From Brendan Layton, Australia
Considered by some as cricket for those with ADD (Apologies to those who do have that disorder though). Now with the advent of the IPL, ICL, Champion's League and Stanford 20/20 for 20, the newest form of cricket is beginning to dominate the game, slowly eliminating 50 over cricket from the landscape and now encroaching on the popularity of Test cricket as the number one form of the game.
To compare the two, one way to look at it is when rock music came into circulation. Test cricket can be considered the classical music where all forms of music branched off from and still to this day give inspiration. 50 over cricket is the Blues of the form. It was raw and new and exciting when it first came out, but after many years and too much exposure to pop music, R'n'B formed from what was originally a great product, something tarnished by increasing commercialisation. 20/20 is Rock'n'Roll. The new, dangerous, raucous cricket formed from Blues that becomes what the Blues used to be, raw, different and energetic. Rock became the centrepiece of music and in some ways still is. And that is the possibility that 20/20 may head towards.
Strictly in marketing terms, 20/20 is a brilliant concept. It is short, furious, and full of spectacular stroke play that spectators love to see. It is the perfect format for countries across the world to be introduced to the game, and therefore make it more international. However, this may come at the cost of Test cricket, viewed by the majority of diehard fans as the most important version of the game.
Test cricket got its name due to it being the true test of one's cricketing abilities. The truly great players of this age, the Tendulkars, Pontings, Warnes, and Laras of this world forged their names in the longest form of the game. But 20/20's popularity with the marketing gurus and media may lead to Test cricket's role being downgraded. By all that is good about cricket, I hope this doesn't happen. Long may Test cricket remain.
There is nothing at all attractive about flat track bullies hitting yet another leg stump yorker down the ground after gracelessly "clearing the front leg".
The pitch means nothing, ball wear means nothing, even batting order means nothing. Worse of all, bowlers mean nothing.
I can envisage cricket in 2300.. a synthetic wicket and 20 fielders trying to stop a man with a 5 pound graphite bat hit a ball from a ball machine as far as he can.
Without test cricket, cricket will die. It's an undeniable fact. Players themselves will lose interest. Instead of being an "exciting" alternative to test cricket it will quickly bore the pants off everyone (except maybe the Yanks)..
So here is my point. Baseball already exists why try and erode cricket into a cheap alternative? All you will do is just kill the sport globally.
The article seems to suggest that rock music is a simplistic form of music which is not always true; rock has subgenres such as progressive rock which is often very complex, both in form and in the level of virtuosity required by its players. Also, blues did not really branch from Western classical music. Its roots lie in African folk music.
Sorry for this comment; I'm a musician and I guess a touch too anal about these parallels. I agree with the overall message of the article though, cheers!
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