'Unfair', Says Anrich Nortje for Giving Fewer Test Matches to South Africa in WTC

[Marooned]

Anrich Nortje criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for giving fewer Test matches to South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, saying getting just six games in a year when other are playing 15 is unfair

“If we play six (Tests) in a year and you guys (England) play 15 in a year, I don’t see that being fair," Nortje, who will have a key role in the three-Test series against England, told Daily Mail.

“Our guys are not going to be as well-known as previous generations if we play 18 games in three years, or something like that," he added.

“We want to be the No. 1 team in all formats. It’s unfortunate the way it’s gone but we are very keen to make a mark. It would be nice to be able to play more Test cricket, not just two-match series," he added.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...in-world-test-championship-cycle-5753851.html

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Anrich Nortje criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for giving fewer Test matches to South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, saying getting just six games in a year when other are playing 15 is unfair

“If we play six (Tests) in a year and you guys (England) play 15 in a year, I don’t see that being fair," Nortje, who will have a key role in the three-Test series against England, told Daily Mail.

“Our guys are not going to be as well-known as previous generations if we play 18 games in three years, or something like that," he added.

“We want to be the No. 1 team in all formats. It’s unfortunate the way it’s gone but we are very keen to make a mark. It would be nice to be able to play more Test cricket, not just two-match series," he added.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...in-world-test-championship-cycle-5753851.html

I am not sure why he is criticising ICC. ICC has no say in this.. they are just event management company.
It is CSA, his own board he should be questioning about the schedule.

 

[Marooned]

I thought this is a very important point raised by nortje from pakistan point of view as well.

Notice the when he says "We are not going to be as well known as previous generations" if we play so few tests.

It's frustrating for talented players who dream of having a legacy their talent deserves.

Test cricket as it stands is very lopsided and loses meaning imo.

 

[Rana]

I am not sure why he is criticising ICC. ICC has no say in this.. they are just event management company.
It is CSA, his own board he should be questioning about the schedule.

Of course ICC does when it divides the points available per Test in a 3 match or a 5 match series in the FTP.

 

[Rana]

Guys like Babar and Shaheen won’t play more than 75 Tests in their career before they become a burden on their team due to age.

 

[Rana]

Their has to be a minimum 12 Tests a year requirement from the ICC for all Test playing nations in order to maintain their Test status. Ridiculous how Pakistan and South Africa are having years when they play only 6-7 Tests

 

[Marooned]

Guys like Babar and Shaheen won’t play more than 75 Tests in their career before they become a burden on their team due to age.

While guys who don't have half their talent will get to play more just because they happen to be English or indian.

 

[Marooned]

Their has to be a minimum 12 Tests a year requirement from the ICC for all Test playing nations in order to maintain their Test status. Ridiculous how Pakistan and South Africa are having years when they play only 6-7 Tests

I agree.

If that isn't 'feasable' then scrap this joke off altogether.

 

[Rana]

I agree.

If that isn't 'feasable' then scrap this joke off altogether.

The ‘feasibility’ excuse is the biggest lie. How were Test playing nations affording only Test and ODI cricket before the advent of T20 cricket?? There is way more money injected into cricket now than it was back then. This is just an excuse for certain Test nations not having to play others as much as they used to and juggle their players due to overpacked scheduling with franchise leagues threatening to take away players

 

[Saj]

I think he should be raising his concerns first and foremost with Cricket South Africa before he asks the ICC.

CSA are the ones who have agreed the FTP with other Boards.

 

[AMSS]

Understandable that fans would be railing against ''unfair'' ICC.

But peak comedy when an international cricketer moans about ICC when it's CSA who decided and agreed on the number of tests Saffers play.

 

[Titan24]

Irony when players for some countries like Stokes are taking retirements from one format or another as they are overwhelmed by the amount of cricket, while the teams and players who want to play more don't get enough for one reason or another.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Odd to blame ICC when it is the board themselves that are scheduling a low amount of Test matches. There is simply not enough money out there for Test playing nations outside of the Big Three so that is why we get such few matches scheduled and more focus on T20's instead.

Long-term, it's harder to see how this is all sustainable if teams like South Africa/Pakistan etc continue to play fewer Test each cycle. Teams simply aren't going to be as competitive as Big Three because it's such few matches played, there is hardly a point in focusing or putting resources to make it better when the payoff isn't really there.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Test cricket is not profitable unless one of the Big 3 boards is involved.

Tiny boards like CSA and PCB do not want to host test matches as they are expensive and they don't draw enough revenue when they tour either.

This is a very sensible and rational decision . And not guided by some misplaced sense of honour and dignity.

 

[Marooned]

Test cricket is basically going back to the 1950s when it was a 2-3 country sport.

Non big 3 teams like us get to play some 2 match series separated by ages. And that changes everything. Almost impossible to build teams and build up momentum which is absolutely critical in tests.

