The road to perdition

There is a temptation to treat Test cricket as a seriously ill patient in pressing need of a quintuple bypass. Test cricket is not poorly by any stretch of the imagination. It needs some fine tuning; a bit of DIY to keep up with the times.

CJ: Ranja

Fri, Jul 31, 2009 11:40:26 IST

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Cricket today :

PREPARATIONS HAVE begun. An elegiac lament has been adopted as an anthem by a notable few. Some have even begun talks with funeral directors for a fitting tribute and a suitable coffin – nails and all. The Citi moment of ruin can’t be far behind ably followed by the Citi moment of slow death. Is 'Test cricket' on a zimmer frame slowly meandering towards the precipice of damnation? Going by recent news bites on its near certain demise, unless drastic action is taken urgently, Test cricket as we know it may not exist in the same form. Amidst this unfounded pessimism, one would have to wonder if Test cricket is so fragile that it can be blown away by a format that relies more heavily on grunt than grace; size than elegance; razzmatazz than refinement; strength of willow rather than strength of character; brawn than brain; frenzy rather than fortitude. As we embark towards the abyss of the unknown, it is but natural to give gloom a helping hand.

Would a format that stood the test of time for over a hundred years not possess the strength of disposition, appeal and character to withstand the new kids on the block with their fancy ware? Surely the Wiis and the PS3s have yet to discard the need to indulge in a bit of scrabble or monopoly. For the die-hard traditionalists, with or without the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) membership that is nothing more than a glorified snoozing zone, such acidulous glum sentiments are not welcome. However, as unappetising as they might be, they can’t be ignored. There was a time in the past when the mere mention of a tinker or two raised the eyebrows so high that a few have had accentuated battle scarred foreheads ever since. Now, they just wince and grunt despairingly like prisoners do when they are short-changed on their daily dose of crack. The sanctity of cricket is being adulterated, they groan in typical rigid tones. What is so sanctimonious about Test cricket anyway?

In a recent speech at the MCC Working Committee meeting, Rahul Dravid said,"Test match attendances around the world have dropped. You want to be playing in front of crowds. Apart from England, attendances are down." Crowds elsewhere are dwindling faster than Kaif’s chances of making a comeback. Okay, I made the last bit up, but it’s true. Australia too has drawn very healthy crowds for its home Tests. I guess they are never short of an excuse to buy beer, sound each other off with strewths, and probably hurl abuse at some unfortunate soul who doesn’t look like them while all the time talking about playing cricket in the true spirit of the game.

English grounds are like stretched soup bowls with a max capacity of 28,000 to 29,000 at Lord’s while the MCG and the Eden for example can draw anything up to 100,000. In the context of stadium footprints, even 20,000 at these huge stadiums in India and Australia would look thin. So, let’s forgive Dravid's flawed observation and move on. Do attendances determine the longevity or success of the game? Playing to empty houses isn’t much fun. Just ask Michael Bolton. Recently Hayden rued, “When Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run-getter in Test cricket (in Mohali last season) there were only a handful of spectators in the stadium. So, something needs to be done.” Something is being done, though it isn’t the International Cricket council (ICC) that is wasting its breath over this. Lalit Modi, enfant terrible in the scheme of things, has blitzed the comfort zone. “One needs to go out and capture the fans. I think that's the most important thing right now,” he says and who can disagree with him.

The IPL, for all its crassness and overdose, has proven that allegiance can be bartered. Recent chilling admissions by Vettori and Kirsten that players may choose IPL over country are a case in point. When Gayle uttered those dreaded words a while back on not giving a rat’s rear for Test cricket, he probably didn’t envisage others would feed off him. Cricketers have a choice now. Something they haven’t been privy to all these years. No longer are they married for life to country. A divorce can be fashioned with relative ease and players are free to ply their trade at the expense of country commitments.

Lack of direction and strategy from the top tier can have a lethal effect on operations. Cricket is at a crucial crossroads. There is a temptation to treat Test cricket as a seriously ill patient in pressing need of a quintuple bypass. Thankfully, Test cricket is not poorly by any stretch of the imagination. It needs some fine tuning; a bit of do it yourself (DIY) to keep up with the times. It also needs the custodians to take a grip and ensure Test cricket take precedence in the yearly calendar. A two-tier Test system wouldn’t be amiss either. Night cricket, coloured balls and what have you do contribute in enhancing its appeal. One sided contests can be avoided with teams such as Bangladesh placed at second tier. The pool of Test-playing nations can be populated with Test status for Kenya, Ireland and Afghanistan. This gives an incentive for the teams in the second tier to aspire to the top tier.

By no means is Test cricket dead and neither is it on course to a sudden arrest in its fortunes. However, the authorities must ensure that the exodus is restrained. Priorities have changed. This is what being professional is all about. Having a choice. Test cricket is alive, but it needs to live and breathe easily without being suffocated by other formats.

So, save on the obituaries for now. There is still life left in Test cricket. Nothing beats the balance it provides between bat and ball. Nothing can supersede the theatre, the drama, the enjoyment and the pride that one associates with Test cricket. Nothing can emulate its experience, but unless it embraces the changing times and demands, it runs the risk of becoming a forgotten experience. Cricket’s landscape is altering. It remains to be seen whether Test cricket gets on board or becomes a mere bystander.

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