Cricket has to provide the public a variety of styles so fans have a choice. However, the players should also have a say in what type of cricket provides the best entertainment
England bowlers celebrate a NZ wicket on Day 2 of the second Test at Trent Bridge recently. Pic/Getty Images
When Jonny Bairstow played a miraculous innings to help England claim a stirring victory on the final day of the second Test, it confirmed Ben Stokes' previously stated thoughts on captaincy.
Stokes said that England needed to be more attacking. It also proved that as much as a failure of technique under Joe Root’s dubious leadership, it was a positive team attitude that England were mostly lacking.
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It was a glimpse of what future players and fans could miss out on if the words of ICC’s chair Greg Barclay are proved prophetic. In an interview earlier this month Barclay reasoned; “There’s not a lot we can do,” when asked about the rapid expansion of T20 leagues around the cricketing world.
Longer formats may suffer
In expounding his theory, Barclay reckoned it would be bilateral cricket that suffered at the hands of T20’s popularity. This is both an indifferent and financial view more than one of balance; if T20 cricket prospers then according to administrators it’s the longer forms of the game that must automatically suffer.
This overlooks the major problem with most cricket administrations. They largely pay lip service to the opinion of current and retired players. To evolve with a positive purpose, cricket administrations should be [but aren’t] working closely with FICA the international players association.
Players’ association needed
For instance, India, by far the largest cricket nation, disturbingly doesn’t even have a players’ association.
This major problem was highlighted when Australia’s women captain Meg Lanning rebutted Barclay’s statement; “We want to be ambitious,” she said.
Cricket administrations are anything, but ambitious; they slavishly follow the money trail and often shun moves that could be made in the best interests of the game.
Long ago the administration should have organised an inclusive debate so the game planned properly for its future. The playing of the game is always dependant on current players and it’s fans, not the older variety. If the modern version of Test cricket involves less playing days and a more attacking approach to provide entertainment, then the older brigade shouldn’t be weeping and whaling.
Cricket has to provide the public with a variety of styles so fans have a choice. However, the players should also have a say in what type of cricket provides the best entertainment and then it’s up to the administrators to properly sell each product.
Top level cricket is a professional game, but it’s still administered in a very amateur fashion. The basis of cricket administration is often predicated on platforms that are weary from age. The game has long been a reactive, knee-jerk product heavily dependant on the media and the fans generally receive the type of game those people prefer.
This has resulted in administrators programming more and more T20 cricket with the longer formats naturally squeezed. All this despite many young cricketers saying publicly Test cricket is the pinnacle and some fans being spectacularly entertained by the deeds of the more enterprising players.
Test and 50-over cricket are both very good games; entertaining if they are well played. However, rather than spending time with cricketers to find out what was the best way to present their products, the administrators have reacted with financial best interests uppermost in mind.
Consequently there’s more T20 cricket, greater emphasis on power, along with a ludicrous combination of better bats with shorter boundaries. Often bowlers are an after-thought, virtually being left to “try and figure it out.”
More T20 cricket likely
If the likes of Barclay have their way then more T20 cricket will be programmed. If that occurs it will mean eventually young players are virtually forced to choose a technique that provides for a lucrative T20 contract rather than aiming for a sound all-round game.
If this occurs then the great sadness will be that teams—both men and women—will miss out on an opportunity to experience the thrill of Test competition. Sadly, fans will also be deprived of watching a game—despite it’s trials and tribulations—that has been acclaimed for well over a century.
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