ICC considers repackaging Tests!

[Magrat Garlick]

I actually really like this idea! Kudos for this. I thought they were going to do something ridiculous like impose fielding restrictions.

Looks like they're going to squeeze all home-and-away series into four years though. Which, considering they have enough problems with five at present, means even more 2-Test series. Not good.

 

[cowboysfan]

I actually really like this idea! Kudos for this. I thought they were going to do something ridiculous like impose fielding restrictions.

I know a test tournament is difficult to organize but a 4 year tournament is too long.

 

[silentstriker]

I know a test tournament is difficult to organize but a 4 year tournament is too long.

It's a running points system, except with an end point and a reset button at the end. It's not a 'tournament' in the traditional sense.

 

[cowboysfan]

It's a running points system, except with an end point and a reset button at the end. It's not a 'tournament' in the traditional sense.

I guess.Only in cricket can we have a 4 year "tournament" and get away with it.

On a side note I hope teams dont start scheduling matches with the likes of Bangladesh just to pad their points.

 

[howardj]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/353834.html

The line about increasing scoring rates is especially ominous, as the scoring rates in Test cricket have really never been higher, and the vast majority of Tests yield a result, which should be the goal. Test cricket does not need faster scoring to be appealing - it just needs more even matches. .

Could do with cheergirls and sixes every third ball, as well as players being auctioned off to franchises. Forget the Ashes. I want to see Ponting play for the England Elephants, and Pietersen for the Pakistan Panthers.

Otherwise, I get bored.

 

[LA ICE-E]

It's not much different than the rankings except like ss said there's a resart button. I like it. But doing it home away basis in 4 years when the ftp is 6 years long is kinda of hard. But I'm all for it; i also wish like i have been saying there's a championship series between the top 2.

 

[silentstriker]

Could do with cheergirls and sixes every third ball, as well as players being auctioned off to franchises. Forget the Ashes. I want to see Ponting play for the England Elephants, and Pietersen for the Pakistan Panthers.

Otherwise, I get bored.

I would love watching five day cricket between club sides at the international level. I'd enjoy that at least as much as I do Tests now, probably. Much more even distribution of talent, for one. Less bull**** regarding nationality for another. And good competitive cricket all around. Though there is no money in it, so it'd never happen

 

[silentstriker]

The Baroda Bengals led by Freddie Flintoff playing against Lancashire. I like it .

 

[Isura]

This is not bad. But points shouldn't reset to 0. There should be some % of points carried over between 4 year periods

 

[cowboysfan]

This is not bad. But points shouldn't reset to 0. There should be some % of points carried over between 4 year periods

I am trying to think of a reason why thhey should but so far I am out.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

I actually really like this idea! Kudos for this. I thought they were going to do something ridiculous like impose fielding restrictions.

But can you imagine India agreeing to play more tests against teams with less appeal? i.e NZ and SRL.

This system would require all teams to play an equal amount of tests against the opposition. No more 5 match series etc

I like the idea of all teams playing each other an equal amount of times, and same series lengths, but as long as $$$ is involved, I can't see it happening. I hope it will, but can't see it.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

What gets the crowd in is rivalries, particularly long-standing ones. It's no secret that the consistently largest crowds go to the Ashes, India-Pakistan and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy solely because of the emotional investment that's happened between the countries.

Moreover, sides that historically have tussled with Australia (eg New Zealand and West Indies) typically draw larger crowds purely by dint of their history together. I would expect the same crowds to come even if Australia were mediocre. I suspect it's a nationalist thing more than a quality-of-cricket thing.

The best thing that would happen for Test cricket in terms of attendance is for rivalries - real rivalries - happening between West Indies, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand. Real, huge, acrimonious rivalries that can only be settled in something as conclusive as a Test series. Nobody comes as it stands because there's no reason to; any clash between any of these four teams is usually looked upon as just another series. Let's be honest here.

Just as ODI and Twenty20 cricket lures impulsive crowds to an impulsive format, we need to make Test cricket emotionally loaded (not just in dummy-spits and sledging) enough to do justice to the psychological battles taking place.

Unfortunately, there's no way I can see to achieve this artificially. A world war, maybe?

 

[Richard]

From the AGE

Points system planned to revitalise Tests

June 10, 2008

THE proposed championship of Test cricket could include a quadrennial trophy presentation ceremony and a points system, with allowances for bonuses, in a bid to revitalise the five-day game globally.

The concept of a Test championship, first raised by a Chicago-based consultancy firm and promoted by Cricket Australia, has been discussed at International Cricket Council-level for the past six months, and seems to have the tentative support of most member nations. Though details have yet to be agreed upon, the competition model is unlikely to take the form of a World Cup-style tournament, but rather a four-yearly home-and-away series, with points awarded for each match and a winner crowned at the conclusion.

Discussions have also taken place about the viability of a bonus points system, which would provide incentive for teams to perform and discourage negative cricket. The move might rankle traditionalists, but administrators believe it could help enliven the game, giving context to each match played.

"There is still a lot of spadework that needs to be done," said Inderjit Singh Bindra, who next month will assume the newly created role of principal adviser to the ICC. "The form, the format and the frequency are all part of the discussion at the moment. It has been discussed by a number of countries, and there is hope that this might work."

Several impediments to the Test championship remain, however.

Australia, for one, is uncertain how such a format would effect its "icon series", including the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Others fear that such a system would lead to more series against rivals with little commercial appeal.

Should the concept gain approval, it would presumably start after the conclusion of the current Future Tours program in 2012.


If a four-year "tournament " is the best they could come up with than its best they didnt have it all.how can they expect this to succeed if the result will be known in 2016?.

