India, Australia, England attempt to take control of Cricket

[harsh.ag]

Martin Crowe: Two-tier Test system, my foot | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Martin Crowe taking a swipe at the establishment.

 

[Unomaas]

Sport isn't about the money it's about the fans. Franchise cricket has had success in India and Australia yeah but not much elsewhere. If players want to earn millions of dollars then that really is their decision. If Kevin Pietersen and Chris Gayle want to ditch test cricket to play in the IPL then they are welcome to it. However, they are also ensuring that they will end up as nobodies. They will be filthy rich nobodies but nobodies all the same. All the famous cricketers in the world get their starts playing for their countries on the international stage. If you want a big IPL contract, then you better do well for your country. All I can say is that there will always be a market for test cricket and I will always watch it. There can be many thousands at plastic T20 leagues and they can be welcome to it. Test cricket will not die as long as there are people like Heath who are clearly passionate about it and won't let it die.

That is a totally incorrect assertion!

Sport is about athletes competing against each other to determine dominance. Money and fans are secondary to this primary goal.

 

[benchmark00]

That is a totally incorrect assertion!

Sport is about athletes competing against each other to determine dominance. Money and fans are secondary to this primary goal.

Nooo no it's not. Professional sport is an entertainment business. Just likes movies are. The movie industry isn't a contest to see who's the best actor or who can win the oscar for best film, it's to provide entertainment for fans. That's where the money comes from.

There's a reason croquet isn't a professional sport.

 

[fredfertang]

How is that an issue?

By avoiding a clash with the IPL the ECB has ensured that Sri Lanka's top players aren't in a position where they have to give up earnings to play Test cricket. Had the ECB stuck to a May schedule we might have seen some Sri Lankan players not tour (understandable given SLC's risible record when it comes to paying its players) which would have both reduced the quality of cricket and undermined the international game.

As for 'reducing' it to a 2-Test series? No, there's no room in the schedule for anything else seeing as England host India for a 5 Test series later in the summer. England play 7 Tests in a home summer and logic dictates that if you're playing a 5 Test series against one side, that only leaves room for 2 Tests against the other. It's not ideal, of course it's not, but I think it's a reasonable trade off in order to play more 5 Test series.

Two Test series are pretty pointless though - I think the time has come, after what we've seen in these back to back Ashes contests, for the concept of a series to change a little and for England to consider playing three Tests at home and then three away and call it one six Test series

 

[harsh.ag]

This thread is losing its thread!

Yes, T20s and tests can, should and probably will co-exist, and yes, T20 franchises should grow in number to increase the participation of other countries, and provide more money to cricketers who were not able to make it to the national side.

But get back to what the draft committee proposal is. The agenda there is completely different, and there are a lot of diabolical points.

 

[Furball]

I’ll just take your word for ECB’s magnanimity about allowing the Sri Lankan players to participate in the IPL. That’s all the more impressive considering they don’t give the same consideration to their own players.

Why couldn’t the India series be a 4-test series, thus allowing the SL series to proceed with the originally scheduled 3 Tests? Could it be that ECB, just like any other board, realizes that there’s more money to be made against India? Your original point about faulting the Pak/WI/SL boards for cancelling Tests and thus deserving exclusion from power is really unfair Furball. The top 3 boards have not shown any decent concern for the well-being of Test cricket (case in point the much delayed Test Championship Series). They are no better in this regard than the other boards.

It was never originally scheduled to be a 3-Test series. And in any case, Sri Lanka get a 3 Test series in England in 2016.

If any board has a right to feel aggrieved, it's New Zealand, as they're scheduled to visit England the same summers as Australia.

 

[morgieb]

I’ll just take your word for ECB’s magnanimity about allowing the Sri Lankan players to participate in the IPL. That’s all the more impressive considering they don’t give the same consideration to their own players.

