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Prepared To Sacrifice?

Would you get rid of ODI cricket if it strengthened the postion of Test matches?

  • Total voters
    35
vic_orthdox

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Personally think it wouldn't be the worst thing. Makes Test cricket the only form where you spend "a day at the cricket", which could drive up numbers. If getting rid of one day international cricket could help the strength of Test cricket, I'd be up for it.
 
StumpMic

StumpMic

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Nope. I like ODIs. They are a lot more fun than t20 IMO and a lot less boring than tests. I would however be willing to sacrifice test cricket.
 
Zinzan

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I'd personally like to think all 3 forms of the game could survive at International level, although can't see it, ODI's probably will be the sacrifice.

Either that or they may change ODI's from 50 to 40 overs, if the recent change to English county cricket is anything to go by which to me wouldn't fix anything .
 
S

subshakerz

International Coach
Given that condition, yes, test cricket needs all the help it can get. ODI cricket is in an awkward position between tests and 20/20s, neither as entertaining as 20/20s nor as grilling of cricket skills for purists as test cricket.
 
aussie

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
vic_orthdox said:
Personally think it wouldn't be the worst thing. Makes Test cricket the only form where you spend "a day at the cricket", which could drive up numbers. If getting rid of one day international cricket could help the strength of Test cricket, I'd be up for it.
Click to expand...
Although i firmly believe all 3 can survive under a proper administration. The only way ODIs can go is if the nations outside AUS/SA/ENG get large investments in the development of their FC structures. If not ODIs gotta stay.
 
sirdj

sirdj

State Vice-Captain
This is absurd.

You have a format that is diseased, losing popularity and is out of time with the modern world.
A healthy moneymaking format that still encapsules the essential elements of the game
And a format where results are hugely influenced by luck and the entertainment largely provided by beating a hapless bowler to pulp & dancing girls.

And you wish to have more of the diseased format at the expense of the healthy one? How about changing the test format to fit in the modern world first.

98% of sport nowadays are played either indoors or under lights. Those that are not are either obscure like test cricket or dont rely much on a live audience like outdoors sports or some motor sports.

How do you expect test cricket to survive the next 30 years when the number of working hours in the day (official+unofficial) will only increase as competition increases? My father used to start office in the morning at 9.30am and leave by 5:00pm in the 70's. If he wanted to watch a test match he could apply for leave for 5 days and it would be granted without much fuss.
Working hours have changed so vastly that no-one leaves office (for the same sort of job as my dad had) before 8:00 pm and earned leaves have to be planned a year in advance and have to be minimum 15 days. Attitudes towards work have changed drastically. Test cricket needs to catch-up with the modern lifestyle.

When I tell people (usually from spanish speaking countries) than we play a game that goes on for 5 days and sometimes does not even have a result, they shake their head at me.

In 4 years of living in Australia with over 30 roommates of various nationalities, not once have I managed to get them interested in watching any form of cricket with me. But they all seem happy enough to learn the details of rugby and even support local teams. They even prefer the strange game of Australian Rules Football (which I personally don't like).
 
StumpMic

StumpMic

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Xuhaib said:
haha...but tbf to the lad 80% sub cont fans will bear a similar oponion.
Click to expand...
Yeah the numbers are overwhelmingly on my side.

I think if only test cricket and t20 survived cricket would turn into an extremist sport. Both are extreme forms of the game. One is really slow and the other is over in a flash. I prefer ODI because its got a nice balance between the two. There is a real contest between bat and ball in ODIs.

I don't know about others but I rarely watch a cricket match in its entirety. Its too tiring and I often have other things to do. Test cricket is just too long winded to follow. A T20 match is half over by the time I complete a meal. ODIs are just right.
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
vic_orthdox said:
Personally think it wouldn't be the worst thing. Makes Test cricket the only form where you spend "a day at the cricket", which could drive up numbers. If getting rid of one day international cricket could help the strength of Test cricket, I'd be up for it.
Click to expand...
I would but I am not sure it would help that much.

