Cricket is becoming little more than showbiz

Cricket yearns for a gripping struggle played to a high standard between well-matched teams. This Test has been accident-prone and mostly second-rate.

As every month passes, the position deteriorates. Test matches are rearranged to accommodate dubious 20-over shenanigans, bound to attract as much interest among bookmakers as supporters. Players grizzle about their load and then accept lucrative offers to play an extra month. Matches are staged between uneven sides supposedly in the name of spreading the game but actually to create the illusion of competition. And the show will go on. Cricket is becoming little more than showbiz. With so many snouts in the trough it can hardly stop. A game needs to be loved, not raped.