apart from the tight first day at cardiff...what was overwhelming to see that spectators turning in in quite numbers...to re-assure that given the right media hype...right venues...and promise of a competitive cricket...test cricket's days are far from over...
but then there exists boards like bcci too...who is killing the test cricket softly in india...by choosing the wrong venues to play test cricket on...
its not that spectators don't turn up for test matches in india...its also a myth that indian fans are not large hearted cricket fans and can't cheer good cricket by opposition team...
for example...who can forget the standing ovation pak team received in packed chennai stadium after beating india...
its that bcci playing test cricket at wrong venues owing to crappy venue rotation policy...rather than on ones which has tradition of sport loving fans...turning up for a good day of test match...
how i wish them implement this rotation policy, they follow religiously for venues, on some overworked and jaded players specially bowlers...but that's another matter...
they are happy projecting sachin tendulkar raising his bat to empty stadium on achieving never before 12000 runs in test cricket...
they are happy airing empty stadiums while india thrashing world champions at home...as if they don't care about crowd coming in once the tv rights are sold for huge sum of money...
otherwise what can explain that they don't even understand the psyche of their own cricket loving fans...cricketing tradition of their own venues...?
what worse it will impact their inner politics if they fix test venues to say kolkotta, chennai, mumbai and delhi (if its four test series...very little chance they would agree to) and implement the venue rotation policy on odis, t20s, ipls which they play throughout the years...?
this way they will have to compromise the 'vote bank' for only two or three test matches per series and some times not even that...against minimum 7 odis and at least two t20 per series which has become norm of late...and countless ipl games...to compensate for this great 'compromise' they will have to make for saving test cricket in india...
so bcci...is it deal...or am i asking too much...?
18 comments:
Pan,
As I understand it, Test cricket is alive, but what is keeping it alive is these 'iconic' match ups. I am sure that if India plays Australia in Timbuktu surely there will be masses of spectators to savour the match up.
Make Test cricket interesting by pitting strong teams against each other then it will be alive and well.
Shoving matches down Mohali's throat, Bhajji's 300 wkt mark, all 5 days ticks only, and getn the kids in as an after thought - they're on a cocktail of drugs, greed and booze.
I am sure that if India plays Australia in Timbuktu surely there will be masses of spectators to savour the match up.
ott did you saw india playing oz in mohali...?
it was nice to see so many security men covering up for spectators there...
...and complete disdain for the one who takes all pain to come and see the match on the ground NC...
I did, but I was looking for a fellow blogger who went there to do live blogging and did not.:)
oh...now i can understand your oversight ott... ;-)
perfect statement SP. Venues should be limited for Tests and the best ones should host key games.
Kolkata, Delhi, Mohali, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai -- the best 6 venues.
have a rotation policies here.
keep ahmedabad, nagpur, Jaipur and others for ODIs, IPL and tour games. especially dump Baroda and Rajkot. they get ODI/tour games in almost every home series.
thanks sam...but the million dollor question is will bcci take the deal...?
Cardiff has a total ground capacity of 16,000.
And since you are running the numbers SP, why not include TV audiences and then beat up the BCCI?
Cheers,
homer...
i did not get you on this...do you want to say that bcci is right by reducing tests to tv spectacle...?
SP,
We are talking audience numbers here... And Cardiff id hardly the advertisement for what should be done ( have you checked the ticket prices the ECB has set for the 5 tests?).
Our problem is not venues either - our problem is that venues do not give the requisite facllities that are mandatory for spending 6 hours at a cricket ground.
And the venues that do offer these are located away from city centers (Nagpur and Mohali).
The other problem, evident during the Aussie series was the idea of buying tickets for all 5 days with no provision for daily tickets.
I am okay with the BCCI policy to rotate games - it makes sense to get people outside of the "accepted" venues to get involved with the game.
Cheers,
And before I forget, Old Trafford is not on the Ashes roster because Cardiff guaranteed the ECB more money.. So its not just the BCCI that is in it for the money :)
Cheers,
homer i don't have any problem with bcci or for that matter any board making money...the problem with bcci is that it stops after making money and don't care about those who are making them rich...
you have a point about selling five days ticket instead of daily basis but then ppl of the venues i mentioned do come to grounds despite all this...
i just don't know the logic behind organizing test cricket on venues where there is distinct lack of interest for the same...
let them enjoy odis...t20...and ipls...i would say... :)
SP,
"i just don't know the logic behind organizing test cricket on venues where there is distinct lack of interest for the same..."
Who decides on that? A match is staged, people have the option of showing up or staying put.. How do you gauge "lack of interest" anyways? If full houses are the barometer, neither Dilli nor Mumbai should be hosting games. Ditto Chennai and Kolkotta...Add Bangalore, Nagpur and Mohali to that mix too.
Cheers,
even when bindra announced free tickets to students etc...we did see empty rows at mohali...
by lack of interest i meant turning up to the ground for test matches... which is relatively higher for the centers i mentioned...
SP, its just 2008-09 which has seen empty grounds in India. else Pakistan 07 was a sell out series...be it Bangalore or Delhi...
not to forget Kolkata saw its famous son score 1st 100 in his home ground.
bamble...there has been stark decline in attendance during test matches...all i want is bcci to take note of it and do something concrete rather than giving sound bites to media...
cheers!
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