Cricket's Never Had It So Good, Or Has It?

Andy Flower has been quoted as bemoaning the apparent insistence of the ICC pushing ODIs ahead of Test series today. What would once be a stand-out series of South Africa versus Australia is limited to just 2 games. In this case there are no ODIs but during the last English summer England played 4 tests against the then number ones India, followed by 6 ODIs and a T20.

Test cricket called Test cricket for one reason: it is the ultimate test of a team and the players in that team. The best side will normally come out on top. ODIs are far more of a lottery - 10 poor overs and the game's lost. If you liken the games to football you'd say that Test cricket is the Premier League and ODIs the FA Cup, and ask any football fan or player which they'd rather win and it would be the Premier League every time.

The trouble is that the financial incentives are difficult to ignore for both ICC, Cricket Boards and players alike. What would you rather do? Spend a long time at work for your wages (Test cricket) or work less and earn more (T20/IPL)? It's a no-brainer unfortunately.

As a result some of the best players in the world are turning their back on Test cricket for the financial rewards of T20 cricket, therefore making Test cricket less desirable to the paying public as the quality of cricket on offer isn't necessarily as high.

Cricket has been through this before and come out the other side during the Kerry Packer World series era during the 1970s and 80s, but the longer T20's popularity remains, the more difficult it will be for cricket to recover at the top level of Test matches.

Andy Flower has a vested interest of course, in that he doesn't want his achievement as England coach and reaching the number spot in Test cricket with England to be belittled by the best players not playing, but he's definitely has a point. The ICC are looking very short term at the situation.

Stuart Broad's Captaincy

I can't have been the only one who was fairly pleased that Stuart Broad's first game in charge of the England Twenty20 side resulted in a thumping defeat can I?

In my view he was an odd choice for the following reasons:

1. He's very young and English cricket doesn't tend to push young players as much as other nations, although i suppose that this can be seen as a positive that England are trying to groom (that word has different connotations nowadays, but I mean it in the innocent sense) a player in their early twenties to become captain of the whole shebang eventually - that is what they are doing with Alastair Cook after all.
2. He's been injured for much of the last year.
3. He's in dreadful form, particularly with his supposed strong suit, the ball.
4. He's petulant and is often seen shouting at his team-mates for a misfield or whatever, which is not what is expected of a captain.
5. Paul Collingwood was cast aside as the reigning World Cup holding captain, and I agree that he's playing badly now but it's a little harsh just to ditch him totally.

I think that this is a major gamble for the England management and one that could well come back to bite them on the backside. It's only one game against the World Cup Runners-Up, but leopards don't change their spots and I really can't see a future in Broad's captaincy. I hope I'm wrong, but fear that I'm not.

England win 8 T20s in a row!

Terrific effort from England despite Shane Watson's best efforts. A last ball win with some youngsters at the crease. It might be a bit early to say, but this tour of Australia is really going to plan. What are the odds on England winning all three series? Can't find them anywhere. Might be worth a flutter!

What are the odds on England winning the World Cup (cricket!)? 9/2 with Paddy Power. Not sure that's worth a flutter especially with it being in India and Sri Lanka's back yard. Pakistan at 8/1 might be worth a fiver.