Will there ever be another Test-playing country?

[shirazu]

The problem for bangladesh is that they never get to play any teams worse than them, other than zimbabwe and west indies b. They really aren't that bad, they would beat most of the associates easily imo and would be favorites against the best ones, they're just not up to the standard of the elite international sides that they mostly play. There still hasn't even been a full generation of cricketers to come through since they started playing tests, so I guess they deserve a little more time. At least they have one international class player now. In any case a second tier with more teams playing regular test and ODI cricket would be excellent for fans of these countries. Yeah I know you would sacrifice the tradition of test cricket a little, but tests are a joke nowadays anyway with the parking lot pitches and amazing bats, it's nothing like the game of old. It has to be demoralizing to be a fan of BD/Zim knowing that the best hope you have is stealing the odd ODI or T20, or not losing by an innings in the test. Regular games against the top associate sides would probably lead to far more competitive and interesting cricket.

I guess I don't know where you draw the line. For example, I think SA, Ind, Aus are clearly a cut above and then SL, Pak, Eng are kind of in the second tier, but WI and NZ commonly win a few games or a test, even a series off the second tier and the second tier would be favorites at home against the first tier. I don't think it's as imbalanced as it looks and I don't think you can just break up these eight teams.

 

[King Cricket]

I guess they deserve a little more time.

That's the key point. They need more time. Why can't people realize this! You need to give someone a minimum time if you want him to excel in an area! How much time did we take before we finally won our first test? Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, and slowly but steadily, some world class cricketers like Sakib are emerging. Let's do a bit of comparison between the Bangladeshi side when they first started playing cricket, and the Bangladeshi side of now. Back in 2000 or 2001, they used to get blown out of the water by the different teams. But now they are putting up some fight at least. I'm sure that if they continue to improve at this rate, they will become a formidable test outfit by the end of the next decade or so. We'll have to wait till then.

 

[drainpipe32]

Wow lol, there's a bump!

Hope this isn't political, but there's talk that if Sri Lanka splits into two countries that the Tamil players will play for the new country :| So I don't know if they would deserve test status, definitely a lot of quality Tamil cricketers in SL that aren't in the national set-up.

Ireland being promoted to test status would probably result in less of their players being lost to the English team!

 

[icyman]

I believe Bangladesh are on the improve but aren't up for test cricket at the moment. They have a side filled with potential and with Shakib leading them from the front they are capable of almost anything on their day. They have showed good form over the last 6 months against a second-string WI side and Zimbabwe who they beat retty convincingly in both the ODI series they played. The ICLers are also making a return soon which Banladesh will welcome back players like Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed and many others. This adds a boost to Bangladesh as there will be more players thriving for a spot in the team.

And why are people coming to a conclusion that Afghanistan are a better side than Bangladesh? Yes the Afghans have showed some good form recently but I dont think they are up to a standard where they can beat Bangladesh, especially if it is their full strength side with the likes of Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Ashraful.

In ODI's ,yes.
But in Tests, I believe you are simply counting their recent performances against a second string West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Also,they play too many Tests at home which is yet another problem for them and over the past few years,I havent seen a Bangladesh team tour SAF, AUS or India for that matter.

That's the key point. They need more time. Why can't people realize this! You need to give someone a minimum time if you want him to excel in an area! How much time did we take before we finally won our first test? Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, and slowly but steadily, some world class cricketers like Sakib are emerging. Let's do a bit of comparison between the Bangladeshi side when they first started playing cricket, and the Bangladeshi side of now? Back in 200 or 2001, they used to get blown out of the water by the different teams. But now they are putting up some fight at least. I'm sure that if they continue to improve at this rate, they will become a formidable test outfit by the end of the next decade or so. We'll have to wait till then.

You are simply looking at their recent performances as I mentioned above.
And I feel that w have given them a lot of time to improve. It is time to take some tough decisions.

 

[Harishan]

That's the key point. They need more time. Why can't people realize this! You need to give someone a minimum time if you want him to excel in an area! How much time did we take before we finally won our first test? Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, and slowly but steadily, some world class cricketers like Sakib are emerging. Let's do a bit of comparison between the Bangladeshi side when they first started playing cricket, and the Bangladeshi side of now? Back in 200 or 2001, they used to get blown out of the water by the different teams. But now they are putting up some fight at least. I'm sure that if they continue to improve at this rate, they will become a formidable test outfit by the end of the next decade or so. We'll have to wait till then.

Spot on King Cricket.
The current Bangladesh side is a much better than the side back in 2000/01 and if they are able to get at least two or maybe three test match wins next year where they will be playing against India, NZ and England then I think that would just about gurantee that they are a worthy test team and will continually improve over time.

 

[Params7]

Ireland deserved the test status. I read an article where their management claimed how their cricketers have to take time away from their regular jobs to play cricket, and if ICC could grant them Test status they could be full-time cricketers and then could be an even much better side, and they already outdid Bangladesh on a regular basis on nearly all tournies they participated in. They also complained about no straight path being there from being NO.1 in the Associates group to breaking into the Test group. They had no direction, and ICC couldn't be bothered to give a ████ about them. I don't know, think they haven't gotten enough Irish to play for England yet...:laugh

Thanks to ICC's ignorance, cricket has probably died down there by now.

