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Fantastic article on Cricinfo - The moment of truth

silentstriker

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Osman Salamiuddin said:
This is apparently the golden age of batting. Averages are soaring, batsmen average fifty for fun; only three of the world's current top 10 Test batsmen average below 50 and they do so by mere decimals. Test cricket's highest score stood in the name of Garry Sobers for nearly 40 years. Since then, it has been broken thrice in a decade.

Test cricket's highest partnership once stood for 56 years before it was broken in 1990-91. Since then it has also been surpassed thrice, most recently by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. Sure, records are meant to be broken but when they start happening so regularly you begin to wonder. Are batsmen really that good? Or has a combination of pitches without life and bowlers without fire bolstered their figures?

On the evidence of this tournament, where pitches have been deviant, it is the latter. Batsmen have moaned from the off; they spin too much, they crumble too much, they seam and bounce too much. Imagine the temerity of that eh? The cheek of it all, damn it, to actually provide an examination for batsmen. Have they not heard that cricket is now a batsman's game and bowlers merely it's occasional characters?

West Indies succumbed to 80 all out, India's top order has struggled, South Africa struggled to reach hundred against New Zealand, Sri Lanka succumbed on a tasty pitch to South Africa and even Australia have faltered. Not a single batsman has scored a hundred in the main rounds. The myth of the golden age lies in tatters, though nowhere was it more excruciatingly shattered than in Mohali today, which suddenly grew Perth's bounce and Headingley's seam.

....


Australia and India play to decide the remaining semi-finalist on Sunday here and if the pitch is in any way similar to this, you would think the hosts might struggle more. If they do go out, it would mean no subcontinent representation in the semis, thus reaffirming the age-old belief that batsmen from this region struggle on juiced surfaces. The only consolation, on the evidence of this tournament, is they may not be alone.
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http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/iccct2006/content/current/story/265687.html

I absolutely agree with 100% of what he says. I'm tired of 350+ scores. Let's have a contest where the batsman have to work for their runs.
 
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Jono

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Haven't we discussed this issue like a million times though? Really becoming repetitive.

Batsmen have looked useless when the ball has turned a bit, batsmen have looked woeful when the ball has seamed and bounce, flat tracks have gotten batsmen so used to everything being in their favour that when its not, they bat horrible. Its not just Pakistanis, its not just Asian batsmen, its just many batsmen around the world.

Look, if I eat very spicy curry for a while, then suddenly for the next 5-10 years my general meals consist of no curry, or curry that is mild and barely spicy, and then suddenly for a week I decide to eat extremely spicy curry again, I'm not going to be able to take it, because I'm not used to it at all and not prepared. Doesn't matter whether I'm Asian or not.

Same goes for batsmen today.
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
silentstriker said:
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/iccct2006/content/current/story/265687.html

I absolutely agree with 100% of what he says. I'm tired of 350+ scores. Let's have a contest where the batsman have to work for their runs.
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The article is absolutely spot on.

If the balance was not tilted so heavily in favour of batsmen we might see lower scores to start with but in a few years you will find batsmen coming up with a better technique to counter the tougher conditions. Yes the averages may be a tad lower but the contest wil be better to watch not only because it will be a fairer one but also because the caliber of batsmanship will improve and those who are not the best WILL be found wanting. AND thats the way it should be.
 
Slow Love™

Slow Love™

International Captain
silentstriker said:
What do people think?
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It's preaching to the choir, innit?

I think most people are sick of the dead, flat pitches providing 350+ scores. I have no qualm with the opinion put forward by the author, but it's something that's been talked about for some time now.
 
Jono

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Gotta love the Slow :cool:

I think next we should make a thread that Bradman was pretty good, and ask whether other CWers agree. ;)
 
PY

PY

International Coach
That's shocking, I'd love to know the full story behind it i.e. reasons why it happened.
 
PhoenixFire

PhoenixFire

International Coach
I guess we all like watching good exciting batting, and the best way for that is to make true pitches, that are flat. I haven't really got a problem with flat pitches, just make them really fast. I hate slow flat pitches in India, West Indies and so on, that produce boring cricket.
 
chooka_nick

chooka_nick

International 12th Man
Jono said:
Wow that's pretty damn horrible. :(
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It's like turning Gideon Haigh away from a cricket match. It's not on; this guy obviously has a lot of respect and if Roebuck likes him then I'd certainly like to give a few of his articles the once-over.
 
Lillian Thomson

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Part of the so called "golden age of batting" is down to a change in attitude inspired by Australia. 25/30 years ago a score of 250 for 3 would be a normal days Test Cricket, these days the batting side often scores at 4 an over. This is not entirely down to flatter wickets but also a different approach.
 
R_D

R_D

International Debutant
Lillian Thomson said:
Part of the so called "golden age of batting" is down to a change in attitude inspired by Australia. 25/30 years ago a score of 250 for 3 would be a normal days Test Cricket, these days the batting side often scores at 4 an over. This is not entirely down to flatter wickets but also a different approach.
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Fact that they can do it more often than not... is due to the nature of the pitches which are flat and easy to bat on.
 
T

tooextracool

International Coach
I think to an extent batsmen have actually got better. It may have something to do with the fact that they have greater protection, i for one wonder how many people got out to the Wi fast bowlers of the 70s and 80s just from the fear of having to bat against them without a helmet. I think technology has made batsmen better, they can now analyse weaknesses in their game by watching tonnes of replays of their technique as well as analyze how bowlers bowl. Its obviously a luxury that players in the past didnt have. For mine i think a lot of bowlers from pre 90s are overrated, much like you say that batsmen today are spoilt by flat tracks, i think bowlers back then made their careers by by bowling on seamer friendly surfaces, something that would not be possible today.
 
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