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Brian Lara suggests scrapping draws in Tests

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SANTA CRUZ (Trinidad): Legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara believes Test cricket should scrap draws in order to add to the excitement of the game’s longest format.

Lara, the only player in Test history to have posted a quadruple-century, said the five-day game needed to continue evolving in order to be relevant and attractive to contemporary audiences, while also bringing in new markets, reports cricket.com.au.

“One of the complaints by an American is, ‘how can you play a game for five days and it ends up in a draw?’,” Lara told the BBC.

“I would like to maybe see results in every single Test match. I know 70 per cent of the time the game takes its natural course and you get a result, [but] maybe find a way where you structure the game … you have 450 overs in five days, come up with some formula that can bring a win at the end of it.”

The West Indian retired from the international game in 2007, just as the Twenty20 revolution was gathering steam, and is a supporter of the short format, largely due to its appeal to new audiences.

“I am pro T20, because I played in a period where Test cricket was waning, the crowds were a bit smaller, and I grew up in the 1970s and 1980s, lining up at 5am to watch a Test match in a packed house,” Lara said.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1329240/lara-suggests-scrapping-draws-in-tests
 
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Agreed. You gotta lose some of the weight if you don't wanna lose the entire thing. Drawn games annoy a lot of new fans and even older ones - even though its one of the beauties of the game. Any-who, this is a not-so-bad suggestion. Much better than reducing it to 4 days.
 
nowdays draws are very rare unless thee is a lot of rain most of the draws these days are back to the wall 4th innings saves aka Du Pleses debut test or the recent draw in the Aus-Inida series these type of draws are very entertaining in their own right. A lot of tests would be forgone conclusions once the target goes over 350 if there was not an opportunity for a draw.
 
I would stop watching if the game lost the scope for a team which is losing to salvage a draw with a heroic rearguard fourth innings.

I don't care that Americans don't understand draws. There is no such thing as conquering new markets in sport. Countries follow their traditional sports.
 
To quicken up the test pace, they can limit the first innings to 130-140 overs. Since every team targets 450-500 the first innings, they'd have to score at 3.5-4 runs per over to get there which would eliminate most snail paced batsmen. That's the best option in my opinion.

No limits in the second innings. It's always more exciting than the first.
 
I would stop watching if the game lost the scope for a team which is losing to salvage a draw with a heroic rearguard fourth innings.

I don't care that Americans don't understand draws. There is no such thing as conquering new markets in sport. Countries follow their traditional sports.

That is also true. We cannot entire CHANGE our sports and change laws and rules that have been there for years just to accommodate for new markets.
 
I would be happy to go back and re-apply several old playing conditions to Test cricket, as follows:

1. Uncovered pitches.
2. Four day Tests (preferably Day/Night Tests mainly).
3. Maximum First Innings for both sides of 110 overs.
4. Massive reduction in bat sizes.
 
I would be happy to go back and re-apply several old playing conditions to Test cricket, as follows:

1. Uncovered pitches.
2. Four day Tests (preferably Day/Night Tests mainly).
3. Maximum First Innings for both sides of 110 overs.
4. Massive reduction in bat sizes.

Unrealistic.

That would eliminate the heroic rearguard efforts that you enjoy.

That's not enough to post a 450+ total. 110 is unnecessary, 130 would do the job of quickening up the game.

Unrealistic.
 
Not a bad idea at all I think. Something worth looking into. Might also encourage livelier wickets and deter home teams from using pitches to win series eg leading one nil and asking for a flat deck for the last game to close out the series etc.
 
Do not agree with this. Leave test cricket alone please. Go mess around with T20 and what not. Test cricket is brilliant as it is and I for one would not want 'draw' to be taken out of this game. There have been so many amazing tests with heroic stands where teams have salvaged a draw from a losing situation.

This is part of the beauty of this game and I wouldn't change anything.
 
Unrealistic.

That would eliminate the heroic rearguard efforts that you enjoy.

That's not enough to post a 450+ total. 110 is unnecessary, 130 would do the job of quickening up the game.

Unrealistic.

I don't want ANY 450+ totals in Test cricket. They are devaluing the game's records.

400 should be a total reached once or twice per year. And 500 never ever.
 
I would stop watching if the game lost the scope for a team which is losing to salvage a draw with a heroic rearguard fourth innings.

I don't care that Americans don't understand draws. There is no such thing as conquering new markets in sport. Countries follow their traditional sports.