What motivation will a player have for the prospect of some 25 tests in 4 years? What legacy can he hope to build no matter how talented he is?

Tests as a competition barely make sense anymore. It's an incredibly lopsided farce.

 

[Fenrir]

South Africa and Pakistan deserve to play more tests than they are allocated.England is part of the so called big three but it is not a top class team.It plays well in seaming conditions at home buy SA and Pakistan have been very competitive in England.India has a lot of influence on ICC due to money but Indian team is also good in home conditions.

 

[Xoib]

PCB & CSA can convert there both series to 3 tests that will increase test match numbers.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Test cricket is basically going back to the 1950s when it was a 2-3 country sport.

Non big 3 teams like us get to play some 2 match series separated by ages. And that changes everything. Almost impossible to build teams and build up momentum which is absolutely critical in tests.

What motivation will a player have for the prospect of some 25 tests in 4 years? What legacy can he hope to build no matter how talented he is?

Tests as a competition barely make sense anymore. It's an incredibly lopsided farce.

Likely why team don't invest in it and there is no reason to when they aren't all that good nor is it making money.

Even in Pakistan, outside of hardcore fans, nobody cares or watches Test matches.

 

[Markhor]

The ‘feasibility’ excuse is the biggest lie. How were Test playing nations affording only Test and ODI cricket before the advent of T20 cricket?? There is way more money injected into cricket now than it was back then. This is just an excuse for certain Test nations not having to play others as much as they used to and juggle their players due to overpacked scheduling with franchise leagues threatening to take away players

Before the advent of T20 cricket we didn't have as many outlets for entertainment as we do now with Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon Prime etc that all compete for peoples' eyeballs in addition to T20 franchise leagues and all the other sports.

Unfortunately we live in a society of instant gratification, and 5-Day Test cricket is an anachronism. It's still played due to the traditions and history of the format, but unless the big boys India, England and Australia are in town, most boards simply cannot break even on Test series.

Take West Indies for example. The board forks out a premium to fly teams in and accommodate them being situated in a global holiday destination. The island nations are dotted around the Caribbean Sea sometimes hundreds of miles away from each other - the distance between Jamaica and Guyana is about the same as London to Moscow ! The population of each island are small, and the interest in Test cricket is dwindling (not helped by WI's decline in the last 20 years), so the gate receipts and TV revenues are insufficient to cover their costs.

If we're running a retail business, why would you keep stocking products that you cannot recoup the costs of due to insufficient consumer interest ?

That's why, despite the unpopularity of T20 leagues amongst purists like ourselves, they're not going anywhere because they're effectively subsidising Test cricket.

 

[Fenrir]

Test cricket is not profitable unless one of the Big 3 boards is involved.

Tiny boards like CSA and PCB do not want to host test matches as they are expensive and they don't draw enough revenue when they tour either.

This is a very sensible and rational decision . And not guided by some misplaced sense of honour and dignity.

How come Bangladesh is playing more tests than New Zealand,South Africa,Pakistan and Sri Lanka?

 

[hitthestump]

A lot of people complain that the PCB haven't organised enough tests yet i guarantee very few of them are willing to sit through 5 full days of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on a phatta.

Pakistan have a average/poor product for test cricket and the format is unprofitable for the PCB. This is the bottom line.

The PCB needs to pay the bills at the end of the day.

 

[sweep_shot]

Nortje has a point.

South Africa currently have a very good Test team. They have proven that by beating India 2-1.

Bowling attack of Ngidi, Rabada, Nortje, and Jansen is a world class attack.

 

[Savak]

A lot of people complain that the PCB haven't organised enough tests yet i guarantee very few of them are willing to sit through 5 full days of Pakistan vs Sri Lanka on a phatta.

Pakistan have a average/poor product for test cricket and the format is unprofitable for the PCB. This is the bottom line.

The PCB needs to pay the bills at the end of the day.

The PCB can change all this by investing in the right players, pitches and changing the brand of Cricket they are playing and sticking to it win or loss.

 

[shujaatraza]

Didn’t CSA canceled or postponed their test series against Australia in favour of scheduling their t20 league?

 

[cricketjoshila]

I am disappointed that India has only a 2 test series vs SA. It should be a 4 test series or atleast a 3 test series.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

CSA and PCB have a shockingly low number of test matches in the next FTP. And the blame rests on the boards themselves, not the ICC.

Even Bangladesh are playing 34 tests: 7 more than Pakistan.

PCB is too focused on ODIs and T20s which is sad to see. I mean what's the worst that could have happened if PCB and CSA just agreed to 3 tests instead of 2?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Guys like Babar and Shaheen won’t play more than 75 Tests in their career before they become a burden on their team due to age.

Even if Babar plays every test match till the next FTP he will have 74 test caps by the time he's 32. Talk about wasted potential...