Test Cricket needs a strategy that takes into account all first class cricket. A combined strategy to look at domestic FC game ....
  • streamlining where there are too many teams,
  • making sure the country's stars play in it,
  • getting the two foreign players per team limit working in all countries,
  • providing better wickets and facilities
  • reducing the number of venues to the major ones unlike in india where every state seems to have a RIGHT to get a Test match
  • get touring teams to play more first class games in a Test tour giving much needed boost to local interest as well as the centres that do not get the Tests
and so on.

Combine this with better marketing of the first class game (I firmly believe that better marketing will bring corporate interest in the FC game also) and then having a better regulated (both in quality and quantity) Test regime can help the game in the long run.

Getting rid of the ODI's does not pain me but if that doesn't bring in the interest, then what ?

These BCCI honchos want to behave like corporate magnates just because they have laid their hands on billions. A smart CEO will first look at the worst case scenario but a Johnny-come-lately who has won the lottery never seems to realise that good times may not last, and if they dont, then what.
 
zaremba

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
sirdj said:
This is absurd.

You have a format that is diseased, losing popularity and is out of time with the modern world.
A healthy moneymaking format that still encapsules the essential elements of the game
And a format where results are hugely influenced by luck and the entertainment largely provided by beating a hapless bowler to pulp & dancing girls.

And you wish to have more of the diseased format at the expense of the healthy one? How about changing the test format to fit in the modern world first.

98% of sport nowadays are played either indoors or under lights. Those that are not are either obscure like test cricket or dont rely much on a live audience like outdoors sports or some motor sports.

How do you expect test cricket to survive the next 30 years when the number of working hours in the day (official+unofficial) will only increase as competition increases? My father used to start office in the morning at 9.30am and leave by 5:00pm in the 70's. If he wanted to watch a test match he could apply for leave for 5 days and it would be granted without much fuss.
Working hours have changed so vastly that no-one leaves office (for the same sort of job as my dad had) before 8:00 pm and earned leaves have to be planned a year in advance and have to be minimum 15 days. Attitudes towards work have changed drastically. Test cricket needs to catch-up with the modern lifestyle.

When I tell people (usually from spanish speaking countries) than we play a game that goes on for 5 days and sometimes does not even have a result, they shake their head at me.

In 4 years of living in Australia with over 30 roommates of various nationalities, not once have I managed to get them interested in watching any form of cricket with me. But they all seem happy enough to learn the details of rugby and even support local teams. They even prefer the strange game of Australian Rules Football (which I personally don't like).
Click to expand...
The thing is, all of these factors apply as much in England as they do anywhere else - and Test cricket is regularly played to packed houses in England.
 
SJS

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
zaremba said:
The thing is, all of these factors apply as much in England as they do anywhere else - and Test cricket is regularly played to packed houses in England.
Click to expand...
Yes and also there is no reason to get the whole world interested in your game. There are universal games like soocer and tennis and there are localised games like baseball, American football, rugby etc. Why cant cricket be happy to be one of the latter. The only reason to want to spread the game, almost by force, is the hype of globalisation of the sport which means nothing. I see no reason to change the game dramatically to get the Chinese playing it.

It was an English game and has remained so by being stuck to the former colonies of England. What needs to be done is to see the real issues affecting the traditional game and find a step-by-step logical approach to straightening those.
 
BoyBrumby

BoyBrumby

Englishman
I think changes to tests are inevitable. We're already going to be getting the "challenge" system and I think after the generally dodgy standard of umpiring in The Ashes just finished this is potentially a good thing if administered properly.

I'm also increasingly of the opinion day/night tests will come to pass too, although I tend to view these as more of a necessary evil rather than a welcome innovation.

ODIs for tests would be a price I'd be prepared to pay anyway; the 50-over format has had its raison d'être usurped by its shorter, brasher sibling and, if it meant the longest format could be safeguarded, it's extinction wouldn't trouble me unduly.
 
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