Doesn't sound too bad by previous standards, but yes I still prefer the thing to be done on a "rolling" basis. I don't like the idea of Tests being split basically into four-year periods then starting all over again.

And of course, the fact is that some Test series have their own outside-the-rest history. The Ashes and India-Pakistan being the best two examples.

 

[Richard]

Like I said before not for the sake of it but being blindly against is also stupid.

There's a difference between being blindly against and being against as the standard. Too many people have the standard as a "yes" when things work far best if the standard answer to "do we change?" is "no".

It's not really impractical, no one just thought of a practical idea of it yet. We already have the ranking So all you gotta do is follow the college football system here. And if switching countries is too difficult then just have it in the country of the #1 team in the rankings which would just be as easy as hosting any other tour. So depending o how far apart they want to have a test championship, they just need to have a slot for a month reserved test cricket. I understand that different country have different seasons, so the # 1 team push it back a little etc.

You get huge crowds at most tests played in australia and england. And yes they have a lot of fans but so does all the other countries. But to others test series doesn't matter that much. I remember clips of Bangladesh's debut was packed. I bet if there's a championship, it will be packed to

Sounds like the idea is completely different to what was imagined, so none of this is really relevant.

 

[GIMH]

TBH I think the ICC have stolen my idea

 

[silentstriker]

But can you imagine India agreeing to play more tests against teams with less appeal? i.e NZ and SRL.

Yes, they will if they want to get ahead in rankings.

This system would require all teams to play an equal amount of tests against the opposition. No more 5 match series etc

I'm sure they'd make an exception to things like the Ashes. But India don't play five Tests anyway, for example. There are around 80 total Test series between all the countries in a five year period. Two of them are five match series (Ashes in England and Australia respectively). It's easy to make a few exceptions here and there.

I like the idea of all teams playing each other an equal amount of times, and same series lengths, but as long as $$$ is involved, I can't see it happening. I hope it will, but can't see it.

There is no $$$ involved in Test cricket - at least nowhere near ODI/T20. There will be an equal number of ODIs played between nations over BCCI's dead body, but I could easily see them agreeing to that with regard to Tests.

What gets the crowd in is rivalries, particularly long-standing ones. It's no secret that the consistently largest crowds go to the Ashes, India-Pakistan and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy solely because of the emotional investment that's happened between the countries.

The largest crowds go to ODI's for those rivalries. Only in England and Australia do the crowds go to the Tests. In India, you can expect a decent crowd, but frankly, it's the ODI's that bring in the crowd almost everywhere.

Just as ODI and Twenty20 cricket lures impulsive crowds to an impulsive format, we need to make Test cricket emotionally loaded (not just in dummy-spits and sledging) enough to do justice to the psychological battles taking place.

Unfortunately, there's no way I can see to achieve this artificially. A world war, maybe?

But things are emotionally loaded - the ODIs. The reason Tests are not emotionally loaded for the fans is that most fans don't give a crap about the format. You can't artificially create interest in five day cricket. This system might give an extra spice to series that otherwise would lack it, but it's not going to do anything about the vast majority of fans who don't care either way.

Which is fine by me. Test cricket is in good health right now, with lots of results, and some good rivalries, and all I need from Limited Overs cricket is to generate money and subsidize Test cricket.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

The largest crowds go to ODI's for those rivalries. Only in England and Australia do the crowds go to the Tests. In India, you can expect a decent crowd, but frankly, it's the ODI's that bring in the crowd almost everywhere.

That's fairly reductive reasoning if you ask me. People go to ODIs because it's a format that's action-packed enough to hold their attention. Enough people will go to an ODI because it's a day out involving entertaining hitting and fielding. People go to Test matches to draw upon the emotional value of the contest, because not enough people who appreciate cricket for its technical purity alone exist to fill a stadium. It prevails so much in Australia and England for the most part because touring sides usually share a history of sorts with the local team, and the stakes in the cricket's outcome lift as a result. The public recognise this.

But things are emotionally loaded - the ODIs. The reason Tests are not emotionally loaded for the fans is that most fans don't give a crap about the format. You can't artificially create interest in five day cricket. This system might give an extra spice to series that otherwise would lack it, but it's not going to do anything about the vast majority of fans who don't care either way.

ODIs are not emotionally loaded, they're adrenally loaded, and given your reasoning it looks like we'll have to agree to disagree. The consequence of ad nauseam ODIs is that none in particular outside of finals or WC games has any particular resonance with the punters, give or take the odd arse-nipper, and people as a result can only appreciate each game for what it is. The blood and tears in a Test series, however, can and usually does last till the return series, especially in a high-profile tussle or one that involves a victory for the away team. The history added to the rivalry goes without saying, too.

 

[silentstriker]

ODIs are not emotionally loaded, they're adrenally loaded, and given your reasoning it looks like we'll have to agree to disagree. The consequence of ad nauseam ODIs is that particular one outside of finals or WC games has any particular resonance with the punters, give or take the odd arse-nipper. The blood and tears in a Test series, however, can and usually does last till the return series, especially in a high-profile tussle or one that involves a victory for the away team.

Sure, for us and the players. The average fan doesn't care. Not a highly scientific test, but I got about 50x more sms from friends in India when India won a T20 or ODI compared to when they won in England for the first time in 20 years in a Test series.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Sure, for us and the players. The average fan doesn't care. Not a highly scientific test, but I got about 50x more sms from friends in India when India won a T20 or ODI compared to when they won in England for the first time in 20 years in a Test series.

What about India/Pakistan Test series? Would be interested.

 

[Richard]

India-Pakistan Test series will receive perhaps 1\10th (if they're lucky) of the fan-involvement of an India-Pakistan ODI series.