Beginning Of The End For Test Cricket? South Africa’s Bizarre Move Presents Gloomy Picture
T20 was introduced to revolutionize cricket. The format made its debut in 2003 in English County and was soon adopted by other countries like New Zealand and Australia. It did not take long for the ICC and cricket boards to understand the huge potential of the format to attract young and vibrant audiences to cricket.
India’s win in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 skyrocketed the format’s stocks, creating a massive market in the sub-conditions which was quickly cashed in by the BCCI who introduced the Indian Premier League in 2008.
The staggering success of the IPL in terms of revenue and financial benefits prompted other boards to launch their own T20 leagues. Cheerleaders, loud music, and a plethora of boundaries provided an intense burst of thrill and entertainment to the fans, and the format soon became the most popular among the masses.
However, traditional followers of the sport feared that the format will have a negative impact on the other two formats. The claims were brushed off by the supporters and the cricket boards. Two decades down the line, the fans’ nightmare is coming true.
ODI Format Fighting Lost Battle
ODI cricket has suffered the most as many cricketers have quit the format to prolong their T20 careers. The prime example of the same was Word Cup winning captain Ben Stokes who decided to retire from the format citing mental issues. Stokes did not play any ODI cricket for two years before he made a temporary return for the ODI World Cup 2023. Similarly, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult gave up his central contract to play in franchise tournaments. Like Stokes, Boult also returned for the ODI world cup.
Beginning Of The End For Test Cricket?
The fate of ODI cricket was accepted by the fans but they now fear that T20 will cause similar damage to Test cricket. While people have varied opinions of the same, Cricket South Africa’s bizarre decision portrays a scary picture. CSA recently announced the schedule of the SA T20 league which will clash with the Test series against New Zealand.
The series being part of the World Test Championship stands of utmost importance but the board has confirmed that they will be sending a second-string team to New Zealand as the main players will take part in the SAT20 league.
This is the first instance of a cricket board openly giving franchise cricket priority over the purest format of the game. The decision leaves us with a question – Is this the beginning of the end of Test cricket? Is cricket going the football way, where national teams only clash in World Cups and continental tournaments, with players playing for their respective franchises? Can cricket survive like that?
Another point that needs attention is that players are more keen on developing skills that suit the T20 format. Test cricket needs players to be temperamentally strong and technically sound and T20 cricket needs innovation. It is tough for a modern player to master both skills.
West Indies Suffering, England On The Way?
West Indies once dominated world cricket but they are battling for survival because players have preferred franchise cricket over the national team.
You look at the England cricket team, the players they have, all T20 stars, who play at a strike rate of nearly 100. Watching Test cricket was fun in England as it needed great skills and technique to do well but the country is now producing flat tracks that support ‘Bazball’. England veteran James Anderson even mentioned that he will have to think about retirement if the country continues to produce lifeless wickets.
What Do Fans Want?
Traditional fans are not interested in watching 500 runs being chased in a Test match. They want to see an equal contest between bat and ball. There will be many cricket fans who want to see the old fashion Test cricket, and the cricket board must find a way to strike a balance between the different formats else the future looks very gloomy.