Posted by If you want to see the technology of tomorrow, today: go to Japan. If you want to see the cricketing fixture lists of tomorrow, today: look to India.
India have never played a home Test against Bangladesh, despite the latter being a Test team since 2000. They don’t want to, because it won’t earn them much money, so they don’t. It’s really not supposed to work like that, but it does.
This winter, England are touring India. We’ve already moaned about how there are seven one-day internationals and only two back-to-back Tests. We hate back-to-back Tests. When it’s two of five Tests, we can just about cope, but when a whole series is being whisked before your eyes in under a fortnight, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that it’s a commitment joylessly ticked off – like New Year’s Eve.
India tour New Zealand in 2009 and it goes without saying that that’s a bare minimum two back-to-back Tests as well. But India don’t hate Test cricket. Don’t think that. Australia arrive shortly for a four Test series, with all the accompanying fanfare and cash.
But for the ultimate potential signal as to what matters and what resolutely does not, you have to return to the England Tests. The first Test is due to start on the 11th of December. The Twenty20 Champions League finishes on the night of the 10th. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is ‘likely’ to be released from the later stages of the Champions League. We can only hope that does happen.
With the rise of Twenty20 and the Champions League, there is a real danger that international cricket will be increasingly sidelined in favour of these lucrative tournaments. This may be all very well for the BCCI, but for other nations who rely more heavily on Test match revenue, the loss of players to the likes of the IPL could be damaging.
Surely, it must fall to the ICC to ensure that the integrity of cricket is maintained by taking control of the scheduling of competitions. Unfortunately, where large sums of money are concerned, it is likely that the accountants will win out.
ICC and integrity in the same sentence, without an intervening negative. Not often you see that, GCW.
Seven ODI’s, faintly ludicrous. Around half way through the sixth I’ll have fallen into a deep coma.
Why stop at seven, why not ten ODI’s in India? Fifty? Why not every sporting event ever to go ahead again to be a England/India ODI.
Thats what it will feel like is happening after the fifth ODI, mark my words.
Seven isn’t even a real number.
Last time – to fully underline the pointlessness of it all – India chose to win the first four matches.
It’s deeply depressing. I’m not all that convinced there is much love for cricket in India. Beyond bluster, celebrity and adverts there seems to be little love of the actual sport. Is there any way of preventing this? Players, ECB, ICC? They are all at the mercy of masses of cash…
Well, I know who I jolly well blame…
http://tinyurl.com/6fxkk4
That would be hilarious if it didn’t seem so perfectly apt, Ceci!
That’s not even a photoshop job. It’s just a photograph.
England…… self claimed saviour of test match …..when was the last time the fan felt proud of their teams performance?? let me remember…. yah 2005
.stop worrting abt india and improve ur test performance….. hypocrites…….
You don’t even read these articles, do you?
Cmmon KC, are these even articles?? these are just sarcastic biased comments…….
Your website seems lika a hate campaign …….
similar to what the germans use to do against the jewish……. comparing modi with monkey…. critisising india and their board for any reasons….
Well, we’ve never called Modi a monkey and the reason we’re criticising the BCCI is because they’ve only scheduled two Tests against England and we’d like there should be more than that – quite a specific reason.