As a devoted fan of Test Match Cricket, now is an exciting time indeed. For one, England's Test team is on the verge of possible world domination, greats of the game like Tendulkar and Ponting are still producing feats of genius on the world stage, and the English County game is full of emerging talent such as messers Rashid, Lyth, and Briggs.
However, here in England, birthplace of the game, cricket remains a curious oddity to many. It is the National Summer Sport, yet fans are denied the opportunity to watch any games on terrestrial television. The public at large seem to either love it with a passion, especially the longer form of the game, or avoid it like the plague. And 'popular culture' remains seemingly oblivious to the game, preferring to draw references from sports more in the public consciousness such as football, rugby and Formula 1. The game is certainly not dying in the UK - to the contrary, England remains a bastion of support for Test Cricket with home Test matches almost always sold out. But what can the International Cricket Council and the English Cricket Board do to broaden the appeal of Test cricket to new audiences in the UK, and secure its future for the coming century by making it a 'mainstream' sport as it once was?
1. Games on Terrestrial Television. Ahh, the debate that seems to have raged ever since Channel 4 ended its contract to broadcast home Test matches after England's glorious Ashes victory in 2005 - right when cricket had done the unthinkable and begun to capture the imagination of the nation. More unfortunate timing could not have possibly been thought up; here was cricket's chance to enter the mainstream again with colourful characters like Flintoff and Pietersen smashing the opposition with their egos as well as their bats, and the ECB blew it.
Of course, we cannot consider the viewpoint of the humble cricket fan alone - no-one could deny that the ECB's coffiers are fuller with their Sky TV contract, meaning the England management ultimately have more resources at their disposal. But surely a balancing act needs to be found here? In a recent interview Andrew Strauss suggested the solution of reserving one home Test match for terrestrial viewing every summer. This is not the perfect remedy (imagine if chunks of the match were rained off!), but we would be that much closer to pleasing both the public and the ECB.
2. Keep the Ashes Special If there is one cricketing event that can unite the nation, it is the Aussie-bashing extravaganza that is the Ashes. I don't know of any English born male who doesn't relish seeing those Neighbours-watching, Kylie-listening, Fosters-drinking miscreants trounced by the proud men of Blighty. It is crucial to the fortunes of cricket in the UK to keep this contest special - and by that I mean not to have too many Ashes contests too frequently. Which is why it is unfortunate that we are set to have consecutive Ashes series in 2013 and early 2014, a move that could mean the magic of the rivalry is sterilized for many. Of course, the move has been made for good reasons - to ensure the Ashes don't clash with other major cricketing occassions such as the World Cup, but I would have much preferred dropping one of these consecutive series with the long-term picture in mind.
3. Day-Night Test Matches This is the potentially the most exciting change the ICC could introduce. Second only to the complexity of the game, the sheer length of Test Cricket is the major reason why more people aren't embracing it. In fact, watching an entire five days of a match isn't possible unless you are retired, home-bound, or a Humanities student at university (if you have experience of a Humanities degree, you will know what I mean). Spreading the seven hours of daily play from say 3pm to 10pm, would allow those holding down a job or those at school to watch the majority of the matches without sacrificing their daily commitments. In addition, the altered playing conditions under floodlights from around 7pm onwards could provide an extra twist to matches that appear to be heading towards a certain conclusion (it is generally accepted that batting is slightly more difficult under lights).
4. The introduction of a Test Championship Tournament One of the few genuinely good moves the ICC have considered in recent times, and some may say they could have introduced it far sooner. As things stand there are rumours that England could play host to the inaugural Test Tournament (where the four top ranked sides at the end of every four year cycle play knockout matches to decide the champions) sometime in 2013. Having the clear aim of reaching these finals would surely go a long way to re-invigorating the drama and tension that Test cricket is capable of.
In short, Test Cricket's future needs to be secured, because despite the recent successes of Twenty-20 world-wide, the longest form of the game is still sport in its purest, most challenging, and most romantic form. Go on Mr ICC, act now.
Until next time,
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