Cricket Counterfactuals

[subshakerz]

Going into alternate history a bit.

How would national cricket have evolved if the following seminal events were changed?

India lost the Calcutta test in 2001 against Australia? Would India have risen as a cricket power to the same degree?

WI lost the series to Pakistan at home in 1988 in the final tight test? Would it have hastened a quicker decline for the WI?

Pakistan list the 86 Sharjah Cup in the India final with the last ball six by Miandad. Would Pakistan have been as competitive in ODIs after that?

NZ beaten Aus in the 2015 WC final. Would NZ be more competitive against Aus after that in cricket generally?

Can you think of other counterfactuals with big impact?

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

Misbah scoops the ball for 6 and there's no IPL.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

If England had beaten Bangladesh in pool play in the 2015 CWC they would've made the 1/4 finals and then not revamped their ODI side thus missing the 2019 semifinals.

 

[honestbharani]

Misbah scoops the ball for 6 and there's no IPL.

Its counterfactuals, not fantasy.

No one can scoop a ball bowled that slow for a 6.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If England never colonised the sub-continent the influence of spin bowling on cricket would be greatly reduced

 

[Coronis]

Going into alternate history a bit.

How would national cricket have evolved if the following seminal events were changed?

India lost the Calcutta test in 2001 against Australia? Would India have risen as a cricket power to the same degree?

WI lost the series to Pakistan at home in 1988 in the final tight test? Would it have hastened a quicker decline for the WI?

Pakistan list the 86 Sharjah Cup in the India final with the last ball six by Miandad. Would Pakistan have been as competitive in ODIs after that?

NZ beaten Aus in the 2015 WC final. Would NZ be more competitive against Aus after that in cricket generally?

Can you think of other counterfactuals with big impact?

I’m not sure why the last 3 have anything to do with the teams being more/less competitive. Would their players have suddenly become better/worse faster based on the result of a single match/series?

re: India, yes I think they still would’ve, it may have taken slightly longer but the amount of money being poured into the game would’ve still paid off at some point.

 

[Burgey]

Its counterfactuals, not fantasy.

No one can scoop a ball bowled that slow for a 6.

Misbah, man. Such a weird player, would generally bat pretty sedately in tests, then he produced that random 50-something ball ton vs Aus and also this knock in the T20 final when, iirc, Pakistan looked dead and buried but he got them to the point where they could/ should have won.

 

[Burgey]

If Brett lee had smoked that cover drive off Harmison two metres wider of the fielder on day 5 at Edgbaston in 2005 and Aus won that test, would the sting have gone out of that series at 2-0 Aus, and would England instead have won here in 2006-07?

 

[h_hurricane]

If Kapil Dev hadn't taken the backward running catch to dismiss Viv Richards in 1983 WC, popularity of cricket in India would have taken a lot longer to shoot through the roof.

 

[subshakerz]

I’m not sure why the last 3 have anything to do with the teams being more/less competitive. Would their players have suddenly become better/worse faster based on the result of a single match/series?

re: India, yes I think they still would’ve, it may have taken slightly longer but the amount of money being poured into the game would’ve still paid off at some point.

The 86 Miandad six had a tremendous psychological impact on Pakistan cricket. India had the advantage over Pakistan until then especially in ODIs and not so for another generation.

 

[Coronis]

The 86 Miandad six had a tremendous psychological impact on Pakistan cricket. India had the advantage over Pakistan until then especially in ODIs and not so for another generation.

Oh ok then Pakistan never wins the WC, Wasim focuses on tests and Waqar doesn’t end up as a cricketer

 

[subshakerz]

Oh ok then Pakistan never wins the WC, Wasim focuses on tests and Waqar doesn’t end up as a cricketer

You don't think NZ become a bit more competitive against Aus if they beat them in a WC final?

 

[TheJediBrah]

You don't think NZ become a bit more competitive against Aus if they beat them in a WC final?

Nah. The whole "we have mental block against Australia" is NZ cope to avoid admitting we are and always will be simply way better than them

 

[govinda indian fan]

The 86 Miandad six had a tremendous psychological impact on Pakistan cricket. India had the advantage over Pakistan until then especially in ODIs and not so for another generation.

This made scar on indian cricket for long time. They just couldn't beat Pakistan easily for next 15 years. 2003 wc match and 2004 series win in pakistan gave india edge

 

[GIMH]

If sandpaper was never invented, England win the 2016-17 Ashes 4-0

 

[Daemon]

If sandpaper was never existed, England win the 2016-17 Ashes 4-0

If sandpaper was never existed*

 

[GIMH]

If sandpaper was never existed*

Thank you

 

[morgieb]

If sandpaper was never invented, England win the 2016-17 Ashes 4-0

TIL England toured Australia in 2016/17.

 

[subshakerz]

Nah. The whole "we have mental block against Australia" is NZ cope to avoid admitting we are and always will be simply way better than them

You are better but NZ definitely underperform against you whereas against the rest they tend to punch above.

 

[subshakerz]

This made scar on indian cricket for long time. They just couldn't beat Pakistan easily for next 15 years. 2003 wc match and 2004 series win in pakistan gave india edge

I agree the 2003 WC game and the exit of the 2Ws plus Anwar changed things.