Is Test cricket dying a natural death?

The hot topic at the moment is about what the game is all about-- TEST CRICKET-- and whether it is being killed by the frantic craze for the money making Twenty20 Cricket. Should we write the epitaph :

Here lies Test Cricket in all its historic majesty done in by quick fire Limited Over. RIP

In the good old days TEST CRICKET was the thing, until the 50 over and the Twenty20 came along to brutalize and degrade the time honored and respected established game. The limited over versions of the game came into being because Test cricket was becoming a big yawn and a bore, with teams playing pedestrian cricket and playing out drawn games which took the all-important spectators away from the game. Time is money!

Guardian angels

The guardian angels of the game, the International Cricket Council were helpless and unable to do anything to get the spectators back to watch the established game. It warranted a spat between the Australian Cricket Board and the man who cricketers must salute who owned Channel Nine-- Kerry Packer-- who brought in day/night cricket with spectators scurrying to the venues to lap up the action.In so doing the Packer circus not only brought spectators flooding back, it also signaled fatter pay cheques for the players and the respective Cricket Boards.

Moths to a flame

The ICC and the Cricket Boards took to this game like moths to a flame and today, they have completely forgotten the established game and are hell bent on giving continuity and making the limited overs game more attractive because of the money bags. Then like manna from heaven came the Indian Premier League which is churning out money to the players and the officials and Cricket Boards like the Niagara Falls, and no barriers can stop money flood.

No one, not even the guardians of the game the ICC, can stop it, because everyone is having a ball and eating off the cake that is the Twenty20.

Cricketers lining up

Cricketers are lining up to forget country first that brought them into the game and are craving to play the Twenty20 which is not only flooding in money, but at worst desecrating the game. Cricketers are falling over each other to play in the Indian Premier League. The International Cricket Council now amusingly called the Indian Cricket Council is dancing attendance on the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is helpless to stop the rot.In fact all countries must not arrange any kind of cricket during the time the IPL is held. That period must be kept free for the cream of cricketers to play in that circus.

Natural death

With all countries probing to conduct Premier Leagues,and that won't take long, where on earth are they going to slot in Test cricket? So isn't it wrong to assume that Test cricket will soon die a natural death?

So it should dawn on those who are fighting to save Test cricket, not to just waste their pens, ink and paper by writing and trying to get the authorities that run the game to see reason, when money has made them lose all sense and only count the rupees.

The ICC's much hyped Test Championships came a cropper. Now they are shouting from the roof tops that the championships will be held soon. But that for us is only a day dream and remains to be seen. We wish the ICC luck because they will need it.

Two bouncers

In the new rules that came into play at the start of the five match one-day series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, I am personally in favour and welcome the allowing of two bouncers per over for the pace bowlers.

That is because for far too long have the pace bowlers been restricted by allowing them one bouncer per over. Now they will rejoice that they have been allowed two bouncers per over. It will also bring back the dying art of batsmen hooking.

There is no better sight in the game than to see a batsman executing the hook shot. Even when one bouncer was allowed it was an ugly sight to watch batsmen weaving and ducking.

In limited over cricket it is essential that runs be made off every ball. Dot balls should not be allowed. Now batsmen will have to play the bouncers and it will result in the forgotten art of hooking being vogue once again.

Malsiri Perera heads OBSC

Former Sri Lanka basketball captain Malsiri Perera was elected uncontested as President of the Old Benedictine Sports Club at the Annual General Meeting held in the club pavilion recently.

Former President Tony Ganalath did a good job and having played his part stepped aside for Perera to take over and take the activities of the club to a new high.Perera knows the shortcomings at the cub and has the acumen to make the club a hive of activity like it was once when Dr.Sydney Jayewardene and Douglas de Liveira headed the club.

Perera was the second Benedictine to captain a national team. First being his brother Cosmas and in so doing they became the first set of brothers to captain a national team.Great honour to the green,white and green school which produced champion cagers in the 60s and '70s. Another Ben who captained the country was Rienzie de Silva.

Incidentally Cosmas and Percy Perera who was adjudged Best shooter in the at the 1966 Asian Games in Bangkok were marvels on the court with ball in hand.

It is said of Cosmas who was a wonderful all court played that if he was born in the United States he would easily have played for a club in the NBA. This was the opinion of a guy by the name of Fennel who played for the American Peace Corp in the '60s.

The above named champion cagers were the products of that coach par excellence the one and only Ram Suntheralingam.

[email protected]