The ashes is now 40% complete. What have we learnt about either team – nothing. England are a solid test team with strong batting and bowling line up, aussies are in transformation, and aside from Clarke and Watson, having zilch to offer.
What’s really frustrating in all this though is the perception of some England fans. In the last 2 years, every time England (or any other team) plays an odi series, tests, or champions trophy or T20 world cup…we often hear/read some England fans saying test cricket and the ashes in partciualr is the real cricket and the rest is meaningless/boring. Is this what all the fuss was about? Is this what some “pure" fans waiting for every year negating all other formats and series as meaningless to watch this entertaining affair?
Going forward, England have the ashes in their back pockets for the next 10 years at least!! So what do the England fans think the objective should be in the next 5-10 years?
1. World cup?
2. Beating Asian teams away from home?
3. Holding onto 1st test spot
Or are all future tours/series going to be rife with “ashes" talk. Do England actually want to annihilate every team that comes there way and be remembered with the likes of the windies in 80’s and aussies of recent?
England next 5 years
posted on 22/7/13
I believe England are going to the west-indies in march for 3 50 over games. After they returned from Australia.God knows why. Theres just been a tri nations in the west-indies (off the back of the icc champions trophy) and now Pakistan are playing the west-indies and South Africa are playing in sri-lanka aswell in an odi tournament..
posted on 22/7/13
Why would anyone play Bangladesh at test level? they just don't compete and it makes test cricket laughable.
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I was making an example that, money is the order of the day. They're meant to be a full member yet they hardly play anyone and the tours they do go on are usually very short. They're not attractive to play and they don't make for a good profit.
For the record, I don't believe they deserve full Test membership. They've regressed if anything recently, which was difficult in the first place.
The point stands though.
posted on 22/7/13
Bangladesh are giving status by the other subcontinent teams so the Likes of India can have more say at the ICC.
There should be a 2 test tier championship with relegation and promotion. And then maybe Bangaldesh and Zimbabwe can play more test cricket, against teams of their own standard.
posted on 22/7/13
That's another fair point, there's simply too much cricket which leads to overkill and a lack of quality.
Pointless series earmarked everywhere you look. I can recall when you waited for a fair while for a good, interesting international game, now they're ten-a-penny.
We go down under later in the year for an Ashes series, then inexplicably we go back the following year for an ODI series. Does nothing for the game.
posted on 22/7/13
Certainly, 5 test matches and 3 odi's it use to be England.
Now its 2 test matches in may, 5 odi's in june. followed by another 5 test matches July and August and 5 more 50 over games to finish off in September.. And I missed out the numerous 20/20 games.
posted on 22/7/13
Lets hope the test championship takes hold in 2017.. Maybe we could have another test championship in India or Austarlia and play the test matches in the evening.
posted on 22/7/13
true point england.
posted on 22/7/13
Double-edged sword. I understand what your saying about a two-tier Test championship and to a certain degree, I agree.
However, there's issues, like with most things I suppose. If say the West Indies spend 2/3 years in the second-tier without playing the marquee series, what will it do for the game there?
It's already struggling to attract the crowds and talent to play the game. No England, Australia etc touring could seriously damage the game and the income they receive, on the back of those teams touring. Likewise, a young talented cricketer mightn't see much of a future if he's stuck playing Bangladesh and Zimbabwe every summer.
There's plenty of merits to the idea but its risky. A risk worth taking though?
posted on 24/7/13
OK, this five to ten years into the future stuff is all a distraction. Maybe the ECB will have someone looking at long term strategy in a business sense, but that should be it!
No one involved with the actual playing side should be looking any further than the next match being played.
In terms of what would please me most, it would be getting back to the top of the test rankings and staying there longer than 6 months this time.
I think winning a series in sub-continental conditions would be a necessity for that to happen anyway, so it's not worth mentioning specifically.
After that ODI's
After that T20.
In other words, the more of a test of the skill and temprament of the cricketer the game is, the more I value the outcome.
Simples.
posted on 24/7/13
The OP said (sic) "we often hear/read some England fans saying test cricket and the ashes in partciualr is the real cricket and the rest is meaningless/boring".
Substantiate this claim please.
I'll accept that many England fans would put an Ashes series as the MOST interesting and exciting that England play in. That's just common sense because of the history and rivalry between the teams.
Any follower of any sport is going to have a favourite match-up, and the very concept of having a favourite means the other choices are less favoured.
I think your claim about meaningless & boring is more to do with your own desire to write a controversial article than any reality supported by the majority of English cricket followers.
Try to see the shades of grey instead of only seeing black and white.