happen but I gave this a little more thought.
2 Groups
Group A (Based on current rankings)
Group B
- India
- New Zealand
- Australia
- England
- Pakistan
- South Africa
Have the test championship run for 4 years. Each team in individual groups play each other twice (3/5 match series) home and away. Apart from that, each team in Group A, plays 2 teams from Group B once. At the end of the cycle, bottom two teams in Group A and Top 2 teams in Group B contest in a home and away series.
- Sri Lanka
- West Indies
- Bangladesh
- Afghanistan
- Ireland
- Zimbabwe
Based on the current rankings, Pakistan play Sri Lanka home and away, South Africa play West Indies home and away. Winner from both the teams series gets promoted, loser gets relagated or stays in the same group.
I understand a county like scenario wont work but if financially big teams play 2 teams from Group B, that would help them. Also have a rule that if Zimbabwe played Pakistan and England in one of the cycles, next cycle they play India, New Zealand.
Like this idea as well. As a fan I just want things to make more sense in cricket. I want ODI's to abolished. Cricket should only have two formats and that is T20 and test matches.I think it's difficult to ensure that test cricket is seen as the pinnacle of the sport without excluding teams. It's already an exclusive club of 12, with the World Cup even more exclusive.
Also, I don't think India, England or Australia would entertain the possibility, even if it's remote, of dropping into a second tier. Look what happened after the 2007 World Cup. The most inclusive World Cup with 16 teams but because India failed to qualify the format was blamed. The teams in the tournament has since been shrunk by more than a third. Although money is more of a factor there I think.
I'd sooner see something that took inspiration from the Women's Ashes where all formats are counted to a series victory. I think test cricket needs to retain its importance but also recognise that the format is not the be all and end all. If It disappeared tomorrow you'd probably lose fewer fans than if T20 disappeared.
Have one 12 team Cricket Championship over four years.
Everyone plays a series v another team (home or away - alternate, like the Six Nations).
Series must have at least five matches (at least one of each format). Test matches count as 15 points, ODI as 5 points and T20 as 3 points.
You finish with a series between the top two sides to adjudge the winning team.
-
You could have a phased test match championship.
Phase 1: 4 groups of 3. Home and Away over two years. Two match series.
Phase 2: The group winners go into a top group, runners up into a second group and third placed teams into a third group. Or maybe two groups like you suggested (at least this way teams would have a chance to prove themselves rather than being excluded from the outset.
Or maybe into a knockout with the group winners in a semi final then final. Other teams could play for placement.
Final standings, in either format, could then determine seeding for the next tournament.
Could start with something like this
View attachment 245220