Why couldn’t the India series be a 4-test series, thus allowing the SL series to proceed with the originally scheduled 3 Tests? Could it be that ECB, just like any other board, realizes that there’s more money to be made against India? Your original point about faulting the Pak/WI/SL boards for cancelling Tests and thus deserving exclusion from power is really unfair Furball. The top 3 boards have not shown any decent concern for the well-being of Test cricket (case in point the much delayed Test Championship Series). They are no better in this regard than the other boards.

Didn't the FTP originally schedule 2/5 for SL/India?

 

[Furball]

ECB changing the schedule just to make sure the other team can play their full strength team. That's a new one.

Stunning contribution as always, cheers.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Test cricket is the only format that allows for the recognition of ATG players. I will never consider a player an ATG through any sort of limited overs cricket, whether its international or not.

 

[Unomaas]

Nooo no it's not. Professional sport is an entertainment business. Just likes movies are. The movie industry isn't a contest to see who's the best actor or who can win the oscar for best film, it's to provide entertainment for fans. That's where the money comes from.

There's a reason croquet isn't a professional sport.

Then maybe that's the problem in this thread. The traditionalist's want to play sport (Test cricket) in it's purist state and the other half want's to be entertained.

 

[Furball]

Didn't the FTP originally schedule 2/5 for SL/India?

It did. Fusion's argument is misguided as he's annoyed about something that didn't happen.

 

[benchmark00]

Then maybe that's the problem in this thread. The traditionalist's want to play sport (Test cricket) in it's purist state and the other half want's to be entertained.

No it's not. Test cricket only exists as a professional sport to service the fans. Any form of professional sport is entertainment.

 

[Maximas]

It did. Fusion's argument is misguided as he's annoyed about something that didn't happen.

Sure, but the main point is that it should never have been scheduled like that in the first place (for me at least, I don't speak for Fusion), I just feel the balance isn't right at all, but my rage at that is offset somewhat by the 2016 series that's planned (if that one gets compromised I'll be real pissed)

 

[Spark]

Then maybe that's the problem in this thread. The traditionalist's want to play sport (Test cricket) in it's purist state and the other half want's to be entertained.

...how is Test cricket in its pure form not entertainment?

 

[Unomaas]

No it's not. Test cricket only exists as a professional sport to service the fans. Any form of professional sport is entertainment.

Then what's the bloody point of competing? Why don't the ICC just create a new rule that says Chris Gayle get's three chances to bat in a T20 game so that he can entertain a mob?

 

[benchmark00]

Then what's the bloody point of competing? Why don't the ICC just create a new rule that says Chris Gayle get's three chances to bat in a T20 game so that he can entertain a mob?

Ok so you seem to be mistaking hitting sixes for entertainment.

 

[DingDong]

Leave it to the scum of the cricket world to come up with the worst relegation system ever

Why am I not surprised that australia and India are involved in this. The scum

 

[Unomaas]

Wikipedia's definition of sport:

an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

I've just had my world rocked! I'm under the impression that Test Cricket is a contest between 2 teams which encompasses a complete inspection of individual and team playing ability, as well as endurance, and that any entertainment value, is a co-incidental by product of this process.

If however, Test Cricket is a sport and as such only exists as a medium to supply entertainment, then it makes perfect sense that the "entertainment" component should be maximized to its utmost potential at the expense of any other consideration.

 

[Spark]

You still haven't explained how

a contest between 2 teams which encompasses a complete inspection of individual and team playing ability, as well as endurance

doesn't count as entertainment.

 

[Daemon]

Wikipedia's definition of sport:



I've just had my world rocked! I'm under the impression that Test Cricket is a contest between 2 teams which encompasses a complete inspection of individual and team playing ability, as well as endurance, and that any entertainment value, is a co-incidental by product of this process.

If however, Test Cricket is a sport and as such only exists as a medium to supply entertainment, then it makes perfect sense that the "entertainment" component should be maximized to its utmost potential at the expense of any other consideration.

But by playing more T20 you aren't maximising the entertainment component of Test Cricket at all.