Indian Newslink Sept 1 2017 Digital Edition

24
Sportslink
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
It may soon be stumps for Test Cricket
Ravi Nyayapati
India recently decimated Sri Lanka
in their own backyard in a highly
predictable and outrageously
one-sided Test series. Although an
expected whitewash, the result did not
embarrass the hosts because it was a
foregone conclusion.
The gravity of the outcome was
comfortably accepted.
The question remains – why put
up such a pre-determined one-sided
contest?
The only good thing to come out
of such contests are team records for
history books and individual records
for personal glory. It does nothing to
improve the game.
Declining interest
Since the introduction of T20, the
shortest form of Cricket, interest in
Test Cricket has taken an unsurprising
decline. Numbers attending games have
dwindled and there is barely any TV
audience. The few remaining loyalists
still treasure a good Test, and the
excitement and variety of each session
of the five days.
The Indian example
India’s recently concluded Test
series is very good example of why
this format of Cricket risks extinction.
The ongoing series between England
and woeful West Indies, currently
represented by a bunch of schoolboys,
is making matters even worse.
The root cause is clear-cut.
Firstly, there is a select audience
for five-day games. It serves those
that value the core qualities of elegant
batting, the imperturbable effort to
preserve wickets, the laborious bowling
spells, the scorching fielding duties and
importantly the mentally challenging
perseverance to fight until the close of
day five.
Secondly, when none of these virtues
prevails, and matches finish inside of
three days, interest is naturally lost.
One can argue a series win,
especially an overseas tour, is cause for
celebration. However, the story is not
so much a case of winning a Test match
or the series – Test cricket should be
about testing the players and their
respective team for superiority.
ICC should be decisive
The solution is with the International
Cricket Council (ICC), the sport’s
ruling body. They have sat on the
fence for years on perhaps the most
Test Cricket is losing interest (Picture Courtesy: BBC, United Kingdom
sensible solution.
It is high time a Two-tier system
is introduced in Test match cricket.
Currently, India, Australia, England and
South Africa are the top Test teams.
They should play with each other.
Anyone ranked lower need to earn the
right to play the top four teams.
It sounds very simple because it is
very simple.
Imminent death
The death of Test cricket appears
imminent until there is evidence of
true competition. The only countries
where Test cricket draws any decent
crowd are India, Australia and England.
Bangladeshi stadiums pull crowds only
because they are still revelling in the
glory of their recent Test status.
Ireland and Afghanistan are the latest
to gain Test status, although neither
team has debuted in the Test arena.
Two-Tier format
In May 2016, the ICC announced the
evaluation of a Two-Tier format.
The format would see the top seven
Test-playing nations under Tier-1,
competing in two bilateral series with
each other over a four-year period,
one-home and-one-away.
Tier-2 would have the remainder
of the teams, including the newly
crowned Test nations. A promotion and
relegation system would be in place and
dictate movement between the Tiers.
It is no secret that Test playing
nations have differing views on this
issue.
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan
remained at odds with such a system,
albeit their team results did not warrant
anything better.
Although their fear and frustration
can be understood, logic dictates that
rankings exist for a reason. Every team
should earn its right to compete against
the best.
India also opposed this notion, but
only as consolidation to its neighbouring
countries.
Many international players have
been urging the ICC to adopt a two-tier
cricket. They continue to warn of a
mass exodus to Twenty20 leagues if
nothing is done.
In 2016, the ICC withdrew the
proposal for a two-tier system.
The cricket world awaits sanity to
soon prevail with ICC. The danger of it
following the woeful mismanagement
style of FIFA remains a worry.
After winning the World Cup in
1966, England failed to qualify for the
tournament in 1974. If it can happen in
Football, it can happen in cricket too.
Its time a change blows over Test
cricket to preserve it.
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