Anybody who witnessed the test matches played in the recent weeks, would not dare to say that test cricket is starting to lose its prominence .From Sydney to Cape Town the action was simply spectacular. Undeniably it was a mind boggling, nerve racking contest, by the time the matches concluded, the majority of spectators had lost some chunk of their nails.
It was a thrilling contest between bat and ball thanks to a flawless pitch, which played true all through the course of five days. The batsmen were able to score runs comfortably, concurrently the bowlers too got some purchase from the deck. Much credit has to be ascribed to the groundsmen, who did a brilliant job.
Both the venues attracted a large number of spectators, who got their money’s worth. The Sydney test match saw some rearguard action from the Pakistanis, who were on the lookout for some retribution, as they were annihilated by the Aussies in the first test match. The Pakistanis dominated the Aussies for the first four days, but enigmatically squandered the opportunity and ended up on the losing end, yet again displaying their volatility. In contrast to this, the Australians once again showcased their tenacity and competitiveness. The SCG for now has seen three close finishes in three successive years.
Over in Cape Town much was expected from the hosts the South Africans who were trailing the English since their shocking defeat in Durban. The Proteas arrived in Cape Town under enormous pressure from their home fans, it was an ideal venue for the Proteas to square the series having fond memories of the ground. Unfortunately the home side was once again robbed of a win, as they were in Centurion. Sadly for the South Africans Graeme Onions once again stood between them and a much needed victory. The South Africans as a whole nation were dejected and grief-stricken. Smith and his men must be wondering as to why is this game being so cruel to them time and again. At the end of it all cricket and more importantly test cricket was the winner.
These closely contested matches proved once again, that test cricket can be so wonderful. The crowd too poured into the ground in large numbers, it’s a clear sign that test cricket is in good stead.
Despite all this there is a lot of talk about the future of this format. The cricketing boards, the former and current players are all unsure about the eminence of the game. The MCC and the ICC are contemplating about making rapid amendments to the format. There have been talks of introducing day-night test matches, the usage of pink ball is also taken into consideration. Yes all possible ways are being tried to preserve test cricket, but is there an absolute necessity to change the rules in the first place, do we need to go against the tradition which has been there for about 130 years?
Clearly the countries outside the sub-continent aren’t facing too much of a problem with the format, the reason I say that is because of the quality of pitches they provide. The problem arises only, if the pitch is not a sportive one. The flat batting paradise wickets in the sub-continent are the ones that make test cricket monotonous. To a great extent the BCCI, PCB, and SLC are responsible for not giving top precedence to test cricket. They seem to be shying away from their responsibilities. There is too much emphasis on 20-20 cricket, both in the international and domestic front. Instant Money from T20 is making these boards go away from their objectives.
Yes it’s sad that the Pakistani fans can’t watch their heroes at home, but it’s very vital for the PCB to arrange sufficient tests when they tour abroad, The BCCI too needs to fit in at lot more tests in the years calendar. The cricketing boards and the ICC need to relook at the FTP (Future Tour Programme) and look to add more tests in the future. Squeezing a test match here and there in an already cramped schedule is not going to resolve matters.
For the moment though let’s enjoy and cherish the exhilarating moments that test cricket is still providing us with, and wish that the administrators don’t go against the tradition, and above all they put together more number of test matches in their itinerary in time to come, because quite honestly this will enable the format to hold its own in the future.
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