Pakistan will only play 6 Test matches in 2019 and 7 in 2020!

[PakSarZameen]

I can't believe this. We only have 6 Test matches scheduled for next year.

2 vs South Africa
2 vs Sri Lanka
2 vs Australia

Likewise in 2019 we have just scheduled:

2 vs Bangladesh
3 vs England
2 vs New Zealand

Might aswell get our Test specialists i.e. Azhar, Asad, Abbas and Yasir to retire. Not like they have a future.

Long live our 11 consecutive T20s series win record. Long live PSL.

 

[freak_virat]

As a fan of Test Cricket, it's sad to see these number. I equally blame PCB for their preference towards T-20 because Pakistan performance in england is good and still they get only 3 test .

Those who think Test will end soon then it will not happen. Maybe it will be a 4 day instead of 5 but the purest form of cricket will reamain there.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

Can't understand pcb's love towards t20s . it is effecting badly on our tests and odis count. Which are the real formats of the game.

 

[iniqbal223]

Like every other board, PCB is also hell bound on managing finances.
What they do, when not a single human being goes out to watch test match in UAE?
They earn & save lot more in playing a T20 series over Test series, after all they have to run the HOUSE.

 

[coy0607]

sad to see, but hard to blame PCB

test cricket just isn't financially feasible, especially with UAE as your host country

 

[Mir jibran]

I can't believe this. We only have 6 Test matches scheduled for next year.

2 vs South Africa
2 vs Sri Lanka
2 vs Australia

Likewise in 2019 we have just scheduled:

2 vs Bangladesh
3 vs England
2 vs New Zealand

Might aswell get our Test specialists i.e. Azhar, Asad, Abbas and Yasir to retire. Not like they have a future.

Long live our 11 consecutive T20s series win record. Long live PSL.

not only test we play less odis now also
this year we played 15 with 3 more to go that makes it just 18 odis

 

[JibranAnsari]

So many t20s , need a balance between all the formats.

 

[Swashbuckler]

FTP is flexible in these matters. If PCB wants they can convert some of the 2 test series into 3 even without cutting T20s/ODIs, it all boils down to intent.

 

[Swashbuckler]

Series against SA, Aus, NZ should be of 3 tests IMO. And PCB really needs to bargain for a 4/5 test series against England, Eng-Pak tests are box office entertainment and with a long and colorful history. At least in England tickets will be sold out and it will grab many eyeballs, easy 5 test series possible. In UAE maybe long series is difficult. Ball in Mani's court now, let us see if he can deliver.

 

[AFM]

Sethi Saab

Hope Mani can re-schedule and add some more Tests.

 

[Hawkeye]

That's what you get when you're only focused on T20s.

Rest of the world doesn't give a damn to this format.

And here we have players to the cricket board chest thumping over T20 victories.

We've started playing less ODIs as well.

It is convenient. Don't play more matches in formats where we are minnow level. Save the embarrassment of losing.

 

[fluke]

that is really a bad planning by our ex pcb officials we should have focused more and more on getting test matches instead of these useless t20 bilaterial serieses

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan need to somehow schedule some more Test matches , 13 Tests is not good by any means.

Get some Tests , even if its against Ireland or Zimbabwe.

 

[Madplayer]

Pakistan need to somehow schedule some more Test matches , 13 Tests is not good by any means.

Get some Tests , even if its against Ireland or Zimbabwe.

Pakistan need to get out of UAE and play test matches somewhere where some people actually go to watch them.

 

[CricketDon]

Pakistan need to leave UAE.

Either Bangladesh or Sri Lanka is ideal.

 

[CricketDon]

I don’t think it’s down to the PCB wanting to make easy money from the T20 format.

One must understand the costs of playing abroad. Not one off but on a regular basis. It must take up a large amount of capital and resources.

UAE don’t allow us to play in their stadiums for free. Every single day their is a fee. These fees are high. Now take into account test matches are 5 days. That’s 5 days worth of fees.

Mix that in with extremely low attendance for all 5 day regardless of the opposition. So that median of revuene is literally closed. TV rights are sold last minute and that also not for a high amount. Another avenue is sponsorship money. Which is fair but nothing to write home about. So now let’s conclude the revenue streams.

