Craddock's premature Obiturary

[Rik E Boy]

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 79,00.html

Normally I have a lot of time for Crash Craddock as a Cricket Writer but this time he's bowled four wides that have whistled past the keeper and thudded into the advertising with a resounding thud. Since when have Indians given a toss about test cricket?

Saying that test cricket is dying because Indians won't turn up to a test venue 18ks out of town is like saying Sex is dead because you couldn't get a root in a convent. Craddock has taken a 20/20 approach to this article and reached for the easy article..the obvious conclusions from the empty stands.

Yeah, the run rate was crap the other day so what? In 1954 President Dwight D Eisenhower was treated to a days test cricket with the Pakistani President and witnessed a scintallating 141 runs scored for the day...during the 1960's there was a popular call for 'Brighter Cricket'.

Could someone please explain to me how that farce that England participated in recently is any more exciting...a ten wicket win in a twenty over game? There will be good and bad matches in any form of Cricket and even Teeball might get it right from time to time.

There is nothing new about the ebbs and flows of the game. Not every team will have a Gilchrist, Botham or Richards. That is why these players are special. The Sad fact is that Test Cricket is dying in India.....the place where the true form of the game barely had a heart beat at best. Crash Craddock has done a knee jerk reaction type of article which has diminished him as a writer IMO by adding to the hysteria that seems to be enveloping everyone in India at the moment.

regards,

REB

[rod_rooster]

Excellent post REB.

[Dogwatcher]

I have been getting the feeling from all commentators that I've watched/read/listened to during this series that they are concerned about the future test cricket. I don't think 'Crash' is alone in his thoughts.
I'm not sure it's dead but there would definitely have to be concerns.
The plight of NZ and Bangladeshi cricket as a result of 20/20 is a major one.
I thought Indians loved all cricket REB, so to see such small crowds, especially when the number one side is playing against the best Indian side assembled in several generations, is a concern.

[Rik E Boy]

Dogwatcher. Have a look at how many tests India have played in the last ten years compared to WI, Australia and England. Their fans have been brought up on a steady diet of one day cricket. I'll admit to the real form of the game being in a lull but I wouldn't be as quick to pull the plug on the patient.

Hysteria.

regards,

REB

[rogernumber10]

Dogwatcher. Have a look at how many tests India have played in the last ten years compared to WI, Australia and England. Their fans have been brought up on a steady diet of one day cricket. I'll admit to the real form of the game being in a lull but I wouldn't be as quick to pull the plug on the patient.

Hysteria.

regards,

REB

From my time, which is an amalagm of cricket tours to India, Indian journos I know, Aussie journos I know, I've always thought this:
- going to Test cricket in India is a big passion in a couple of the big cities - Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore etc. These places generally post very very good crowds.
- For pretty much the rest of India, Test cricket is something you might watch on tv, but you don't go. It's also pretty hard to go in Nagpur when the stadium is 18kms out of town, and you have to buy a ticket for all five days. What kind of decision is that?.

As for one-day cricket for the average Indian, that is something you're desperate to get to if you can, no matter where you are in India, and is compulsory viewing on tv.

It's only a couple of the big cities that have pulled consistent Test crowds in India and I, for one, can't understand how we didn't play a Test at Eden Gardens on this tour.

but it certainly doesn't help the game's cause when teams keep serving up 80-odd overs in six and a half hours, instead of more than 90 in six hours, and the kind of field placings and bowling we've seen from both teams this series.

[dinglinga]

Dogwatcher. Have a look at how many tests India have played in the last ten years compared to WI, Australia and England. Their fans have been brought up on a steady diet of one day cricket. I'll admit to the real form of the game being in a lull but I wouldn't be as quick to pull the plug on the patient.

Hysteria.

regards,

REB

From my time, which is an amalagm of cricket tours to India, Indian journos I know, Aussie journos I know, I've always thought this:
- going to Test cricket in India is a big passion in a couple of the big cities - Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore etc. These places generally post very very good crowds.
- For pretty much the rest of India, Test cricket is something you might watch on tv, but you don't go. It's also pretty hard to go in Nagpur when the stadium is 18kms out of town, and you have to buy a ticket for all five days. What kind of decision is that?.

As for one-day cricket for the average Indian, that is something you're desperate to get to if you can, no matter where you are in India, and is compulsory viewing on tv.

It's only a couple of the big cities that have pulled consistent Test crowds in India and I, for one, can't understand how we didn't play a Test at Eden Gardens on this tour.

plus on top of that there is no public transport that gets u there

[Rik E Boy]

No public transport either?? Bloody long walk that. Even Ghandi would have thought twice.

regards,

REB

[Dogwatcher]

Ahhh the difference between Ghandi and Mao Tse Tong eh?

[Squawk]

It's only a couple of the big cities that have pulled consistent Test crowds in India and I, for one, can't understand how we didn't play a Test at Eden Gardens on this tour.

Perhaps, (ironically), the Indians were trying to re-invigorate Test matches and Test Crowds by playing in non-traditional locations against the biggest crowd of them all, and it failed spectacularly?

Then again, if you had to buy a 5 day ticket, maybe they saw the writing on the wall and appealed to (whatever crowd capacity Nagpur has - 50k?) to buy 5 day tickets rather than 3 times that figure going for a couple of days each?

[Benchwarmer]

India sprout off about having all the money and power in the game ... and it can be proven in the fact that the only paying customers to Test matches are foreigners (who are charged the equivalent of $A50 per day for their ticket) whilst the locals get in for free to try and make it look like a crowd has flocked to get in and see the game (rarely occurs though).

They can afford that due to the money coming in from TV rights - still, I personally believe that nothing beats getting out to at least one day of international cricket each summer.