Gulu’s Googlies: Board of Control for T20 & One Day Cricket Only?

By Gulu Ezekiel

After the thrilling finishes to the Cape Town and Sydney games, anyone who says Test cricket is dying needs to have his head examined.

There are vested interests abounding in the powers that be, particularly in India who are determined to kill off Test cricket as it is too much hard work to organize five days of an event at one venue.

But Test matches have been with us since 1877 and are the heart and soul of cricket. Searching for ways and means to destroy this grand tradition is akin to murdering cricket.

Those who do not understand the nuances of this noble game tend to dismiss drawn matches as a big bore.

But the connoisseurs of cricket will feel vindicated after England’s last pair held out in two Tests out of three in the nail-biting final minutes both at Centurion in the first Test and last week at Cape Town.

Nothing can match the drama and contrasting emotions of players and supporters of the two teams as they count down to the final ball of a match under such tense circumstances.

It is sport at its finest and the fact that neither side wins at the end is irrelevant. Indeed, cricket is the only sport that can end in three distinct ways—a result, a draw or a tie.

But try explaining a tie to an American! Against all odds, India finished 2009 as the world’s number one Test nation.

The BCCI was caught unawares and had only organized two Test matches in the whole of 2010.

Their unseemly scramble to try to squeeze in some more Tests in the calendar year in order for India to retain their number one status was both amusing and pathetic.

Reports indicate that the current Indian team, including the captain himself are not particularly enthused about Test matches where they have to put in the hard yards as opposed to the instant 50 over and 20 over variety which is money for jam.

But India’s sudden elevation to the top spot has not only proved prestigious but also lucrative to the top players who can now demand higher prices both from endorsements and from their IPL franchises. Yes, money talks.

But in Indian cricket it is positively vociferous!

As I wrote in my first column last week, the abysmal condition of our stadiums is a major factor in keeping fans away from attending five days of a match.

It is a travesty that all the money flowing into the BCCI’s coffers has not been ploughed back into improving the game’s infrastructure.

Test matches in Australia and South Africa are generally the most enthralling as the pitches there bring out the best in the players, allowing a genuine contest between bat and ball.

But despite eight decades of hosting international cricket and more money than they know what to do with, the BCCI is yet to master the art of creating a sporting pitch. Some things never change!