How much time does Test cricket have left?

[DriveClub]

I'm repeating my post from the other thread. I'd say around another 20-25 years. Too complicated and expensive to play and doesn't make any money outside big 3. Raw talent not as useful in Test cricket as other formats and sports. When the contest is too one sided it's agonising to watch over a month the other team being thrashed. Underdog factor is significantly reduced in Test cricket as luck doesn't play as big a part. Will never take off among casuals as it's too long to follow. Number of competitive test teams are very few, maybe 5 or 6 if you want to stretch the term competitive. Too many negatives, not sure how it can survive.

I'd confidently say test cricket is dead in countries like SL, WI, PAK(also due to other reasons). NZ and SA(it has other issues anyway which puts its long term future in question) get minimal interest in test cricket from majority of sports fans in their countries. India is unpredictable, it doesn't get big crowds for tests but their players like Kohli still have star power which might draw the crowds now and again. Basically test cricket is healthy in only England and Australia. I read that the host boards actually lose money when they host a test series between non big 3 countries, it's actually a sad state of affairs, cricket is actually one of the most expensive games to play and I'm not sure how cricketers from developing countries will be able to compete with developed countries like AUS & ENG in an expensive game like Test cricket as the gap is widening between the cricketers from the rich boards and the poor ones. In 20 years I predict Ashes to be the only form of test cricket to be played.

 

[Burgey]

At least another 140 years.

 

[Crazy Sam]

As long as Australia and England exist, so too will test match cricket.

Is it really a big issue if sides like SL and WI give up on test cricket? Sure, it'd be a shame - and I don't think they will ever completely give it up - but T20 is the only way for cricket to expand globally. It would be a bigger concern if we had countries dropping like flies out of T20's and even ODI's.

 

[Zinzan]

I think the Ashes will always be a tradition for Australia and England at the very least, even if it did die in other countries; & of course India have enough money there and can prop it up with T20 revenue for it to continue to be manageable there also.

I wish I could be more optimistic about the other nations, but not sure I can.

 

[DriveClub]

Yes ashes will be the only form of test cricket that will be played

 

[Pratters]

It will go on.

 

[Zinzan]

As long as Australia and England exist, so too will test match cricket.

Is it really a big issue if sides like SL and WI give up on test cricket? Sure, it'd be a shame - and I don't think they will ever completely give it up - but T20 is the only way for cricket to expand globally. It would be a bigger concern if we had countries dropping like flies out of T20's and even ODI's.

Not if you're Australian or English it probably won't.. lol

Be it a bit like me asking if it will really be an issue for me if it a certain brand of chocolate bar I like goes out of business. For SL & Windies fans, it will be a huge issue I'm sure.

 

[indiaholic]

What are the tv viewership numbers like?

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'm reasonably confident about its continuation in England, Australia, and to a lesser extent South Africa and New Zealand.

The Indians seem besotted with this IPL nonsense but hopefully their recent success has galvanised Test cricket somewhat.

Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should be playing each other more. This area needs reform.

West Indian Test Cricket is in disarray.

 

[Zinzan]

I'm reasonably confident about its continuation in England, Australia, and to a lesser extent South Africa and New Zealand.

The Indians seem besotted with this IPL nonsense but hopefully their recent success has galvanised Test cricket somewhat.

Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka should be playing each other more. This area needs reform.

West Indian Test Cricket is in disarray.

I wish I shared your confidence about NZ. We're lucky to get 1000 people turning up for a day of Test cricket in NZ. It's generally played in empty stadiums.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Damn this is a depressing thread

 

[S.Kennedy]

I wish I shared your confidence about NZ. We're lucky to get 1000 people turning up for a day of Test cricket in NZ. It's generally played in empty stadiums.

It looked an alright turn out against Pakistan?

 

[Zinzan]

It looked an alright turn out against Pakistan?

Really? I don't recall the crowds being good at all for Pakistan. I'm not sure where you find the crowd numbers, but NZ stadiums are usually almost completely empty for Tests, except when we play India or Australia, or there's a Boxing day test.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Really? I don't recall the crowds being good at all for Pakistan. I'm not sure where you find the crowd numbers, but NZ stadiums are usually almost completely empty for Tests, except when we play India or Australia, or there's a Boxing day test.

I watched the entirety of both Tests on TV. It had a, picnicy, leisurely (English) County Cricket vibe about it, but I certainly couldn't describe the turn-out as ''completely empty''.

 

[Flem274*]

test cricket attendance in nz away from dumps like auckland and westpac stadium is good. "family" type grounds like the basin, seddon park, hagley and uni oval get plenty of walk ins. interest is good too. even talkback radio bogans see tests as the highest form of the game.

 

[Zinzan]

I watched the entirety of both Tests on TV. It had a, picnicy, leisurely (English) County Cricket vibe about it, but I certainly couldn't describe the turn-out as ''completely empty''.

Yeah I said 'almost completely empty', not literally. As in relative to sports where you actually get decent crowds.

test cricket attendance in nz away from dumps like auckland and westpac stadium is good. "family" type grounds like the basin, seddon park, hagley and uni oval get plenty of walk ins. interest is good too. even talkback radio bogans see tests as the highest form of the game.

Can you quantify "walk-ins"? Do you mean a few hundred people?

I do recall some official Test numbers in NZ were published a year or two & it was absolutely abysmal.

I'd love to be positive about Test cricket in NZ, it's by far and away my favourite format, but I thought it was fairly common knowledge that hardly anyone turns up to the grounds for them, with those occasions I mentioned above being the exceptions.

And I will definitely concede the basin always punches well about it's NZ weight when it comes to attendance.

 

[S.Kennedy]

test cricket attendance in nz away from dumps like auckland and westpac stadium is good. "family" type grounds like the basin, seddon park, hagley and uni oval get plenty of walk ins. interest is good too. even talkback radio bogans see tests as the highest form of the game.

That is the impression I got, ''family'' type grounds. The crowds at the two Tests resembled a County Cricket out ground match, which are usually well attended and have a similar sort of old-fashioned picnic feel.

 

[Zinzan]

That is the impression I got, ''family'' type grounds. The crowds at the two Tests resembled a County Cricket out ground match, which are usually well attended and have a similar sort of old-fashioned picnic feel.

Btw, the picnic atmosphere vibe is cool, but it's not really paying the bills, it's close to 100% reliant on the ICC/overseas board it's hosting for that.

Certainly a risk the ICC decide it's not viable in the long-term. We've already seen NZ are lucky to get hosted for 3 test series when we travel & always the secondary tour. The recent away series against Aust and India were rare treats.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Btw, the picnic atmosphere vibe is cool, but it's not really paying the bills, it's close to 100% reliant on the ICC/overseas board it's hosting for that.

Certainly a risk the ICC decide it's not viable in the long-term. We've already seen NZ are lucky to get hosted for 3 test series when we travel & always the secondary tour. The recent away series against Aust and India were rare treats.

Well the numbers looked good to me from where I was watching, albeit on a television screen. I do not know what you expect, crowd wise, from those type of quaint venues.

 

[Zinzan]

Well the numbers looked good to me from where I was watching, albeit on a television screen. I do not know what you expect, crowd wise, from those type of quaint venues.

I really need to find this article that had data on Test crowds from all over the world. NZ attendances stood out like a sore thumb & SA was relatively poor as well IIRC, So not sure I can quantify a number, but if it's not supporting itself revenue-wise and is only being propped up by white ball cricket, and a supporting ICC & Ind/Aus/Eng boards, it's always a big risk that it could end. I hope I'm wrong btw.