So 2 billion odd watch the World Cup? Big deal, as I asked who really cares, and I mean cricket lovers. 1.9 billion of those were probably in India and the rest Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. ODI cricket has been killing the game for years and now good old 20/20 is ready to finish it off.
Killing it off? Has test cricket really been going downhill since 1971? There has been one day cricket for exactly a third of test cricket's life. The first two thirds must have been fricking awesome. Remember them well?
Unfortunately, (especially for Riv), it is McB. Test cricket is waning big time everywhere except England (and Oz when England are in town). Aside from that , test cricket produces abysmal crowds. Around the globe, its 1 day cricket that subsidises test Cricket, and there could come a time (In India for example), when they turn around and say they don't want to play some meaningless Test series any more because the public appetite is for ODI and 20/20.
So 2 billion odd watch the World Cup? Big deal, as I asked who really cares, and I mean cricket lovers. 1.9 billion of those were probably in India and the rest Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. ODI cricket has been killing the game for years and now good old 20/20 is ready to finish it off.
Killing it off? Has test cricket really been going downhill since 1971? There has been one day cricket for exactly a third of test cricket's life. The first two thirds must have been fricking awesome. Remember them well?
The first ODI was in 1971 indeed, a hastily arranged match after the Sydney Test was washed out. There wasn't a lot more of it globally until the 80's. Australia played ZERO home ODI's from 1975-1978. WSC is what changed ODI cricket. It then went mad with tournaments all over the world. I love Test cricket, I cannot help that, but it's time is not long.
Who said Test cricket is thriving? It hasn't been for years! Why do you keep on comparing to Charlton watching Aldershot? I'm not even a Charlton fan! I mourn the demise of the greatest sport in the world and am quite entitled to.
Bayliss to step down after 2019 Ashes. 2 years too late in my opinion
That statement makes me laugh! It's not up to him when he steps down, his contract may be up then and he may not want to extend it but I think he is being very optimistic if he thinks he'll last that long. We need to split the red ball/white ball management, let him a Fartface continue with the Mickey Mouse stuff and get someone else in for the real cricket.
Test cricket has a problem with youth support. Maybe it needs to sell itself as an ironic sport for the hipster generation.
I'm not sure that's entirely true, as one of the misnomers is to assume that all young people have no concentration span, and need the instant gratification of T20, which is far from the case. I was hooked on cricket when I turned on the TV in 1978 during the summer holidays and watched Geoff Boycott crawl to a century against New Zealand. Plenty of young people like collecting things, playing chess, reading and other "patient" hobbies.
Of course, I was hooked by catching cricket by chance as it was the BBC. With it being on Sky now, that won't happen in most households...
I think there is a misconception that all the first class cricketers that attend private / public schools are stereotypical 'posh boys.'
Daniel Bell-Drummond was an ordinary Catford boy whose cricketing talent earned him a scholarship to Millfield. I believe Sam Northeast of Ashford earned a scholarship to Harrow similarly even if Rob Key does call him 'Chumley.'
Just two examples from Kent off the top off my head. I'm sure there are similar examples from other counties and, as has been mentioned already, most Durham players are State educated. The same applies to Yorkshire or certainly did in the recent past.
The sad fact is that few State schools play much cricket anymore so talented youngsters are reliant on a good local club or the scholarship route unless, of course, they do happen to be 'posh boys.'
That's exactly the point I was making Len, to stereotype all the players who come out of the private/public school system as "Tristan Chomondley-Warner" types is a massive mistake to make.
Sport is big business these days so elite athletes, including cricketers, get picked up by private schools on scholarships - although this does not apply to football where there are already massive academies.
Just to put what I am saying in perspective and to help people understand what can go on at county level, this is the make up of last season's Kent age group for my son, Seb:
9/15 in the squad came from the Canterbury area so just 6 came from the other 7 areas in the county. 9/15 went to private schools with the other 6 all at grammar schools. Of the 6 not from Canterbury, Seb was the only one not to be at a private school. So, from 7/8ths of the county (and that is a massive area) there was just one boy selected who didn't go to a private school.
This is probably an extreme situation and would not be the same for all age groups. However, the bias from two main sources is prevalent in most i.e. the area(s) that the main centres of influence are from and from the schools that provide the best resource and coaches that feed into the county system.
Well done to your son for getting to this stage, it's a massive achievement by itself.
When I was coming through the Colts system at Bromley CC in the late 80s the exact same situation existed, of our side most kids were richer kids from private schools and there were only a handful of state school kids playing in the side.
At Kent County level it was even worse and I remember from those days that a lot of the kids from the south London/North Kent area would end up trying their luck at Surrey and Essex rather than with Kent because the selection process was weighted towards the private school sector which had massive influence even then.
