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Do Top teams play minnows enough?

slowfinger

International Debutant
I was wondering about that because I was thinking about players' average and how they attain them, old v new. It seems to get a 50+ average now, is harder because of the top teams playing other top teams, and not getting a chance to bolster averages through playing minnows, what are your views?
 

GotSpin

Hall of Fame Member
It's not hard to get a 50+ average when there's about 3 consistently very good bowlers
 

Anku31

U19 Vice-Captain
Not at all.And the concern is not the batsmen's averages but the development of cricket in minnow nations.I still remember Kenya used to play a lots of Triangular tournaments involving test nations.It started in 1998 when they,alongwith Bangladesh,played a tri-series in India & eventually beat India in one of the matches.This was followed by a lots of cricket played by Kenya against top nations & at last they reached the WC 2003 semis.This should have been followed by more & more international cricket & steps towards giving them test status.But infact,they hardly played any match against a top nation apart from ICC tournaments in last eight years.This is really shameful.ICC is to blame.
 

Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Why do we care whether batting averages are generally above or below 50? Seems fairly arbitrary.
Haha yeah. You know you've been on CW too long when that's the first thing you consider when asking whether the top nations playing poorer test sides is a good thing or not.
 

kiwiviktor81

International Debutant
I'd like to see a lot more quadrangular tournaments that included teams such as Ireland, Scotland and Kenya.
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
Who are the 'minnows' in test cricket currently? Certainly there's not more than 1. Bangladesh is one, and I don't think India, South Africa, England, Australia and Sri Lanka should play too many test series against them at present.

Once
1. Bangladesh is very competitive against first-choice Pakistan, Newzealand, West Indies teams,
AND/OR
2. some of the top 5 teams start having a horrrid time against Pakistan, Newzealand, West Indies

...they should start playing regularly against those teams.

Till then,

1. Top 5 teams should play regulary among themselves and with the next 3 teams in the (imaginary) 2nd tier.
2. Bangladesh should have regular series with those 3 teams in the (imaginary) 2nd tier.

This will result in both

1. Viewers not being tortured with too many absolutely boring whitewashes.
2. A chance to the Bangladesh team to improve its standards by playing with Pakistan, NZ, WI.

If that results in less number of batsmen averaging over 50, I'm very happy with it.
 

Rush

Banned
I was wondering about that because I was thinking about players' average and how they attain them, old v new. It seems to get a 50+ average now, is harder because of the top teams playing other top teams, and not getting a chance to bolster averages through playing minnows, what are your views?
This.. is a bad thing?
 

Debris

International 12th Man
I have always been a fan of the football system where all a country needs to get international status is to apply. You can then get rid of this stupid system where every team needs to play each other home and away every 5 years. The minnows can then earn the right to play the top teams.

I guess that means that my answer is the top teams play the minnows too much.
 

Anku31

U19 Vice-Captain
Who are the 'minnows' in test cricket currently? Certainly there's not more than 1. Bangladesh is one, and I don't think India, South Africa, England, Australia and Sri Lanka should play too many test series against them at present.

Once
1. Bangladesh is very competitive against first-choice Pakistan, Newzealand, West Indies teams,
AND/OR
2. some of the top 5 teams start having a horrrid time against Pakistan, Newzealand, West Indies

...they should start playing regularly against those teams.

Till then,

1. Top 5 teams should play regulary among themselves and with the next 3 teams in the (imaginary) 2nd tier.
2. Bangladesh should have regular series with those 3 teams in the (imaginary) 2nd tier.

This will result in both

1. Viewers not being tortured with too many absolutely boring whitewashes.
2. A chance to the Bangladesh team to improve its standards by playing with Pakistan, NZ, WI.

If that results in less number of batsmen averaging over 50, I'm very happy with it.
Absolutely.
 

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