SA Footy

INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council president David Morgan has suggested Test matches could be reduced from five to four days as part of a major overhaul of the game's traditional format.

The suggestion comes because of the need for the sport to remain relevant in an increasingly time-poor world and as a reaction to the increasing popularity to the Twenty20 format

F*ck that. No way known Test matches should be reduced to les than 5 days. The game has been f*cked with enough with this 20/20 crap leave the real thing as it is.

rod_rooster wrote:F*ck that. No way known Test matches should be reduced to les than 5 days. The game has been f*cked with enough with this 20/20 crap leave the real thing as it is.

Thats why you need to leave Test cricket as it is...the passion that it brings out in fans. Noone would give two hoots if the rules of ODI ot T20 are altered, cause its just a bit of light entertainment, but Test Cricket is the REAL thinkg and needs to stay the way it is

brod wrote:

rod_rooster wrote:F*ck that. No way known Test matches should be reduced to les than 5 days. The game has been f*cked with enough with this 20/20 crap leave the real thing as it is.

Thats why you need to leave Test cricket as it is...the passion that it brings out in fans. Noone would give two hoots if the rules of ODI ot T20 are altered, cause its just a bit of light entertainment, but Test Cricket is the REAL thinkg and needs to stay the way it is

Exactly. Anyone who thinks Test cricket should be shortened to 4 days has no idea of what the game of cricket is about.

Why on earth would they do that. I find that 20/20 is quite boring actually. yeh, there is a bit of big hitting, but then the next game comes along and the same happens. There isn't a great deal of tactical nouse being used, and therefore I find the game difficult to watch. I think 20/20 will become the new ODI, and need revamping soon, especially the way it's been thrashed.

So mucking around with the format of Test Matches is ridiculous. I enjoy the tactics, momentum swings of test cricket. To say they should be reduced to try and capture an audience by speeding the game up is a misnoma.

How about getting 90 overs bowled in a day for starters, then worry about everything else thereafter?

Look at the Adelaide Oval tests of the past few years.

That's why you have 5 days....

Leave it alone morons

4 day tests = more draws

The ICC are rattled ... they must be thinking surely the almighty dollar from T20 can't be more popular than our traditional 5 day tests?

Well the AFL seems to be make money out the equivalent of hit and giggle in footy so I think the ICC are in big trouble.

rod_rooster wrote:F*ck that. No way known Test matches should be reduced to les than 5 days. The game has been f*cked with enough with this 20/20 crap leave the real thing as it is.

This was my initial reaction also but I've had a bit of a rethink. I don't buy this 'time poor' shit but if there is a problem with the five day format it is that groundsmen are trying to prepare wickets that 'last' for five days. As a result we are getting far too many tests being played on 'Roads'. This is even happening in our own country even though our curators rank right up there with the best in the world.

The ICC have been making noises about the type of pitches being prepared for Test cricket. Test matches where both sides score 700 like in the West Indies this year is as much a fair battle between bat and ball as is a teeball match.

The key factor for cricket for me is the fair balance between bat and ball and in modern times it's all been in favour of the batsmen. If test matches are going to be shortened to four days then there must be a directive to produce more bowler friendly wickets. A four day format will only lead to more draws if curators continue to prepare wickets to last for five days. A change in format might mean more juice in the track and therefore more exciting test cricket.

regards,

REB

4 day tests would make it even more difficult for SPIN bowlers as it's usually the 5th day when spinners come into their own unless u have a Freak like Warney in your side. Remembering years gone by there used to be rest days involved effectively making tests 6 days long.
Another negative with 4 day Tests is that any time lost to Rain etc, there is 1 less day to make the time up, there for resulting in more draws.

gadj, SJABC, jackpot jim.
Agree wholeheartedly with all of your thoughts. Those points should be the end of the argument.

MightyEagles wrote:4 day tests = more draws

exactly, I'd rather see them play 'till someone wins rather than shorten the game.

the worrying thing for me is where this story has come from. the fact that the icc chief is saying it means something may well happen despite 99% of cricket lovers opposing the view.

if the icc is serious about making changes to better test cricket it needs to do 2 things

1- make sure a better variety of pitches are used - the odd game where teams score 700 is fine the same a sthe odd game where teams score 150 is - ideally around 350 should be the right balance.

2- start sorting out overrates - this is teh biggest blighton the game in my opinion - we are continually seeing teams bowl 10-12 overs per hour which is downright unacceptable. improve this and the game will flow much better

MAY-Z wrote:the worrying thing for me is where this story has come from. the fact that the icc chief is saying it means something may well happen despite 99% of cricket lovers opposing the view.

That there is the problem. Whilst i would hate to see Test cricket changed at all, we Aussies, as a whole love our Test Cricket, the sub continent countries, who provide a large % of the ICC's income prefer the shorter format of the game and that will be to the detriment of the longer form of the game. It is only a matter of time IMO before Test cricket is changed, hopefully not to 4 days but it will see some changes to appease the Indians mainly.

Test Match Cricket is clearly the best form of the game. Dont mess with it!