 

[King Cricket]

It is time to take some tough decisions.

Go back 70 years, when the Indian team had just made it's appearence in international cricket. Back then, we used to be pummeled to the core in every single match we played. Even an English county side was way better than the Indians. And although we did register our first Test win in 1951, it wasn't before the early 70s that we could emerge as a formidable Test outfit. If someone took some "tough" decisions at that time, would we ever have seen the the Indian team of the modern era, which is teeming with talent, and is presently the no 1 side in Tests?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

To add - Bangladesh have a smaller population, poor facilities, and daily survival there is a struggle as it is, let alone focusing on being an international cricketer.


Bangladesh are head and shoulders above the other associate nations. They deserve Test status, cause otherwise they'd simply be demolishing associate nations over and over. And they do have several international quality players - Shakib, Rafique, Mortaza, Razzaq, Nafees, Tamim. Lot of very talented youngsters too, like Shadat, Rubel, Raquibul, Mushfiqur, and even Tamim, Nafees and Shakib are so young. I won't even mention Ashraful, the player who's talent is only matched by his ability to throw his wicket away.

 

[McLOVIN]

its so annoying how some of you just look at the wins v the WI B side, and not except those wins. it wasnt Bangladesh's fault that they had to play that B side? but they did play them, and won convincingly. but i dont want to take this conversation over there now, we had this chat during that series, in that series thread.

why dont you look past that, and look at some of the series before that. V NZ, SL, RSA.

 

[icyman]

Go back 70 years, when the Indian team had just made it's appearence in international cricket. Back then, we used to be pummeled to the core in every single match we played. Even an English county side was way better than the Indians. And although we did register our first Test win in 1951, it wasn't before the early 70s that we could emerge as a formidable Test outfit. If someone took some "tough" decisions at that time, would we ever have seen the the Indian team of the modern era, which is teeming with talent, and is presently the no 1 side in Tests?

Those times were definitely different. People expected Test matches to be drawn and there was not much in it for the broadcasters as well.

Today,however, not many are willing to take up their telecast rights.
The game has developed. But they have not,to some extent yes, but not to the extent that was expected.

The best thing that the ICC could do here is to have a 2-tier system wherein they can relegate teams to the second tier if they are not competent enough.

Here one can talk of giving Test status to Ireland and Afghanistan.

 

[McLOVIN]

Ireland deserved the test status. I read an article where their management claimed how their cricketers have to take time away from their regular jobs to play cricket, and if ICC could grant them Test status they could be full-time cricketers and then could be an even much better side, and they already outdid Bangladesh on a regular basis on nearly all tournies they participated in. They also complained about no straight path being there from being NO.1 in the Associates group to breaking into the Test group. They had no direction, and ICC couldn't be bothered to give a ████ about them. I don't know, think they haven't gotten enough Irish to play for England yet...:laugh

Thanks to ICC's ignorance, cricket has probably died down there by now.

1 out of 5 ODI's and 1 T20 out of 2...

 

[SaiSrini]

Wow lol, there's a bump!

Hope this isn't political, but there's talk that if Sri Lanka splits into two countries that the Tamil players will play for the new country :| So I don't know if they would deserve test status, definitely a lot of quality Tamil cricketers in SL that aren't in the national set-up.

Ireland being promoted to test status would probably result in less of their players being lost to the English team!

Thats not happening. I am quite sure that the Sri Lankans are not going to give the Tamils a seperate country (just like India and Pakistan not willing to let go of Kashmir).

 

[drainpipe32]

With talk of a Test Championship, how many countries can there be? Would it work with 12+ test nations?

And is more minnow beltings the way to revive test cricket?

 

[ZoraxDoom]

With talk of a Test Championship, how many countries can there be? Would it work with 12+ test nations?

And is more minnow beltings the way to revive test cricket?

I thin more like a two-tier championship would be better

Division 1
Aus
RSA
India
Sri Lanka
Eng
Pak

Division 2
NZ
WI
Bang
Zim
2 new nations (Ireland? Kenya? USA? These nations need to have some sort of domestic system in place, and should be able to fund a test team with some help from the ICC. That's why Afghanistan, Nepal, etc. shouldn't be considered.)

They play each other maybe twice or four times, home and away, and at the end of all the matches, the team on top of Div 1 gets the championship. Also, the top 2 teams in Division 2 replace the bottom 2 in Division 1, or maybe face them in play-offs to decide who gets promoted and who gets relegated.

Makes all the matches have some meaning, and ensures all the cricket is more or less competitive.

 

[ShamiLoverGlipGlops]

I thin more like a two-tier championship would be better

Division 1
Aus
RSA
India
Sri Lanka
Eng
Pak

Division 2
NZ
WI
Bang
Zim
2 new nations (Ireland? Kenya? USA? These nations need to have some sort of domestic system in place, and should be able to fund a test team with some help from the ICC. That's why Afghanistan, Nepal, etc. shouldn't be considered.)

They play each other maybe twice or four times, home and away, and at the end of all the matches, the team on top of Div 1 gets the championship. Also, the top 2 teams in Division 2 replace the bottom 2 in Division 1, or maybe face them in play-offs to decide who gets promoted and who gets relegated.

Makes all the matches have some meaning, and ensures all the cricket is more or less competitive.

This definately is the future of test cricket