The future of Test cricket outside of the big three

[TheJediBrah]

I've long advocated for the ICC to develop a Fightpass style streaming service, where you can watch all international cricket live + full match footage and highlights of past games on demand. Charge people a subscription fee for the archive and put big matches behind a PPV.

So many people have wanted this forever. If this was available I'd probably just spend all my time re-watching every ball Shane Warne ever bowled and nothing else. I wouldn't even know who the current cricketers were.

 

[harsh.ag]

The 'smaller' nations are already putting their stuff up on YouTube and FB for free - NZ vs Pak was on YouTube, and most Associate cricket these days can be found on YouTube/FB. So we're already moving in that direction, it's just about getting the big players to buy in. But they probably won't because protecting the future of Test Cricket is not on their agenda. Short term profits is.

This is all fine but the smaller nations can only afford to do so because they're being subsidized by the big players. So, if their revenues go down, the smaller nations' YouTube streaming may disappear too for all we know

 

[honestbharani]

So many people have wanted this forever. If this was available I'd probably just spend all my time re-watching every ball Shane Warne ever bowled and nothing else. I wouldn't even know who the current cricketers were.

@robelinda on behalf of CW, we have a very special request here. Please do this for TJB and we will be forever grateful.

 

[cnerd123]

This is all fine but the smaller nations can only afford to do so because they're being subsidized by the big players. So, if their revenues go down, the smaller nations' YouTube streaming may disappear too for all we know

In the case of NZ/Pak, it was actually the broadcaster who put it up on YouTube for free.

The associate nations don't really earn much, if anything, from selling broadcast rights. Often times the only bidder in the market is a local broadcaster. So they can sell the local rights to the broadcaster, and the put the stream online for everyone else in the world. Or they forgo whatever the local broadcaster was willing to pay, put it up for free, and look to earn more money via sponsorship instead.

Recently Fancode (owned by Dream XI) has bought rights to stream various types of associate cricket within India only, so all the associates can put their matches up for free online and just geoblock it in India.

The Big 3 keep the bulk of the ICC revenue as it is, so the big players aren't really subsidising the smaller nations all that much. And in any case, what you've described is the kind of short-term thinking that maintains the status quo. There will be a financial hit moving to streaming, but it doesn't have to be a significant one if done correctly, and the long-term benefit of having cricket accessible to more people around the world outweighs the short term financial blow.

 

[Kirkut]

Unfortunately that isn't very realistic in today's society. Countries are gonna struggle to maintain Test relevance if they feel there's no money in it. It would suck hard if all Tests contained at least one of three countries. Diversity of nations and conditions is part of what makes Test cricket great!

The best approach should be marketing it better, but I am aware that's kind of tricky in certain nations.

Let's admit the fact that test cricket is not a 21st century sport and will never be one. Trying to market this game to different countries is like trying to sell Beethoven's music to a lay person.

Now Beethoven's music is an acquired taste and is not meant to be commercialized, same holds for test cricket.

Tests will stop existing the day it's fan base is reduced, and there is nothing sad about that, who uses a typewriter today?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Tests will stop existing the day it's fan base is reduced, and there is nothing sad about that, who uses a typewriter today?

nothing sad about it? I beg to differ. Agree that there is an inevitable decline taking place though. A future where Test cricket is mostly just Aus/Eng/India and otherwise largely white-ball cricket might not be far away.

 

[cnerd123]

Let's admit the fact that test cricket is not a 21st century sport and will never be one. Trying to market this game to different countries is like trying to sell Beethoven's music to a lay person.

Now Beethoven's music is an acquired taste and is not meant to be commercialized, same holds for test cricket.

Tests will stop existing the day it's fan base is reduced, and there is nothing sad about that, who uses a typewriter today?

This is a bit discriminatory. A lot of CWers have grown up in non-Test playing countries and love Test cricket. I know several people IRL the same way.

Beethoven's music is heavily commercialized, while typewriters have a website and online community dedicated to them. You could still buy one now if you wanted to, just go onto Amazon.

Test cricket dying is sad because Test cricket is beautiful and deserves to exist. And the way it will exist is, as you mention, by maintaining and growing it's fanbase. This can be done in several ways if there is the desire from those in charge to do so.

 

[Flem274*]

test cricket dying is something people keep telling me but it isnt happening.

10 years ago i was told the game was going to die in nz and so far i see solid crowds every summer to watch the new #1 test side in the world.

people like tests and like the idea of them even if they can't or don't want to see every ball like nerds on a website that grew on the backs of procrastinating university students.

it would suit cricket boards though to murder the game in favour of short, cheap and profitable t20s that snare the lucrative 'its on i guess and requires no attention' market, and of course the media promoting the death of tests have no love for drama in any way.

nzc losing 700k per test, which last i looked requires a paddock of grass and a broadcaster who pays you for the privilege of filming it, makes me more suspicious of nzcs financial nous than the health of the game given its our #2 sport.

 

[harsh.ag]

Cool idea Harsh, would be awesome if something like that came about.

Send a message to all the cricket boards, signed "Owner of Cricket"

 

[Pothas]

test cricket dying is something people keep telling me but it isnt happening.

