God help me - the Test Cricket thread

[ElwoodBlues1]

The South African tour was cancelled because the return vs risk didnt stack up, Saffies are a minnow money wise and the only teams Australia want to play are India and England where the money stacks up. The CoVid risk gets thrown out the door when its the IPL of course...India rule all forms of the game and control world cricket with the money the generate, there will never be a level playing field for any other country especially in these CoVid times.
All the other countries will just fall into line even the sworn enemies like Pakistan when there is a rupee to be made.
Cricket has become a reality series which generates characters like Kholi whose personal life and what his baby is named is as important as his test average because it all makes money.
Everyone wants a slice of the Indian money, the ability to play a cross bat slog, reverse sweep or ramp shot is going to make you more money than a backward defensive shot with the elbow high and bat straight.
I'm waiting for the player who brings out a cricket book/manual that shows all the one day shots and the lack of technique/footwork required...

[LP]

Cricket has become a reality series which generates characters like Kholi whose personal life and what his baby is named is as important as his test average because it all makes money.

Agreed, no doubt about it, but there is no rule or relationship that prevents all that being distinct from the prestige of the established sport. Like the Tour de France, Augusta, Monacco, Lords, Wimbledon, there is money in it but it's not about the money.

I feel the old establishment needed to retain guardianship over the traditional game of cricket, and so preserve the prestige, not pander to the new world order.

[Professer E]

Dunno EB,  had a big summer watching a lot of junior cricket,  including a fair bit of rep stuff.  The platitudes seem to go to the kids who flashily slog the the ball around,  but the top scorers and better teams played correct cricket.  People get caught up by those types that go big score X X X X big score,
whereas teams with more consistency seem to win more.  Fireworks are entertaining,  but accumulators/risk aversive batters do better.  Likewise,  the bowlers who stuck to the basics did better than the kids doing funky stuff or bowling express they can't control.  I live in hope EB.  Technique still has a place.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Prof, that's good to hear on a junior cricket front, I'm a technique man and enjoy the long form of the game being old school.
I get the short form pays the bills but it has ruined test cricket, the Windies players led by Chris Gayle have abandoned test cricket for the money security of the short formats. The South Africans abandoned local cricket for Kolpak deals in England and the money in the main playing all the county one day comps as registered local players.
There are about two teams only now you can play and make a dollar out of test cricket wise and they are India and England and their players are still schooled properly technique wise. I can only see techniques getting worse and park sloggers playing more test cricket given they will have higher profiles, more exposure and form given they play more cricket.

[Professer E]

I'll tell you right now EB that the standout kids standout because they have good technique.  The sluggers get found out.

Marnus has a solid technique and I wasn't surprised when he came in an did well.

[Professer E]

Something I detest in sport is cheating- drugs, rule bending,  gamesmanship,  loop hole pushing or plain old outright cheating. 

To this end,  an interesting interview with retired umpire Holder in today's Guardian.  A few countries appear to have skeletons in the cupboard regarding ball tampering,  including one from which media pundits have been most strident in their criticism of Australia's past actions.  I suspect that this was a big issue across the game for a long time,  and the exposure of the practice was used as an opportunity to expose it for what it is,  and to stamp it out.  I note that reverse swing has since become most uncommon,  except on particularly abrasive pitches such as the recent one in India. 

[LP]

Something I detest in sport is cheating- drugs, rule bending,  gamesmanship,  loop hole pushing or plain old outright cheating. 

To this end,  an interesting interview with retired umpire Holder in today's Guardian.  A few countries appear to have skeletons in the cupboard regarding ball tampering,  including one from which media pundits have been most strident in their criticism of Australia's past actions.  I suspect that this was a big issue across the game for a long time,  and the exposure of the practice was used as an opportunity to expose it for what it is,  and to stamp it out.  I note that reverse swing has since become most uncommon,  except on particularly abrasive pitches such as the recent one in India. 

Anyone who has played cricket knows what goes on, only those who haven't or a outright liars will claim otherwise.

I've heard everything in suburban and district cricket from deep freezing the match ball overnight to mixing stuff into the sunscreen so that it makes the pill sticky for spinners. It's not always just about shine, the objective to make one half of the pill different in some way.

One of the best I heard was someone using a water-repellant varnish mixed in sunscreen to rub on the seam so that it stays dry and hard for longer. I doubt the efficacy of that mix, but I understand the thinking as moisture softens the seam, but I suspect sunscreen would soften it equally leaving the varnish ineffective. I believe the Poms would use a very specific brand of boiled lolly for the same purpose, a bit like Castlemaine Rock.

[Professer E]

Good to see that the Indian spinners got exactly the pitch they wanted.... Funny how our bowlers get dead pitches at home.  But then again,  only Australians cheat don't they?

[Thryleon]

Good to see that the Indian spinners got exactly the pitch they wanted.... Funny how our bowlers get dead pitches at home.  But then again,  only Australians cheat don't they?

Food for thought.  Are there more Australians playing ipl than Indians playing in Aus?

If so, then that means the Aussies get an advantage by having a different pitch to play on here because the Indians only get to use it when they come here.

Who is actually cheating in that scenario? 

[DJC]

Food for thought.  Are there more Australians playing ipl than Indians playing in Aus?

If so, then that means the Aussies get an advantage by having a different pitch to play on here because the Indians only get to use it when they come here.

Who is actually cheating in that scenario? 

No-one is cheating Thry; it’s perfectly acceptable to prepare pitches that (a) favour the home side and (b) produce results.

The problem is that our curators don’t get it right and our bowlers aren’t good enough to exploit home pitches.