Questions have to be asked if Test match cricket is demeaned as a spectacle

By Rohan Kallicharan

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In an era of ICC Future Tours programme, international cricket administrators increasingly feel the pressure for the need to balance between earning revenue for their respect boards and keeping their players fresh. It is something very few boards have managed well — and certainly not the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The West Indies are scheduled to arrive in India next month. I would certainly hope that it is early in November given that India leaves for Australia in mid-December for what is a very important series for both nations. Despite both teams suffering against England recently, it is a ‘glamour clash’ in the cricket calendar.

During that period between the West Indians arriving in India and their hosts heading Down Under, the two sides will be required to play three Tests and five ODIs in a period that is unlikely to be longer than 4-5 weeks, given that the West Indies are in Bangladesh until November 2 and the Indians start their solitary warm-up match in Australia on December 18.

West Indies seem like a thorn in the Indian flesh, much as was the tour to the Caribbean in June which left India so woefully under prepared for the visit to England. There is every chance that history could repeat itself in Australia in similar circumstances. Admittedly, whilst the Future Tours Programme is more or less set in stone, the respective boards still have to agree on schedules, and the BCCI continue to make life very difficult for its players.

Moreover, it undermines the series with the visiting West Indies who, despite their continued failures in recent years, remain one of the most popular sides in world cricket. The West Indies should normally equate to big crowds and mass interest, but one senses that this tour has the feeling of the hastily arranged visit of the mother-in-law to coincide with the only weekend when there are no other commitments.

I read a comment earlier this week saying that Mahendra Singh Dhoni should never be selected to play for India again for saying he was exhausted and wanted to miss the forthcoming ODI series against England. It’s a series that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The next World Cup is not around the corner and surely both sides would benefit from a brief period of rest before their respective winter tours and series. That is exactly when he should take a rest; the ‘hands-in-pockets’ relationship between the BCCI and the ICC means it’s almost contractually impossible for him to miss the Champions League.

From a commercial perspective, one has to ask how often people can continue to dig deep in their pockets; the Indian public has already paid to watch the 2011 ICC World Cup, the Indian Premier League (IPL) and now Champions League. It seems unlikely that they would want to pay to watch an isolated series of ODIs between two sides, both of whom will be without many of their stars. And if they do shell out, will they also do so to watch the West Indies? Cricket’s administrators have successfully raised the profile of the game and also reached out to a wider audience, but have to be wary of impact both economically and on the health of the players, who are ultimately their product.

As it stands, India continues to suffer from injuries to their key players, and it’s no surprise given the punishing schedule that they have been undertaking. Whilst it does indeed present an opportunity for youngsters to step forward, the India squad for the England ODI series contains only four of those who played on that memorable April night in Mumbai. If this is also the case during the subsequent series with the West Indies, questions have to be asked as to whether it demeans Test cricket as a spectacle. The bottom line is that Test matches should be the pinnacle of any sport and a Test cap should be earned by performance and not by default.

I am certainly not criticising the youngsters who are looking to make the step up. All they can do is perform consistently and pressure the current incumbents, much as in the case of Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane, the next star-in-waiting. Albeit that a T20 match is very different to the challenge of first class and Test match cricket, I sensed that I was watching someone just a little bit special at Old Trafford last month.

In the light of recent results in England, India’s visit to Australia assumes much significance. Knocked off their perch down to third spot in the rankings, India have an opportunity to show some real character on a very difficult tour to Australia — a side that is being led by a new captain in Michael Clarke who really wants to leave his mark on a relatively young side in the process of rebuilding.

India have the tools to make life very difficult for Australia, but not if their leading strike bowler and their talismanic opening batsman are injured — just two in a long casualty list. Just as a solitary match against Somerset was woeful preparation for the Test series in England, so is a four-day match in Canberra against the Chairman’s XI, just five days before entering the intimidating cauldron of the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day.

I have previously discussed the lure of the Rupee and Pound to the modern player, and the boards’ need to make it clear that such rewards will simply not be available to players who do not make themselves available to play for their countries. In return, those countries need to be supported in the provision of rewarding those players and ensuring that they are given a manageable schedule.

Cricket’s administrative bodies have a very special product at their disposal, but one which can very quickly diminish if the world’s best players are unable to consistently give the world’s best performances at the highest level of the game, and that is playing for their country. Those in suits would do well to remember this.

(Rohan Kallicharan, son of the legendary batsman Alvin Kallicharan, is a West Indian cricket enthusiast based in the UK who played at under-19 level. He is now a Recruitment Professional who writes about the game in his free time. He is a columnist for All Out Cricket Magazine. He also has own sports blog hetoreahamstring.co.uk)