Englands Potential 6 "Region" Structure -Original version

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Ernest

Then I pinch myself and realise this is 20/20 - the beggining of the end of Test cricket, and IMO that's just what it is.

I've already gone on about this ad nauseam on another thread. I will just say this, though. Do you imagine that your favourite resteraunt is as profitable as the nearest McDonald's? I doubt it. However, it still attracts customers, many of whom presumably return to it. It may not be the most profitable business, but it still has a strong customer base who demands that it stays open. Thus, they support it by eating there. And so the same thing will happen with Test cricket. It may not be as profitable as the T20, but plenty of fans would still attend it, becasue there are purists (such as myself) out there. And that doesn't even take into account the viewing audience at home. And, for all the surveys that have been made available, none of the players themselevs have said that they want to not play Tests at all. Some of them have said that they might consider retiring early, which in the greater scheme of things isn't really that big a deal.

So in short, I consider it far more likely that Test cricket will exist as a niche market than die out all together. And look around you. Niche markets not only exist, but many of them thrive.

Originally Posted by Statto

Possibly try this as a blueprint
1. Players all remain contracted to existing county, but window for EPL agreed and all contracted players available. Now every side has about 50 eligible players to pick from.
2. EPL held in July (3 weeks?)
3. Regional squads picked on 20th June ish. Now players have approximately 2 months to put in sufficient performances in order to get selected.
4. Salary cap for selected squads in place, all players guaranteed minimum amount. Adds an actual incentive to play, rather than players being picked up with no significant reward.
5. Set number of overseas players permitted, limits on match squads ie 4 U25, 3 overseas.

That's a very good model indeed. There probably wouldn't be any need for hiring international players by the bucketful, but Mr. Stanford has made his Carribean tournament a success without having to resort to hiring mercenaries. Based on the Fort Collins site which I've posted on the West Indies forum, his modus opernadi thus far has been to promote the cricket itself, and not the "razzmatazz" (to quote Mukul Kesevan) of it. I think if you allow each region to hire between two and four international players each, and allow only one or two to play per game, then there'll still be that sense of supporting one's own team, with the added excitement of watching Chris Gayle or Ricky Ponting turn out for side as well.

Anyhow, I personally think Allen Stanford has shown a great deal of common sense in the way he's run his Carribean tournament, so I wouldn't be surprised if what eventuates is very close to your model.

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Aurelius

I've already gone on about this ad nauseam on another thread.

I don't think at the moment you can comment on the expanding 20/20 to 'ridiculous excess', as the matter is far to important.

Originally Posted by Aurelius

I will just say this, though. Do you imagine that your favourite resteraunt is as profitable as the nearest McDonald's?[...] I doubt it. However, it still attracts customers, many of whom presumably return to it.

My "favourire resteraunt" has more strings to it's bow than McDonalds, or Test cricket.

Most such eating houses provide accomadation and rooms for functions to bring in more cask, so with respect this analogy is not valid.
To your second point I think you have strengthened my arguments, "presuamble return to it" - by definition means that 20/20 is going to take supporters awat from Test cricket, in order for them to return.
Question is: What happens if they don't return - I suggest this scenario would mean the end of Test cricket.

Originally Posted by Aurelius

It may not be the most profitable business, but it still has a strong customer base

This may be correct at the moment with people like myself and Rachael, but believe me advertising works - and when 20/20 does take off World wide, then a brand new audience will take the place of the cricket traditionalist - simple because of the TV and media cover it will attract.

Originally Posted by Aurelius

So in short, I consider it far more likely that Test cricket will exist as a niche market than die out all together. And look around you. Niche markets not only exist, but many of them thrive.

So you are saying that it's OK that Test cricket once the mainstream of International and domestic cricket should be confined to a "Niche Market"?, well such markets are based on fads and as such are vunerable.

Some people will find this acceptable - I don't.
It could be said that I had gone "ad nauseam" with my attacks on the ICC, and judging by ackers thread here - it rather looks like those attacks were prophetical.
It does no harm IMO to band a drum on a point you believe in, even to the point at excess.

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Ernest

My "favourire resteraunt" has more strings to it's bow than McDonalds, or Test cricket.

Most such eating houses provide accomadation and rooms for functions to bring in more cask, so with respect this analogy is not valid.
To your second point I think you have strengthened my arguments, "presuamble return to it" - by definition means that 20/20 is going to take supporters awat from Test cricket, in order for them to return.

Okay, how about another analogy- one that I've already used. The Jaguar. A brand of luxury car that made a large loss in the last period. But they are still being produced, redesigned even, and they have been bought by another company who obviously believe that they can thrive. And why? Because it has its loyal customers, who demand its continued existence. As it is with Test cricket. It may not make as much money as T20, but it will still have traditional cricket supporters who'll demand its existence. On top of this, I also believe that the players will still want to play it (despite the survey results- again, no players have actually said that they don't want to stop playing Tests full stop), and that the administrators (especially in places like England) will still want to hold them, and that televisers will still want to show them (as it's five days of easy scheduling).

Question is: What happens if they don't return - I suggest this scenario would mean the end of Test cricket.

This may be correct at the moment with people like myself and Rachael, but believe me advertising works - and when 20/20 does take off World wide, then a brand new audience will take the place of the cricket traditionalist - simple because of the TV and media cover it will attract.

Okay, it's possible that Test cricket will die. I'm not denying that it's possible. That doesn't mean it's certain, either. People are fickle. Shove too much IPL down their throats, and they might just get sick of it. Early signs suggest that the IPL is already in financial difficulties (eg. letting fans in for free, Hyderabad stadium a third full), and if it ends up making a loss, then that could wind up nipping the franchise problem in the bud right then and there.

So you are saying that it's OK that Test cricket once the mainstream of International and domestic cricket should be confined to a "Niche Market"?, well such markets are based on fads and as such are vunerable.

Some people will find this acceptable - I don't.

I wouldn't particularly like it, but I'd far rather that it existed as a niche market than not exist at all. All I'm saying is that if T20 becomes the most popular form of the game, then IMO the former is more likely than the latter.

It does no harm IMO to band a drum on a point you believe in, even to the point at excess.

Point taken, the main reason I stopped in the other thread was that I'd really said all I had to say. But I will say this, though. Tests are being scheduled in advance up until 2011, so Test cricket is safe in the medium term. And, even if I can no longer deny the possibility of Test cricket dying out, I'm not going to give up on it- which I think is exactly what you're doing when you say that the end is inevitable.

[Ernest]

Hi Folks,

This thread has been split: This original thread in the England Cricket Forum is for cricket chat only.

For those of us who went "Off Topic" - the political version can be found on the M&GL Forum:-

Link: Englands Potential 6 "Region" Structure/EU Political Version.

[Tyler]

4 day games are too short. There's no point in bothering with them because more often than not it pans out to a draw. Maybe if we got rid of a 1 day competiton, like FPT and spread it out more?