10 years ago i was told the game was going to die in nz and so far i see solid crowds every summer to watch the new #1 test side in the world.

people like tests and like the idea of them even if they can't or don't want to see every ball like nerds on a website that grew on the backs of procrastinating university students.

it would suit cricket boards though to murder the game in favour of short, cheap and profitable t20s that snare the lucrative 'its on i guess and requires no attention' market, and of course the media promoting the death of tests have no love for drama in any way.

nzc losing 700k per test, which last i looked requires a paddock of grass and a broadcaster who pays you for the privilege of filming it, makes me more suspicious of nzcs financial nous than the health of the game given its our #2 sport.

This so much. Far too easy to forget how completely unrepresentative we are even amongst people that really like cricket.

I know we are not talking about 'the big three' here but even the most casual of fans in England prefers Tests to any other format.

 

[Beamer]

Slightly off topic but I think extremely relevant, certainly for us, is the draining of the talent pool by England in particular. See links below:

Jacob Bethel signs for Warwickshire
Nico Reifer signs for Surrey

These are young Bajan kids who get offered a club/school scholarship to play in England and somehow end up signing for a county and training with Young England Lions. Bethel in particular is an outstanding young talent and this feels like daylight robbery. I accept that there will be players that want to move to England for better financial opportunities but this is definitely worse than that, these kids are being recruited basically.

With our limited resources, how are we supposed to compete when our best talent is being willfully and proactively poached by England? I think something needs to be done, at the very least some form of compensation scheme for the cricket boards who invested in these boys and get no return for that. England don;t need this, we do.

 

[Flem274*]

England don;t need this, we do.

theft is literally the only reason england have an odi world cup in their cabinet. look at the skipper and star fast (once) bowler. they absolutely do need the handouts.

 

[Beamer]

theft is literally the only reason england have an odi world cup in their cabinet. they absolutely do need the handouts.

Ha! Still, I refer back to this thread topic. How are teams with low resources and income supposed to recover from losing their standout performers in Under 15 and Under 19 cricket? I feel this is a big issue that needs at the least discussing.

 

[cnerd123]

Ha! Still, I refer back to this thread topic. How are teams with low resources and income supposed to recover from losing their standout performers in Under 15 and Under 19 cricket? I feel this is a big issue that needs at the least discussing.

I don't think it is a problem.

Cricketers who come out of small nations and go on to play a higher level of cricket for a bigger nation are inspirational. Seriously. It shows kids from the smaller nations that there is a pathway to becoming a high-paying professional if you work hard enough. That you can get a county contract, IPL gig, or even a high paying international job for a Test country if you are good enough.

This incentivizes youngsters in those countries to take up the game beyond the U15/U17 level. Kids who would have otherwise chosen a different career path. And of all the kids who go overseas, a couple of them might decide to play for the WI at some point. And that will be a player gained, not a player lost.

 

[Flem274*]

I don't think it is a problem.

Cricketers who come out of small nations and go on to play a higher level of cricket for a bigger nation are inspirational. Seriously. It shows kids from the smaller nations that there is a pathway to becoming a high-paying professional if you work hard enough. That you can get a county contract, IPL gig, or even a high paying international job for a Test country if you are good enough.

This incentivizes youngsters in those countries to take up the game beyond the U15/U17 level. Kids who would have otherwise chosen a different career path. And of all the kids who go overseas, a couple of them might decide to play for the WI at some point. And that will be a player gained, not a player lost.

by this logic, you'd have no qualms with a large nation swallowing a city state then? it allows that city state exposure to the world stage after all.

 

[cnerd123]

by this logic, you'd have no qualms with a large nation swallowing a city state then? it allows that city state exposure to the world stage after all.

shut up Chapman poacher

 

[Flem274*]

ah yes mark chapman. can you point me to where kings college is in hong kong? i must have missed it when i was there.

 

[cnerd123]

In all sincerity Mark Chapman is a terrific example of a player who has inspired younger cricketers in Hong Kong. Several kids have moved to NZ schools now if I understand correctly, with one eye on following his footsteps. And in the meanwhile our junior teams benefit from their added experience.

Anshuman Rath is another example of such a player. He polished his game in England as a part of trying to pursue a Country career, but his visa fell through. He gave the HK nat side a massive boost and put in lots of great performances, and was captain at 21. Now he's attempting to pursue a career in India. If he could not chase that County contract as a kid, he might not even be playing anymore.

 

[honestbharani]

theft is literally the only reason england have an odi world cup in their cabinet.

You can reasonably state that about most of the other things in their cabinet too, tbf.

 

[Beamer]

I don't think it is a problem.

Cricketers who come out of small nations and go on to play a higher level of cricket for a bigger nation are inspirational. Seriously. It shows kids from the smaller nations that there is a pathway to becoming a high-paying professional if you work hard enough. That you can get a county contract, IPL gig, or even a high paying international job for a Test country if you are good enough.

This incentivizes youngsters in those countries to take up the game beyond the U15/U17 level. Kids who would have otherwise chosen a different career path. And of all the kids who go overseas, a couple of them might decide to play for the WI at some point. And that will be a player gained, not a player lost.

We haven't got the resources to continually invest in young players and lose them. England pump millions and millions into their grassroots and have a larger population of their own. Can't they just go and do one already? So mercenary, I'm done with it.