Save Test Cricket

[saintsinner]

Hello!

I currently have a domain:

www.savetestcricket.org

Its totally dedicated towards saving the glory of Test Cricket. I want to know what test match followers think about this initiation. T20 and ODI are much preferred these days over the age-old Test Cricket. The real cricket lies in test matches. The mastery and tactics of a true cricketer can only be seen in test matches.

I want to get some feedbacks on this project. And I would need your support to make the site running and bringing Test Cricket to Fans.

The site is not yet online, but will soon be with your help and suggestions. Please share your views and opinions.

Thanks

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

how can we give you feedback if the site's not online?

my advice would be to do something interesting, if all you are going to do is whine about T20 and ODIs then no one is going to bother. That's been going on for 3 years and T20 just gets bigger and bigger.

What's your stance on the pink ball, night tests and the like?

 

[Cricketman]

Test cricket isn't going anywhere. It is here to stay.

T20 is nice, ODIs are great, but when you think of cricket you think of lush green outfields, white kits, a red ball, and a gripping battle that lasts 5 days. I don't think people prefer T20s to Tests at all. Sure, they are more convenient and may be a fun place to go to after a hard day at work, but no one is going to say 'Oh wow, Kieron Pollard is a legend of the game, did you see his quickfire 25?' rather 'Dravid saved the game with his 7 hour long 120odd, against Shoaib, Wasim, and Waqar'

 

[saintsinner]

^^
Its true. Great cricketers are always judged from their test careers rather than quick-fire T20.

I wanted to create a community dedicated to test cricket only. Same thing happened when ODI were first started. People were more leaning towards ODI than test matches. and now with T20 on the prowl, test cricket is becoming a distant memory for most of us.

The site is not yet opened, i need some ideas on how to go on with it? Should it be forum based or blogging, or whatelse?

Thanks for your comments.

 

[pcfan123]

Off the top of my head :

South Africa in Australia

Australia in South Africa

Englands humiliation in the Windies

Englands Ashes triumph

England in South Africa

South Africa in India 1-1 (both innings wins)

Pakistan in New Zealand (riveting series)

Pakistan in Australia (Sydney Test)

-----------------------------

We have had some damn memorable and riveting series these last few years. On the other hand, I cannot recall a single ODI series save for the one when England almost lost 7-0 in India.

ODI cricket is the one that is dying my friend. Test cricket is here for life, its the foundation of the sport, without it, everything else is meaningless and I doubt there are many who feel otherwise.

 

[saintsinner]

thats a very good point. ODI is in dire situation these days. lot of sympathy is with test cricket, and t20 is getting popular day-by-day but ODI are neglected.

 

[pcfan123]

Hell even Bangladesh have won a series recently and given India (the number 1 team) a fright.

Honestly, I like Shane Warne's idea of limited 50 over cricket to domestic and a World Cup every 4 years. Ideally I would say do away with Twenty20 but that is not going to happen. It is here to stay and if its going to be at the expense of any format, it will be ODIs.

 

[Cricketman]

ODI cricket is awesome. It is the best of both worlds - tests your ability to stick out a period of tough bowing and score at a fast rate. I love watching ODI cricket.

No way should it be scrapped, it has produced so many memorable games. With the effects of T20 I think ODI cricket will benefit - batsman will be more aggressive and bowlers will improvise as well. We saw this with tests when ODI cricket became popular. The average run rate was around 2, and it is now common to see it hover at well over 4RPO in test cricket. ODIs will face a similar effect, I think 300 will be the new 250.

 

[drainpipe32]

ODI's probably my favourite format.

 

[Params7]

People are already feeling the T20 burnout. Tests are too boring too watch like all day, and ODI will come back to reclaim its crown and the WC next year will be awesome.

 

[Insomniac]

ODI cricket is awesome. It is the best of both worlds - tests your ability to stick out a period of tough bowing and score at a fast rate. I love watching ODI cricket.

No way should it be scrapped, it has produced so many memorable games. With the effects of T20 I think ODI cricket will benefit - batsman will be more aggressive and bowlers will improvise as well. We saw this with tests when ODI cricket became popular. The average run rate was around 2, and it is now common to see it hover at well over 4RPO in test cricket. ODIs will face a similar effect, I think 300 will be the new 250.

I think we've already hit that point to be honest.

I think we need to limit ODIs and T20s - instead of 1 T20 and 5 ODIs, lets do 3 ODIs and 3 T20s.

Or atleast do away with 7 ODI series, that's just stupid.

 

[Brook]

Englands humiliation in the Windies

What a terrible series that was. Windies played well for one afternoon, the rest of the tests were on total roads.

 

[pcfan123]

That is why i only mentioned the one match and not the entire series. I agree it was a farce of a series but that one match was great.

 

[Brook]

That is why i only mentioned the one match and not the entire series. I agree it was a farce of a series but that one match was great.

Oh right, I thought you meant the humiliation of losing the series.

 

[sohum]

In my opinion, test cricket is perfectly fine as it is, right now. In fact, I'd say it's at the strongest it has been in the last decade or so with the top 4 teams capable of beating each other on their day and as hMarka said, we've seen some brilliant Test series' recently.

Test cricket is always going to have a sinusoidal popularity. Back when ODIs were starting to step up, everyone predicted the untimely demise of Test cricket. Test cricket responded by becoming more aggressive, more result-oriented and had a couple of riveting series between such as the Border-Gavaskar series' (2001, 2003/4) and The Ashes becoming a contest again. Now with T20 threatening, people seem to have forgotten all that has even happened.

Test cricket is in fact in a better state right now then it was back when ODI cricket was starting to gain popularity. Back then, Australia was the unparalleled best team and this made for some pretty one-sided contests (albeit an amazing testament to the Aussie team's ability). Comparatively, we've got some really strong teams right now. What you've also got is India at the top of the table, which means that the richest board is going to concentrate on that form of the game so that it can milk the fans.