Test cricket is getting a big shake-up after the generally impotent International Cricket Council (ICC) decided on some major reforms. The idea of a World Championship for Tests and one-days is welcome but four-day Tests seem a bit too harsh.
Agreed that there is a vast difference among the sides at the top and bottom of the table. But that does not mean that four-day Tests will solve the problem.The ICC argument is based on the fact that in some countries, the fifth day hardly evokes much crowd.
But then, most of these countries treat Test cricket as a joke.
By shortening the Tests, teams will be forced to work towards a quick result through declarations and set up wins. Since the whole premise is based on money, why can’t the ICC devise another method to get the crowds into the stadium on the fifth day?
Honestly, Test cricket has got so much better over the last 15-20 years that people still get attracted to it. They are result-oriented and exciting and there have been some great finishes.
Countries like India, Australia or England always have crowds even on the fifth day.
More audiences could also be assured in the West Indies but the poor selection policies and infighting there has brought the team down to almost rock bottom. New Zealand’s good performances in recent times, and their positive approach, have also drawn crowds on all five days. Many hardcore Test players see the move towards four-day Tests as retrograde step.
The game has enough money with the surfeit of one-day and T20 cricket. Why not spend some of it on making the crowds happier?
England has fancy dress days and other amusement for the fans to go along with the cricket. Some added amenities at the grounds will make more people come. The players are doing their bit and the ICC can add to it.
Poor scheduling of Test matches are also a major bane. Countries like Sri Lanka and others start Test matches on a Monday and let it end on Friday. These are working days and not many people are likely to attend.
Test matches must always begin on a Thursday or Friday so that the weekend is primed towards crowds.
The worst thing that can happen from four-day Tests is that captains may contrive situations through declarations or go-slow to snatch a result. This will add more gamesmanship into the game which it can do without.
In that case, what is the difference between the shorter and longer versions of the game?Test cricket has survived over two centuries. Let it be. Contrive other ways to make it more interesting for the crowd. One-day and T20 are showpieces which can get predictive and boring at times. There is already an overkill of it, with cricket boards only concerned with raking in the Big Bucks.
Most cricketers judge their cricketing abilities by their performances in Tests. They also believe that winning a test cap is the biggest honour of their career. The idea of a Test Championship is sound. Bur reduction of Test playing days is plain crazy and bound to fail.
Sport is all about money these days. But don’t let the greed overtake the game itself.
#All views expressed in this article are those of the author.
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