Thursday, July 8, 2010

Time for Tests in flood lights?


Consider yourself. You have bought a  Cricket Match ticket. You enter the stadium in the evening and suddenly see the players in white jersey and maybe pink ball. And suppose the score board says 3rd day of Test Match between India and Australia... You will get a shock, right??? But this will be no longer a dream!!!

The crowd for the Test Cricket is decreasing, thanks to the faster versions of the game T20 and ODIs. The  ICC and MCC and all Cricket Gurus are thinking about the invention in the Test Cricket that is Day and Night Test Cricket. The committee members like great Steve Waugh strongly advocated the idea saying, "I think it would be great," he said. "There's always resistance to change because it takes people out of their comfort zone, but I think back to World Series Cricket back when I was a kid. It ignited the spark among the spectators, and as players it's exciting. Like Twenty20 cricket, it would be something new and challenging, and as a player I'd really embrace that." The former Australian captain has hit the bull's eye.

"We should not delay in presenting day-night Test cricket as an option for those Test-playing countries that are struggling to attract an audience," John Stephenson, the MCC assistant secretary was quoted by a cricket website as saying, "We say this form of the game is viable now. We proved it in Abu Dhabi with the four-day game under lights."

As spectators, it will be even better for us. Instead of watching the very boring Saans-Baahu and stupid TV shows, Cricket Lovers can have all the time to watch the Tests in the home or at the stadium in the evening- nights. And note it down, this new format can be more exciting that the ODIs. Men in White Jersey, Pink ball and no one is in hurry to score as if he wants to bat all the night! :D

The only negatives are that this concept is new and thus out of comfort zone for many. And still, more research has to be done over the format. But considering the statistics that only 11% of cricket watched in India was Test matches- the country with the highest cricket fans..! And if one trick is not working, the management has to find out the different version to pull back the crowd, fans to the cricket field, otherwise, Test Cricket will lose its ground...

So, what's your opinion on the Day and Night Test Matches? Will you bat for D/N Tests? I will..!

By Abhijeet.

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