India vs West Indies- Could it get more boring?
Let me say clearly up front, Test cricket is my favourite format of the game to watch and follow, but the state of the five-day game is so pitiful that it is embarrassing to even call it an international sport. A little harsh? Nope, just realistic.
Cricket has always been a frightfully small community of countries. There are only ten test playing nations, I am not counting Afghanistan because they've only played one Test match. Now, while most sports grow, test cricket has not only remained the same, it has in fact in a lot of ways become smaller.
Pakistan is actually ranked below Sri Lanka, if you please, and they are as usual unpredictable
So that leaves the sport with 4 teams. Unless one of these four teams are playing each other, is it even worth watching? Take the current series for example- India vs West Indies. I'd rather watch paint dry.
Neither of the two tests will go to five days and most likely neither of the tests will go to four innings. India will probably win both by an innings and within four days, may be three. What ever happened to the word "test" in Test Cricket?
Oh and yes, this is a two test match series. If you can explain the purpose of a two test match series I would love to hear it.
The essence of sports is two individuals or teams competing to win. Competing. A competition. A battle. A test of talent, grit and will.
You'd need a pack of bloodhounds to find even a scent of competition in this series.
So why watch? To see stat padding centuries? To boost our ego after a 4-1 beat down in England and before a beatdown in Australia? Well, if you enjoy that kind of thing then tune in. Frankly, it's not even worth checking the score.
Possible solution? Divide the Test playing nations in to two leagues- League A- Top 5 teams and League B- Bottom 5. Set up a schedule that leads to the relegation of one team every year/season from A to B and the top team in B moves up to A. To determine the points and rankings set up a round robin of home and away series between the teams within their respective leagues.
This serves multiple purposes
1) Series become more competitive- you are now playing teams that are at the same level as you. Less series will be whitewashes, more to play for vs one off series' and a Test World Cup for the best team over a period
2) Relegation creates suspense and the battle to avoid relegation is even more interesting
3) Every series means something
4) Allows teams to move up in the rankings
I could go on and on the benefits on changing the current system. I just hope something happens soon because most series have become dreadfully boring to watch.
Photo Credit - PTI https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-vs-west-indies-live-cricket-score-1st-test-day-2-live-streaming-5387456/
The truth is that today there are only four real competitive Test playing nations. India, England, Australia and South Africa. The rest of the pack are so far behind that playing against them is like playing one-off matches against club teams. Especially when these teams play away from their homes.
New Zealand aren't too bad but they barely play test matches and don't quite create the spark of interest.
West Indies has self destructed itself with its board issues and lack of development of the game over the past few decades.
Sri Lanka is unable to recover and rebuild after the retirements of Jayawardene, Sangakkara and others.
Pakistan is actually ranked below Sri Lanka, if you please, and they are as usual unpredictable
Bangladesh is good for an occasional upset but I don't think anyone is really concerned about them being brilliant or consistently competitive.
Zimbabwe is, well, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is, well, Zimbabwe
So that leaves the sport with 4 teams. Unless one of these four teams are playing each other, is it even worth watching? Take the current series for example- India vs West Indies. I'd rather watch paint dry.
Neither of the two tests will go to five days and most likely neither of the tests will go to four innings. India will probably win both by an innings and within four days, may be three. What ever happened to the word "test" in Test Cricket?
Oh and yes, this is a two test match series. If you can explain the purpose of a two test match series I would love to hear it.
The essence of sports is two individuals or teams competing to win. Competing. A competition. A battle. A test of talent, grit and will.
You'd need a pack of bloodhounds to find even a scent of competition in this series.
So why watch? To see stat padding centuries? To boost our ego after a 4-1 beat down in England and before a beatdown in Australia? Well, if you enjoy that kind of thing then tune in. Frankly, it's not even worth checking the score.
Possible solution? Divide the Test playing nations in to two leagues- League A- Top 5 teams and League B- Bottom 5. Set up a schedule that leads to the relegation of one team every year/season from A to B and the top team in B moves up to A. To determine the points and rankings set up a round robin of home and away series between the teams within their respective leagues.
This serves multiple purposes
1) Series become more competitive- you are now playing teams that are at the same level as you. Less series will be whitewashes, more to play for vs one off series' and a Test World Cup for the best team over a period
2) Relegation creates suspense and the battle to avoid relegation is even more interesting
3) Every series means something
4) Allows teams to move up in the rankings
I could go on and on the benefits on changing the current system. I just hope something happens soon because most series have become dreadfully boring to watch.
Photo Credit - PTI https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-vs-west-indies-live-cricket-score-1st-test-day-2-live-streaming-5387456/
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