Seeing as there appears to be plenty of media chat at the moment, we probably ought to get into this topic as well: Two-tier World Test Championship - 'greedy' or needed for cricket to survive? I don't object to the idea outright but I fear it's being done for the wrong reasons.
Whilst something needs to change in test cricket, the only way a two tier sysem would work is to have the same amount of teams in each tier with promotion and relegation each rotation. The issue is the "lesser" teams don't play enough test cricket to improve. Realistically this is just another ploy at making the rich...richer.
What we have at the moment is India, Australia and England who play in front of often sell out crowds and then there are the rest who play in front of half a dozen people unless they play the big three. Australia just hosted India at home and in the five days played at the MCG over 350,000 turned up, 74,000 turned up for day 5. We've all seen the sparse crowds at other venues across the globe so if the big boys want to protect their players by offering them bigger contracts so they won't sign for all the T20 tournaments then those big boys have to play each other regularly instead of touring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. I must say that both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are lucky to be in the top tier (should it happen of course), because their attendances for tests is poor. I toured Sri Lanka in 2012 and it was the only time their grounds are busy and they charge a comparative fortune to get in. Personally, it has advantages and disadvantages. We could have a scenario where we have an Ashes series become a yearly event and that would eventually become tiresome..
This is my main issue with the plans as currently reported. As @Panja alludes to, the prospect of Australia, England and India playing each other even more regularly than they already do risks those series being devalued over time. Not only that, but it relies on a lazy assumption that those series will retain the spectator and TV appeal that they have now and that will surely only remain as long as they are proper contests. That argument doesn't mean the present format is perfect. Far from it. In my view, the championship cycles are too short and Ben Stokes had a point when he suggested teams can effectively be penalised for playing more games than others. While I can agree with the principle of a two division system, I don't see how such a system can work without a longer cycle, the divisions having an equal number of sides and teams being compelled to play all the other sides in their division.
Off to see my last (possibly ever) game at the MCG tonight where the Melbourne Stars are playing the Sydney Sixers. Both Melbourne teams have again been very disappointing this year and with the Stars holding everyone else up in the league their premature end to any hopes of a play off spot will be duly killed and buried tonight should they lose. I'm bemused as to how poorly they've done again this year, they have Stoinis, Webster and Maxwell in the middle order and Ben Duckett opens what should be a regular onslaught and yet here we are, seven games in and only two won. Shite..
Well, last night Glenn Maxwell made the $27 entrance fee worth every penny. Top scored with 50 odd with the bat and made two catches in the deep which turned the game. The one thing I will say is the G is way too big for these games, there was only around 20,000 in last night and no matter how hard you try you are not creating an atmosphere with those huge gaps..
Fact is you can't really separate sport and human rights, and entertaining a cricket team from the stoneage nation of Taliban is effectively condoning the way that country treats 50% of its population. In my humble opinion if the men of the Afghan cricket team had any bollocks they'd decline to represent the only nation on earth that denies women and girls any education at all.
First game of the Ashes series being played today and the Aussie women have decided to win this 50 over game by about seven wickets after electing to bowl and getting England out very cheaply..
Too easy. We got six wickets but the result was never in doubt. Australia scored the 205 needed with over 60 balls to spare..
He's a real throwback to the old days when players kept on turning out until their mid forties. Unbelievable stamina given what his body has been through.
The second ODi was played out at the Junction Oval in Melbourne today with England briefly having hopes of drawing the series after bowling Australia out for 180. But that's the thing with these Aussie ladies, because they prove time and time again that whatever you can do, we can do that little bit better, or, as is the case most times, a lot better. It's not over yet, but the Lionesses are 134-8 and there's not a lot left in the dressing room to turn this around..
Ended up close but without being too close. A real Jeckyl & Hyde show from England with the bowlers restricting the Aussies to 180 and then the monster took over when we batted and some monstrous stroke play let the baggy yellows back in. It didn't help in the closing overs that Amy Jones forgot to run off a free hit at the end of the 47th over when we were nine down and the ferret at the other end was bowled first ball of the 48th. They now go to Hobart to attempt to turn a 4-0 deficit around, of which they have no chance..
After the back to back debacles, BCCI has issued new set of rules for the Indian cricket team. 1. Limited stay for the wives/girlfriends on tours. 2. Everyone has to travel on the same team bus. 3. Limited pay for luggage. & lastly the only rule that really matters. 4. Players have to play domestic cricket, when there are no international games.