Test cricket league, the way forward?

[Aditya]

With the ever going debate over IPL cricket, it's absolutely fitting to give IPL an all new perspective. Why not start an IPL kind of a league, with test cricket as the prime format. If we plan on having a test championship in future, why not have a test cricket league?

When the IPL started, no one knew much about t20 cricket, we had just seen one T20 world cup taking place, which India had won and hence the popularity of this format was much more in India, therefore IPL took place. Moreover, the importance of earning money in any occupation is primarily the first concern and hence these kinds of leagues are a major attention for players, all throughout the world.

Test cricket is the purest form of cricket and it can be the most enjoyable form of cricket, it just needs to be played with the same enthusiasm with which t20 cricket is played. A test cricket league can really do wonders to the world of cricket; with the cricketing boards all around the globe taking interest in this form of the game and the players will have no complaints either. Money, enjoyment, leanings and what not! Having said that, this depends largely on the way cricketing boards all around the globe, show interest in a test cricket league or for that matter, yet another league.

With the ever so busy schedule of cricketers, it's hard to imagine how they will actually find time for a test cricket league but logically, this is a sport, a form of entertainment for fans and what can be more interesting than a test cricket league?

Think about it, if we actually want to save this form of cricket, there cannot be a better alternative. The younger generation, loves t20 cricket but let's accept the truth that the older generation, which has seen the brilliance of fast bowling, swing bowling, spin bowling and the remarkable class of batsmen showing content and facing such quality of bowling.

T20 cricket is undoubtedly nowhere near that class. Can we see that class again? We surely can, if the cricket authorities around the globe acknowledge the fact that, leagues are the best way to attract spectators and a test cricket league may just be a "blessing in disguise".

 

[vet_m]

Good Thought.

But the sad thing is no one will go for sponsorship.Test Cricket would not even come to the minds of BCCI or the Brands.

 

[SaiSrini]

Don't think too much of test cricket's future. If its really the greatest format of the game, it should survive by itself. Just stopping to think too much about its future in itself will do good... The boards need to make sporting pitches to make games exciting, but that goes for any format, be it ODI or T20 also.

 

[Ahmad94]

I, tbh, hate watching Test cricket. Long and drags on all day. One days are OK. the only format I can bare to watch is T20.

True, that a player is only good if he survives test cricket. But lets be honest, who has the time and why bothering sponsoring a dead end.

It is only a matter of time before Test cricket wouldn't be classed as a form, hopefully sooner than later.

 

[SaiSrini]

I, tbh, hate watching Test cricket. Long and drags on all day. One days are OK. the only format I can bare to watch is T20.

True, that a player is only good if he survives test cricket. But lets be honest, who has the time and why bothering sponsoring a dead end.

It is only a matter of time before Test cricket wouldn't be classed as a form, hopefully sooner than later.

TBH, lot of people have that opinion and I don't blame you for feeling that way. The constant refrain about test cricket, especially among people outside of the test playing nations (right now, this feeling is rapidly percolating even among people in test playing nations too) is that "you play for 5 days and yet you don't find a winner? WTF game is this?".

To have someone who doesn't miss a single ball of a test match is a RARITY even in the days when test cricket ruled the roost. Even the classic games of India-Australia 2001, I didn't watch every single ball of it when it was live. Its a long drawn out format that tests your patience. Games get interesting only towards the very end, and invariably people switch on during that time mostly.

 

[Ahmad94]

TBH, lot of people have that opinion and I don't blame you for feeling that way. The constant refrain about test cricket, especially among people outside of the test playing nations (right now, this feeling is rapidly percolating even among people in test playing nations too) is that "you play for 5 days and yet you don't find a winner? WTF game is this?".

To have someone who doesn't miss a single ball of a test match is a RARITY even in the days when test cricket ruled the roost. Even the classic games of India-Australia 2001, I didn't watch every single ball of it when it was live. Its a long drawn out format that tests your patience. Games get interesting only towards the very end, and invariably people switch on during that time mostly.

Agreed. I do occasionally watch it, if I am ill and nothing else is on.

The only match I liked was when Pakistan beat England in UAE very recently. They were good games, and lasted only 3 odd days.