Ticket sales = Nill
TV rights = fair amount
Sponsorship: reasonable.

These three streams of revenue either make the PCB a loss or at best to break even.

This is not a sustainable business model. It would send the PCB into a serious financial hole. Which would affect the board bottom to the top.

The only solution is T20 cricket. It is a growing market with high amounts of interest. Heck even that does not fill up a stadium. So PCB is using the T20 format to make up for the loses from the test format and to turn a profit to allow the board to grow and expand.

People may not like it but the PCB is a business and it has a business model that’s sustainable. As it stands Test cricket is not sustainable. With Pakistan not able to play in Pakistan the current FTP is the best one relative to the situation.

I can see Pakistan playing more tests when they return back to Pakistan as costs would be lower and attendance and interest is going to be higher.

Until that day we must accept the situation and hope for a better tomorrow.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Not good this

 

[Arham_PakFan]

England play like 12/13 tests minimum every year.

Pakistan should make series against some teams comprise of 3 matches instead of 2. Like the Australia series should have been 3 games .

 

[Shafi]

Actually it will be 4. Don't think in the current stage there will be any test match with Bangladesh.

 

[mmkextreme_1]

Hope Mani stays true to his words about changing all our 2 test per series to 3.

 

[Hasan123]

We are playing far too many T20s. The test series we do play should be 3 tests. Sick of these 2 test series.

 

[PakSarZameen]

Actually it will be 4. Don't think in the current stage there will be any test match with Bangladesh.

5. Bangladesh series is in 2019 where we are scheduled to play 7 Tests.

 

[Titan24]

World Cup in 2019 and World T20 in 2020 also played a role. We are getting some big ODI series before world cup so that obviously takes time.

Also I guess people have started noticing fixtures more, even historically Pak plays 6-8 tests per year on avg like SA, NZ. Only Aus, Eng and India(Recently) play more tests.

Also just to mention, series are also added and canceled during the year. But 6-8 has always been the average so nothing surprising here.

 

[Titan24]

England play like 12/13 tests minimum every year.

Pakistan should make series against some teams comprise of 3 matches instead of 2. Like the Australia series should have been 3 games .

I dont remember last time when Pak played more than 8 tests a year and same is the case with NZ and SA. Nothing is less than before its the same number but we are just noticing the fixtures now.

 

[Markhor]

It reflects the economic viability of Test cricket outside the big three.

However our FTP does look imbalanced. We play 7 Tests, 9 ODIs and 17 T20Is in 2020. In 2021 we play 9 Tests, 9 ODIs and 23 T20Is ! I understand these are WT20 years but this seems excessive.

 

[PakSarZameen]

World Cup in 2019 and World T20 in 2020 also played a role. We are getting some big ODI series before world cup so that obviously takes time.

Also I guess people have started noticing fixtures more, even historically Pak plays 6-8 tests per year on avg like SA, NZ. Only Aus, Eng and India(Recently) play more tests.

Also just to mention, series are also added and canceled during the year. But 6-8 has always been the average so nothing surprising here.

There is a difference between 5-6 Tests and 8-9.

Since 2010 we have played an average of 8.55 Tests every year. Next year it will be 6 and 5 the year after.

 

[ARK Rafay]

Why 2 match series. Why not 3?

 

[carnish]

Can anyone put up some numbers to compare how many tests teams have been playing since 2008, i.e. since IPL started

I am sure Ind, Eng and Aus play lot more but i think even Saf and Srl do play at least 12 every year

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Guys like Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq should play their cricket in some other country in the off season in order to stay match fit. Abbas might get a few ODI's here and there.

I feel bad for these guys.

 

[Buffet]

Can anyone put up some numbers to compare how many tests teams have been playing since 2008, i.e. since IPL started

I am sure Ind, Eng and Aus play lot more but i think even Saf and Srl do play at least 12 every year

Since 2008,

Eng 12.xx tests per year
Aus 11.2 tests per year
Ind 10.6 tests per year
SA 9.2 tests per year
SL 9 tests per year
WI 8.7 tests per year
NZ 8.3 tests per year

Pak 7.4 tests per year

 

[Buffet]

 

[Buffet]

Why 2 match series. Why not 3?

Any non-minnows series shouldn't be 2 tests.