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I keep reading that Test cricket is dead. The public have no interest in the traditional form of cricket, they want a new game, fast paced with all the glitz and glamour of the NFL.
However, I can’t work out which members of the public are being asked the question. Surely, it is established cricket enthusiasts views that matter? Any cricketer I have spoken too about the subject are still enthusiastic fans of Test Cricket.
Having watched a little cricket on TV recently, I have to say that I have been far more entertained by the Test series between Australia and India than I was by any of the Stanford Super Series.
Little more than 1500 runs were scored in the whole of the recent Stanford tournament. That is across a series of 6 games which were supposed to offer exciting big hitting action. Worked out as an average you are looking at approximately 125 runs per team per game. That doesn’t sound very exciting does it? But when you see that in the grand final only 200 runs were scored in the whole game, you may start to wonder what all the fuss was about.
The Test Cricket between Australia and India on the other hand offered a huge amount of excitement with the two best cricketing nations (sorry England) battling each other for pride, not millions of dollars in prize money. A huge amount of runs were scored throughout the series with fantastic knocks from world class players on both teams.
If the Austrailia v India series were not proof enough, I believe that the forthcoming Ashes series to be held in England in 2009 will surely silence the critics of Test Cricket. The fantastic series of 2005 seems to have been forgotten by some, but when Michael Vaughan lifted the little urn for England having finally beaten the Australians at what they were starting to think was their own game (sorry Australia, it isn’t), cricket was at it’s highest point it has ever been in this Country. Ask people about any ODI or 20/20 cricket played during Australia’s visit in 2005 and I bet you will get a blank look from most. That is because if Test Cicket is played to a high standard it eclipses the other forms of the game.
Australia have shown some weakness in their attack during the series in India so 2009 will be a perfect time for England to come into form and bring the Ashes home. Let’s hope they can put the embarrassment of loosing in the West Indies behind them and get back to playing for their Country for pride rather than cash. I have a feeling the Ashes will be a very close fought contest in 2009 and if it is, we will see just how popular Test Cricket still is.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not actually against 20/20 cricket. I think it has its place but we should not get carried away with it. 20/20 cricket is without doubt an excellent marketing tool for cricket, bringing spectators to cricket that would never have watched it before. At a recreational level too, the 20/20 format of cricket will prove very important in getting more people to actually play cricket. For some reason, we all have less time on our hands these days, we can’t give up a whole day to play cricket any more. 20/20 is the answer, as games can be played in a few hours in the afternoons at weekends and even in the evenings after work. England need more people playing cricket in whatever format, and if 20/20 brings people in, then it can only be a good thing.
So, in conclusion, I would have to say that Test Cricket certainly is not dead. Perhaps it has been taking a break since 2005, letting its baby brother 20/20 cricket take the limelight for a while. But little 20/20 has stumbled and grazed it’s knee while in the West Indies, it must have tripped over a certain Texan billionaires ego! It is now time for Test Cricket to step back up to the plate and show all the new fans of the game what real cricket is all about.
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