74% of Test series in the proposed FTP for 2019-2023 will consist of 2 or fewer Tests

[Aman]

Less 3 Test series and more 2 match series. Not sure how I feel about that, just when teams will acclimatize to conditions, the series will be over.

I imagine the one test series are for the new teams who play against a top 8 side?

 

[htariq25]

One match test series is completely stupid.

 

[USofA]

Another indication that test cricket is on its way out. The slow elimination of number of tests played. That is how it is going to happen. There is just no demand, fan following outside of two countries.

Cricket is evolving. T20 is the current and the future.

 

[LegendAli]

Test cricket dying before our very own eyes.

 

[Varun]

One match test series is completely stupid.

It's fine for the likes of Ireland and Afghanistan just starting out.

 

[Bewal Express]

Most test matches are boring because they are played on poor wickets. For test cricket to survive it needs good bouncy wickets, fast bowlers and batsman who take them on.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

ICC finally starting to kill test cricket. Like it or not, nothing survives without money. Cricket is a sport but also business, it needs funding to sustain itself. Test cricket is not suitable for 21st century lifestyle, the world has moved on.

 

[maxamax]

ICC finally starting to kill test cricket. Like it or not, nothing survives without money. Cricket is a sport but also business, it needs funding to sustain itself. Test cricket is not suitable for 21st century lifestyle, the world has moved on.

Same goes for flat track LOI games which are turning up as nothing but baseball variation.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Same goes for flat track LOI games which are turning up as nothing but baseball variation.

Except that they make money and people actually watch those games, unlike tests were all grounds are empty except Ashes

 

[Markhor]

PP statisticians - How many 3 Test series in this decade have been decided after the second Test ? If its a high percentage - then this move could save on lots of dead rubbers.

It also gives lower ranked teams more opportunities for upsets as they could nick a drawn series and get more points in the Test Championship.

What I hope happens is that there's enough pre-tour warmups scheduled for tourists to acclimatise to conditions. There should be two compulsory 4-day games against decent opposition before any Test series for visiting teams.

 

[maxamax]

Except that they make money and people actually watch those games, unlike tests were all grounds are empty except Ashes

Baseball can do that too.

 

[mmkextreme_1]

Like or not this is the beginning of the end of test cricket.

As mentioned above, cricket is a sport but like other sports in this world, it needs to turn a profit for the sport to exist. Sadly test cricket is at the bottom of this ladder.

I can see in the next FTP that test will reduce even further. Especially as more and more leagues come into play. How many players in the world want to spend 5 days playing test and make nowhere near the amount of money they can playing leagues and so forth.

New Zealand and Zimbabwe are already leading the way in terms of not playing much test cricket. I think I read NZL will not be playing but 4 home tests in the next 18 months?

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Like or not this is the beginning of the end of test cricket.

I can see in the next FTP that test will reduce even further. Especially as more and more leagues come into play. How many players in the world want to spend 5 days playing test and make nowhere near the amount of money they can playing leagues and so forth.

New Zealand and Zimbabwe are already leading the way in terms of not playing much test cricket. I think I read NZL will not be playing but 4 home tests in the next 18 months?

Most people outside England and Australia won't even notice if test cricket dies, let alone complaint. How does anybody expect somebody (outside Eng and Aus) to spend 5 consecutive days of their lives on a single thing, with SO many entertainment options available? They internet has completely changed our lifestyle. People who think tests will survive because it has for past 130 years are in delusion, they haven't grasped how much technology has accelerated recently and affected our attention span.

ICC realized it too, that's why they're axing tests gradually. High cost, low return isn't something cricket needs for future expansion of the game.

 

[jaguarjack]

one chart doesn't tell the whole information... there is a minimum 2 match limit for any series that is considered as part of the test league. So all of those 1 off tests are outside the league played between either the lowest ranked teams or between top ranked teams and bottom rung teams. In either case, playing even a two match series doesn't make sense. One off tests between Ireland and Afghanistan are perfectly fine to introduce them to test cricket. Even two tests are a total waste of resources.

Same logic applies to 2 test series between countries like NZ, WI and SL.

 

[Aman]

Like or not this is the beginning of the end of test cricket.

As mentioned above, cricket is a sport but like other sports in this world, it needs to turn a profit for the sport to exist. Sadly test cricket is at the bottom of this ladder.

I can see in the next FTP that test will reduce even further. Especially as more and more leagues come into play. How many players in the world want to spend 5 days playing test and make nowhere near the amount of money they can playing leagues and so forth.

New Zealand and Zimbabwe are already leading the way in terms of not playing much test cricket. I think I read NZL will not be playing but 4 home tests in the next 18 months?

Yeah, we haven't played much Test cricket. We're cutting our home summer down to 4 Tests a summer (2 x 2 Test series).

 

[Shutdown Corner]

Realistically speaking, at the present day, only the Big 3 will turn a profit playing Tests. Maybe South Africa too. Pakistan and Bangladesh being financially well off and having cricket crazy populations will not forfeit Test status either. They will play Test cricket even if its not lucrative. And with their large and growing economies, Test cricket will still remain affordable.

The countries who will be hardest hit are West Indies, who don't even care about Test cricket. New Zealand who also don't care about Tests or maybe the sport itself. Sri Lanka same problems. And Zimbabwe.

Afghanistan also have a crazy fanbase, so they will get by like PAK and BD. Ireland could go either way, but are more likely to be in the NZ camp of simply can't afford it for the tiny interest they generate.

Thats the bottom line.

To prevent that, teams either need to pool their broadcast deals together like the NFL/NBA. Or use the profits from an India series to finance the loss making series.

Otherwise you will basically see only 6 or so teams playing Tests seriously 10 or 20 years from now.

 

[USofA]

PP statisticians - How many 3 Test series in this decade have been decided after the second Test ? If its a high percentage - then this move could save on lots of dead rubbers.

It also gives lower ranked teams more opportunities for upsets as they could nick a drawn series and get more points in the Test Championship.

What I hope happens is that there's enough pre-tour warmups scheduled for tourists to acclimatise to conditions. There should be two compulsory 4-day games against decent opposition before any Test series for visiting teams.

Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. One of the reasons there are barely any warm-up games is because of revenues. It costs $$ to play them, but absolutely zero revenue. Even tests have some $$ (though not enough) coming in. But these games have nothing. As with everything, costs determine whether or not these games are played.

 

[batfirst]

Test cricket should be banned, there should be only 2 formats
and I think that odi's and T20 should survive. ICC has to cut the formats
down from 3 to 2.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Test cricket should be banned, there should be only 2 formats
and I think that odi's and T20 should survive. ICC has to cut the formats
down from 3 to 2.

Objectively speaking, it's by far the most ridiculous professional 'sport' on Earth at the moment. Anybody who doesn't know about cricket will fall on ground laughing when they hear 11 men play for 5 days without knowing if there would be a result. It's an absolute farce alright, a 19th century antiquity still hanging around. As for the purists, they're just crazy folks stuck in Victorian era, out of touch with time and reality.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Its sad to see test cricket get tranisition out the way it is.

 

[shane]

There is no doubt that, despite the lip service, the ICC is trying to eradicate Test cricket. With the empty stadiums around the world, it is hard to blame them.

 

[Chrish]

Still can't get over this. This is pretty much the "death" everyone has been talking about for while.

Teams like NZ and Pakistan aren't playing any test Cricket in next 2-3 years.