LEFT ARM OVER
NEIL MANTHORP: Test cricket is far from dying ... it is flourishing
Supporters may not have the time to watch five days of cricket, but there is still huge interest in those matches
International Cricket Council (ICC) chair Shashank Manohar was quoted recently saying that “Test cricket is dying”. As a headline-grabber, it did a great job. But it was meant as an “attention-grabber” to a specific audience rather than a shock to the world. In fact, Test cricket has rarely been stronger in the past 15 years. Manohar was addressing an audience in Bangladesh and his comments — in his second language — were an attempt to sell the imminent Test Championship to listeners who may have been unaware of why it was being instigated, never mind how it would work. If he had used the word “struggling” rather than “dying” his assertions would have made more sense. “The broadcasters’ television ratings are highest for T20…nowadays people don’t have five days to watch a Test match. T20 gets over in three and a half hours, [it’s] like watching a movie. Therefore it is picking up very fast,” said Manohar (without explaining what sort of movies he watched). “We are trying to see whet...
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