You can't blame the private schools though, they are at least playing the game and supporting it whereas the state school sector in London has totally disengaged.
Just to put what I am saying in perspective and to help people understand what can go on at county level, this is the make up of last season's Kent age group for my son, Seb:
9/15 in the squad came from the Canterbury area so just 6 came from the other 7 areas in the county. 9/15 went to private schools with the other 6 all at grammar schools. Of the 6 not from Canterbury, Seb was the only one not to be at a private school. So, from 7/8ths of the county (and that is a massive area) there was just one boy selected who didn't go to a private school.
This is probably an extreme situation and would not be the same for all age groups. However, the bias from two main sources is prevalent in most i.e. the area(s) that the main centres of influence are from and from the schools that provide the best resource and coaches that feed into the county system.
Well done to your son for getting to this stage, it's a massive achievement by itself.
When I was coming through the Colts system at Bromley CC in the late 80s the exact same situation existed, of our side most kids were richer kids from private schools and there were only a handful of state school kids playing in the side.
At Kent County level it was even worse and I remember from those days that a lot of the kids from the south London/North Kent area would end up trying their luck at Surrey and Essex rather than with Kent because the selection process was weighted towards the private school sector which had massive influence even then.
You can't blame the private schools though, they are at least playing the game and supporting it whereas the state school sector in London has totally disengaged.
And the lad in question probably had enough all round sporting skill at 11 years old to have gained a full scholarship at Dulwich College, a PUBLIC not Private school. If he had he'd have been playing for Surrey Schools etc and AA would be friends with Canters and the other Surrey fools on here..... ;-)
The thought of him playing for Surrey is not one I would like to contemplate! Although I dare say that Mason Crane, when rejected at the same age as my son (14) probably never thought that 7 years later he would be playing in the Ashes.
Anyway, Kent haven't quite upset Seb enough to "bat for the other side" - yet!
Test cricket has a problem with youth support. Maybe it needs to sell itself as an ironic sport for the hipster generation.
Unfortunately Test cricket will always be linked with Real Ale and the Hipsters want Craft Beer...
The Oval will happily sell you both (for £5:20 a pint)
Really ? All I saw was greene king and fosters
At big matches, certainly England matches, they have small stalls scattered around the ground selling either real ales (from small breweries) or even craft ales.
Test cricket has a problem with youth support. Maybe it needs to sell itself as an ironic sport for the hipster generation.
Unfortunately Test cricket will always be linked with Real Ale and the Hipsters want Craft Beer...
The Oval will happily sell you both (for £5:20 a pint)
Really ? All I saw was greene king and fosters
At big matches, certainly England matches, they have small stalls scattered around the ground selling either real ales (from small breweries) or even craft ales.
Who said Test cricket is thriving? It hasn't been for years! Why do you keep on comparing to Charlton watching Aldershot? I'm not even a Charlton fan! I mourn the demise of the greatest sport in the world and am quite entitled to.
Ah ha ! - I've now got even more reason to say that most of your posts are a load of old bollox.
There have been talks of having an international test league of two divisions. That could help things when played alongside the few traditional series that are pulling the crowds.
Weird that the West Indian pitches now turn more than Asian ones. The blackwashed England teams of the 80s would have stood a much better chance if they played the fearsome quicks on modern W Indian pitches!
Comments
Test cricket is waning big time everywhere except England (and Oz when England are in town). Aside from that , test cricket produces abysmal crowds.
Around the globe, its 1 day cricket that subsidises test Cricket, and there could come a time (In India for example), when they turn around and say they don't want to play some meaningless Test series any more because the public appetite is for ODI and 20/20.
Short format is the (cash) king now and that wont change any time soon.
I love Test cricket, I cannot help that, but it's time is not long.
Of course, I was hooked by catching cricket by chance as it was the BBC. With it being on Sky now, that won't happen in most households...
Sport is big business these days so elite athletes, including cricketers, get picked up by private schools on scholarships - although this does not apply to football where there are already massive academies.
When I was coming through the Colts system at Bromley CC in the late 80s the exact same situation existed, of our side most kids were richer kids from private schools and there were only a handful of state school kids playing in the side.
At Kent County level it was even worse and I remember from those days that a lot of the kids from the south London/North Kent area would end up trying their luck at Surrey and Essex rather than with Kent because the selection process was weighted towards the private school sector which had massive influence even then.
You can't blame the private schools though, they are at least playing the game and supporting it whereas the state school sector in London has totally disengaged.
Anyway, Kent haven't quite upset Seb enough to "bat for the other side" - yet!
https://streamable.com/2yglj
http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/42590656
Who do you support?