I’d like us to prioritise long format cricket, but I fear it won’t be cost effective to do this. We need more players getting experience in 3/4 day county matches on a variety of pitches, but the trend is to play less of these games in favour of the Heinz 57 Varieties of the short format game, which even a miserable old git like me has to admit are more lucrative and much more likely to attract desperately needed new blood into the game. But the pressures are the same in India and Australia, so why we are so much worse than them is beyond me.
A lot of our problems come from the way the County game has been downgraded so much over the years. The season is currently split with one day and T20 having been prioritised in the way the season has been organised and now the 100 competition makes things worse. Test cricketers were previously schooled at County level but you rarely see established Test players anywhere near it now. Add to that 'result' pitches that are often sub-standard and the players rarely encounter what we have seen down under or the sub-continent. The one-day sloggers soon get found out by what are often much more subtle skilful players. With T20 fast becoming the only brand of cricket that appeals to the young follower it's hard to see much future for the 5 day game...
For me, 20/20 is still just a slog fest, an all be it very entertaining watch. One day games and test matches are my favourites to watch, but I fear everything seems geared towards crash bang wallop, very short games.
Many, many years ago when I played at school, club colts and university it was mainly 40 to 60 overs each, over in a day. I used to dream of playing in a 2 or 3 day game when you could ‘build an innings’. Perhaps some of the youngsters who take up the short game might end up feeling the same way. Mind you I used to get bored as **** fielding in one day games, I’d be a liability in a longer format. Anyway, England now have the important task of rebuilding the West Indies’ confidence to look forward to.
The media never give up. It turns out the English & Aussie players decided to have a couple of beers together after the test series……. Nothing wrong with that. The media & police can’t help themselves and have to make a scene out of it. Let the guys have some time off for fcuk sake! https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricke...n-and-england-cricketers-20220118-p59p2v.html
Saying that a drinking culture has set in amongst the England team over there due to covid restrictions, leave it out ffs
In yesterday’s Times Agnew set out his plan for revitalising English test cricket. It was insanely complicated and essentially meant the end of county cricket, counties becoming feeder clubs for 8 to 10 teams like those for the Hundred, but with totally different playing staff, to make up a 3/4 day first class competition. All hangs on there being no cross over between short format and long format games, players would be one or the other. I kind of lost the will to live after a bit. Cricket is caught in a nightmare no man’s land between old style duffers running barely professional clubs and the full TV glitz of the IPL. It’s answer to any challenge seems to be ‘add another format’. Massive review and reboot required.
Might as well post this here rather than start a new thread..... T20 against WIndies just started, England batting after being put in and are 10/3 from 10 balls..........Holder on a hat trick.......
I only checked a minute ago and you were 3-18 and just got two boundaries. Maybe they're playing too much cricket and need to give it a rest for a couple of years?
