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Pakistan Cricket (or lack thereof)

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
The Pakistan cricket team's fixtures for 2008 are ass.

Discuss.
They don't have any, it looks like. I think Australia was supposed to be their centerpiece, but that got canceled, but even if it had gone on, it is still astonishing that they'll have that long of a break between Test matches. It's completely insane.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
The best thing about being an English fan is the steady flow of fixtures IMO
 

Jungle Jumbo

International Vice-Captain
The best thing about being an English fan is the steady flow of fixtures IMO
Except for 'best', read 'worst'; for 'steady flow', read 'overload'. We might not play that many ODIs, but still far too many internationals for my liking. Makes me lose interest when a Test match is no longer a special event. Why, in any other sport, would teams play a series on one side of the world, then one on the other a few weeks apart? Madness.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
The thing about me is, when I like something, I want it all the time (:naughty:)

When I was doing every away game with the whites, I still spent all week long looking forwards to it, when I get into a band I do them do death, and yes, I want my Cricket all the time. Until we start losing, then I think, um when's the footy season start??? LOL
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
India don't have a huge calendar either - SL pretty soon and the big big series vs. Australia in October.
Indeed.

Problem with the fixture structure now is you have these periods of hiatus, then frenetic schedules of tests and tours everywhere.

Australia had a gap (in test terms) from the end ofthe Ashes up to the following home summer (of course there was the WC and the T20 tourney), now they're virtually non-stop for 2 years.

Don't see how it can be got around really.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Indeed.

Problem with the fixture structure now is you have these periods of hiatus, then frenetic schedules of tests and tours everywhere.

Australia had a gap (in test terms) from the end ofthe Ashes up to the following home summer (of course there was the WC and the T20 tourney), now they're virtually non-stop for 2 years.

Don't see how it can be got around really.
Agreed. I don't see a solution either. I'd prefer less ODIs and more longer tours with more Tests and more FC warm up games, but alas, that's a pipedream.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah, maybe ODIs will die off if T20 keeps growing, perversely providing more space for FC fixtures on tours.

As you say though, I think it's a pipe dream.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
And seriously, how many times are we going to face India?

It just seems insane that the schedule has been so threadbare when it comes to meaningful Test cricket. The fixtures have been crap since the World Cup, and now I see that it won't get better any time soon. :(
 

Craig

World Traveller
Agreed. I don't see a solution either. I'd prefer less ODIs and more longer tours with more Tests and more FC warm up games, but alas, that's a pipedream.
Make ODIs and T20 games illegal and if one is played they are banished to North Korea forever :ph34r:

Bring back the March to September tours.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Agreed. I don't see a solution either. I'd prefer less ODIs and more longer tours with more Tests and more FC warm up games, but alas, that's a pipedream.
Get rid of Twenty20 Internationals for starters, just leave that to the IPL, and get rid of Bangladesh too. That'd be a start.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Get rid of Twenty20 Internationals for starters, just leave that to the IPL, and get rid of Bangladesh too. That'd be a start.
Agree with the former, but really have no idea what to do with Bangladesh.

Even if there was a tiered system for first class internationals, I'm pretty sure Bangladesh would annihilate anyone in the second tier. But to expect them to rise to the level of the big boys in the near future seems very unlikely. Are unlikely to benefit from either scenario due to their "tweener" status.

And yes Richard, I know your views on this matter and find them to be quite rational and cogent. ;)
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Get rid of all ODI would be a fantastic first start obviously, but it still drives the finance of the game so I don't see it.
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
Agree with the former, but really have no idea what to do with Bangladesh.

Even if there was a tiered system for first class internationals, I'm pretty sure Bangladesh would annihilate anyone in the second tier. But to expect them to rise to the level of the big boys in the near future seems very unlikely. Are unlikely to benefit from either scenario due to their "tweener" status.

And yes Richard, I know your views on this matter and find them to be quite rational and cogent. ;)
Really I do not think Bangladesh could last 50 overs on a green seamer or a slow pitch up in Dublin leave alone long enough to to build a real test innings.


As far as Bangladesh and Increasingly Kenya and Ireland are concerned I am really concerned that they are getting stuck in the gulf between the less viable HPP countries like Canada and Bermuda and true test class. Something need to be done to bridge that gap.

Consider this article by Martin Williamson.

Back on topic it seems that money is taking an unholy and unacceptably big role in determining who tours where hence an overkill in Aus-Ind and Ind-Pak,and to a small extent Ind-Eng matches and a shortage of available tours for less fashionable destinations like Bangladesh for instance.

Will come back and elaborate further ( I am hungry and need a snack)....

Right so where was I ? Unfortunately for Pakistan events political and otherwise have made them unfashionable to the gravy trains that are of th Australia, India and England tours for the moment and if this is not resolved sooner rather than later then their stock will fade so far that even in the most peaceful circumstances they will struggle to regain the leverage on the market place that is International cricket which is why their people need to make every opportunity to make the Champions trophy and the Asia Cup hits.

BTW I just have to highlight this little piece on Zimbabwe's woes that came out on cricinfo. For the record if these are the deperate circumstance that are needed to prevail upon Zimbabwean cricket for them to even seriously consider touring Kenya then if they do agree to a return series I hope Tikolo and co give them them a good and proper hiding...
 
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silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Really I do not think Bangladesh could last 50 overs on a green seamer or a slow pitch up in Dublin leave alone long enough to to build a real test innings.
I disagree, they are not Test class, but they are certainly above Kenya and Ireland in ability to play a longer innings.
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
I disagree, they are not Test class, but they are certainly above Kenya and Ireland in ability to play a longer innings.
Perhaps and if things continue the way they are then they will remain stuck there somewhere between test class and the next best associates, Like Kenya and Ireland who for example would generally outclass any of the Associates contemporaries yet not quite be competitive for teams at the next level e.g Bangladesh.

The way priorities appear to be headed when all the great and the good of various cricket nations come together to plan and organise tours is making it increasingly difficult for teams who are at various points in transition from amataeurish associate to fully professional Test quality set ups to get the necessary cricket, hence exposure and therefore revenue to keep up with or even close the gap with established sides as a result of the increasingly smaller clique of cricketing nations/boards/ financial and media institutions that dictates what the FTP looks like.


Maybe I should add that 9 times out of ten Mortaza Rasel, Hossain and co would probably still be too much for Ireland to cope with on a green seamer in Dublin.
 

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