Kid A: Hey, there’s a Test match from tomorrow. Want to come over?
Kid B: Dude, you kidding me? Test match? What, you live in the 1980s?
This is exactly the conversation between two kids. And from that, one thing is crystal clear. This generation wants fast food and fast cricket Waiting for 5 days for a match to get over, when a result might come through or might not, is perceived as utter waste of time. Reading the pulse of this generation, the ICC is coming up with newer plans of revamping the format, so that it can rekindle the slowly draining out energy.
The day-night Test match is one such proposal, that aims at keeping the interest levels high in the longest format of the game. In fact, the date and venue for the first ever Day-Night Test match in the 138-year history of the game has been frozen. Australia will take on New Zealand, all day and all night at at the Adelaide Oval fromNovember 27-December 1.
The question, however is, are people really willing to accept this?
Perhaps yes. One of the biggest drawbacks of Test cricket is the fact that not just is it long, one also has to keep track of scores of previous innings, which in itself becomes a huge task. With people now having the luxury of catching up on the action after work hours, things will perhaps become easier. I would like to reiterate that perhaps is the operating word here.
The other point is the use of the pink ball. There have been several problems with the ball, the latest one coming from Mitchell Starc, who, in the latest rounds of trials, claims that he couldn’t see a thing.
Very clearly, the problems don’t end there. It doesn’t swing, it seems, going soft very quickly, thereby assisting the batsmen instead of being the bowlers’ weapon.
Yes, the day-night Test cricket is a novel concept, but a lot needs to go into work before it can be finally scripted out on the field. Addressing the concerns regarding the ball is just the tip of the iceberg. Cleaning cricket so that people fall back in love with it is the first, biggest step in this direction.
Else, all these efforts will amount to nothing but a farce.