 

[War]

Don't think too much of test cricket's future. If its really the greatest format of the game, it should survive by itself. Just stopping to think too much about its future in itself will do good... The boards need to make sporting pitches to make games exciting, but that goes for any format, be it ODI or T20 also.

Ye this essentially. Although the ICC is broken, their is enough smart people to around & close the games decision making powers to make sure test cricket survives.

However the introduction of the test match world championship & a controlling of the t20 leagues/tournaments (mainly the ipl being revamped & the champions league scrapped) around the world are essential things that need to done - since its messing up world crickets schedule ridiculously.

 

[vorgaphe]

What I'd really like to see is an end of season All Stars test tour. So at the end of 2012 ie now Cook, Smith, KP, Clarke, Amla, Sanga, Prior, Anderson, Steyn, Philander, Ajmal ect ... play one match against each of the test nations (minus their players in the all stars side) in the test playing country. This would be a great way to get people into seeing the best players in the world on display.

 

[sifter132]

Best way to get something like this going would be a cashed up TV network that missed out on the official rights and who loved Test cricket ie. think Kerry Packer of 1977. It could be done on a smaller level, but you'd need pretty big money to attract the best players. And how would you do it? Franchises? Nations? Asia vs Rest of the World?

 

[Aditya]

That makes sense, Sedition. If a test cricket league is ever going to take place, it has to be franchises based. If the league is country based then it will basically be a test championship.

Another idea that might make test cricket a little less boring can be, in the first innings both the sides get to play 90 overs each and in the second innings, both sides get to play 50 overs each. In total that is; 280 overs and therefore the test matches will be as long as 3 days.

 

[SaiSrini]

Test cricket probably needs to take the draw out of the equation, even if its forced. Declare the team that picks more wickets out of both innings as the winner. Or base it on runs, or lead or whatever. But force a result! That will be one good step. A sport has to have a winner!

 

[Gaurav_7]

That would take away the satisfaction when a team saves a match from nowhere. Aus v SA recently is a best example. Faf and ABD batted out of their skins to save the match for SA. These things is what makes Test cricket special. If results will be forced then it will no longer be the same. Make sporting wickets and I am sure a result can be gotten in 5 days. Roads won't produce results.

 

[Aditya]

It's not just about getting results, for some it's the entertainment. Watching 5 days to see the result of a cricket match is just a lot for some and it's much more boring when you know that the same sport, has a format (t20) in which you get a result in 3 hours. It all comes down to, whether or not you like test cricket. I personally, am a big fan and hence would like to see the appropriate steps taken to make it better. A league, change the format, do it on wickets/runs basis and get results or?

 

[Gaurav_7]

If you love Test cricket, you will want it to stay as it is and untouched.

It's not just about getting results, for some it's the entertainment. Watching 5 days to see the result of a cricket match is just a lot for some and it's much more boring when you know that the same sport, has a format (t20) in which you get a result in 3 hours. It all comes down to, whether or not you like test cricket. I personally, am a big fan and hence would like to see the appropriate steps taken to make it better. A league, change the format, do it on wickets/runs basis and get results or?

I don't get how Test cricket is not entertaining. How would you make it entertaining? Test cricket is the real test of a cricketer and I personally would want it to stay as it is. T20 is an exciting format but, it should only be limited to WC. This is my personal opinion.

Coming to your point about the formats where in one we get the result in 3 hours and the other where we aren't sure of the result in 5 days. If Test cricket goes the same 'entertaining' way as T20, it will go downhill. They are two different formats. How can you link them together? People who watch Test cricket don't expect the result in a day or two. I watch Test cricket because I want to see some good contest where the bowlers run in and batsmen fight it out or where when a batsmen is on top the bowlers toil to earn their wickets. The character of the players is determined. You know only proper cricket will help you to survive and you just can't go out there and slog wildly. That is what Test cricket is, the true and pure form of cricket.

 

[Aditya]

I'm not saying that test cricket should be changed totally, it's just that if anything can be done to make it better, that should be implemented. My main point here is, in order to make it much more popular among the younger generation, a test cricket league may well be beneficial for this format, which let's admit it is going downhill for various reasons, the pitches being the main reason for concern.

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And with several t20 cricket leagues taking place all throughout the year, I find it hard to believe how test cricket wouldn't die in the next couple of years. Even if it does manage to stick around, I don't really see much batsmen coming forward having a technically solid batting for test cricket.