I can't agree more than 100%....

Those yanks tried to make even the beautiful game a joke.

Draw is part of the result, it must remain there.
 
He said the easy part, should have also explained how.

As an example :

If 4th innings target is 450 and 120 overs remaining. Scores less than 275 can be counted as a loss. But what to do if all results are possible at start of day 5 and it is washed out.

Test cricket shouldn't be getting into this thing. Draws are cliffhangers also and adds too much to the scenario.

Changes that can work :

1= Reduce the limit of minimum overs before New Ball can be taken.

2= For each team, Allow one optional substitution before start of 3rd innings.
 
I don't want ANY 450+ totals in Test cricket. They are devaluing the game's records.

400 should be a total reached once or twice per year. And 500 never ever.

But, if that was the case in 50s & 60s, Gary Sobers would have ended as Ravi Jadeja.
 
Increase the length of the game - 6 days, 105 overs per day.......
 
Just stop preparing roads and make batsmen fight for their runs. 250 plays 250 in the first innings, rather than 500 plays 450.

That would also give some leeway back to the bowlers and stop every other batsman these days from looking like an ATG. Honestly it makes me feel sad that i grew up in an era of Mcgrath, Ambrose, Walsh, Wasim, Waqar etc. and not a single bowler today can hold a candle to them. That's not because of talent, that's because every pitch has nothing for the bowlers so it can go 5 days and yield the max revenue.

In short - money (BCCI) killed cricket.
 
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The draw itself is what makes Test Cricket more interesting.
THe draw is the reason why Captains are required to captain his team to pull out a result out of no where while the losing team tries to draw the match.

Test cricket would end up losing its charm if there were no draws
 
Draw has its own beauty some times team looking for draw end up losing the game
 
Lowest number of drawn games after 1950s. Yes eliminate drawn games.

80s had almost 50% drawn games. Not because batsmen were superior, but because number of overs per match was probably lowest during that decade.
 
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1910 was last time when percentage of drawn game reduced below current rate (22%). 1910 had 4 drawn games in 29 matches.

Why do we need uncovered pitches and reduced bat sizes to bring more results.
 
Draws are decreasing now, aren't they?

Plus teh draw is a natural conclusion to a tight game or one in which weather has affected play. Why should the game then be decided on a super over or something similar? It takes away from all the previous hard work, day in, day out.
 
Good call.

If win is to be granted on first innings lead than what to do with toss ?
 
If they can preserve interest in already-Cricket-playing nations, I would feel quite content.

Best thing to do is scrap off the 50 overs format. Keep tests for the purists and t20 for people looking for quick entertainment.
 
Who cares what the Americans think of cricket?

Having a limit of overs isn't test cricket anymore.

There is nothing wrong with a draw if goes close to the wire. i.e More than one result (draw) achievable on the last day.

It's very simple, make sporting pitches and you will see a result almost in every match(weather permitted). :inzi
 
I don't want ANY 450+ totals in Test cricket. They are devaluing the game's records.

400 should be a total reached once or twice per year. And 500 never ever.

Teams have scored 400+ in the 1st inning and still lost in recent years. Happened twice in just one series recently
 
It's not about the US I think some people are missing the point here. It's about having a winner after five days of cricket. Also it can actually be done without tinkering with the game by adopting a simple points system.

For instance in County cricket

Championship Points
Win: 16, Tie: 8, Draw: 5

Batting bonuses:
200-249 runs - 1pt
250-299 runs - 2pts
300-349 runs - 3pts
350-399 runs - 4pts
400 and over - 5pts

Bowling bonuses:
3-5 wkts - 1pt
6-8 wkts - 2pts
9-10 wkts - 3pts

Bonus points apply for first 110 overs of the first innings only. If teams finish level on points, most wins determines placing, then fewest defeats, then most points from head-to-head results, then most wickets taken, then most runs scored.

Something like that shouldn't be too difficult to implement surely.
 
I don't want ANY 450+ totals in Test cricket. They are devaluing the game's records.

400 should be a total reached once or twice per year. And 500 never ever.

What? 400 is being reached in ODIs but you can take 450 in Test?
 
If constitute a Test championship and a reward based on your final ranking, even the draws will be meaningful and carry points. That just solves the problem. Nothing else is needed really!

It would just be like the tie in league football.
 
What about draws in football? Euro 2016 had draws everyday. A draw isn't that uncommon.

Maybe a reserve day for rain effected games. That's the max that can be done.
 
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