Not quite the road to perdition

Preparations have begun. An elegiac lament has been adopted as an anthem by a notable few. Some have even begun talks with the funeral directors for a fitting tribute and a suitable coffin, nails and all. The leitmotif tune of rigor mortis seems to be echoing in the distant corners. The Citi moment of ruin can’t be far behind ably followed by the Citi moment of slow death. Is Test cricket on a Zimmer frame slowly meandering towards the precipice of damnation? Going by the recent news bytes on its near certain demise, and unless drastic action is taken urgently, Test cricket as we know it may not exist in the same form, if at all. Amid this unfounded pessimism, one would have to wonder if Test cricket is so fragile that it can be blown away by a format that relies so heavily on grunt than grace; enormous than elegance; razzmatazz than refinements; strength of willow than strength of character; brawn than brain; frenetic than fortitude.

As we embark towards the abyss of the unknown, it is natural to give gloom a helping hand. Would a format that stood the test of time for over hundred years not possess the strength of disposition, appeal and character to withstand the new kids on the block with their fancy wares? Surely the Wiis and the PS3s have yet to discard the need to indulge in a bit of scrabble or monopoly. Okay, I lie. Just a bit. No, a fair bit actually but let me not beat my own argument here. It would look pretty daft.

For the die-hard traditionalists, with or without the hallowed MCC membership that is nothing more than a glorified snoozing zone, such glum sentiments are not welcome. However, the calls for change they can’t be ignored. There was a time in the past when the mere mention of a tinker or two raised the eyebrows so high that a few have had accentuated battle-scarred foreheads ever since. Now, they just wince and grunt despairingly like prisoners do when they are short-changed on their daily dose of crack.

The sanctity of cricket is being adulterated, they groan in typical rigid tones. What is so sanctimonious about Test cricket anyways? Has it been baptised in Scottish Highlands spring water with no expiry date? Has it had some divine outpouring of sanctified blessings from some guru stranded in the Himalayas with no GPS? Cricket is evolving and Test cricket finds itself stranded on its own for its custodians are hesitant to tinker, timid to adapt, and tentative to evolve.

In a recent speech at the MCC Working Committee meeting, Rahul Dravid said: "Test match attendances around the world have dropped. You want to be playing in front of crowds. Apart from England, attendances are down." And that the crowds elsewhere are dwindling faster than Mohammad Kaif’s chances of making a comeback. Okay, I made the last bit up, but heck it’s true.

Australia too has drawn very healthy crowds for its home Tests. I guess they’re never short of an excuse to buy beer, sound each other off with strewths, gidday mate and not hesitate to hurl abuse while all the time talking about playing cricket in the true spirit of the game. English grounds are like stretched soup bowls with a max capacity of 28-29,000 at Lord’s while the MCG and the Eden Gardens, for example, can draw anything up to 100,000. In the context of stadium footprints, even 20-odd thousand at these huge stadiums in India or Australia look thin on the ground. So, let’s forgive Dravid this flawed observation and move on.

Do attendances determine the longevity or success of the game? Playing to empty houses isn’t much fun. Just ask Michael Bolton. Recently Hayden rued: “When Sachin Tendulkar became the highest run-getter in Test cricket (in Mohali last season) there were only a handful of spectators in the stadium. So, something needs to be done.” Something is being done, though it isn’t the ICC that is wasting its breath over this.

Lalit Modi, enfant terrible in the scheme of things, has blitzed the comfort zone. “One needs to go out and capture the fans. I think that's the most important thing right now,” he says and who can disagree with him. It is about retaining fan base and attracting new spectators. The ICC revels in inaction. As such, it neither has the will nor the desire to pull heads together and be proactive. Again, its ineptitude is in stark contrast to those who run the IPL.

The IPL, for all its crassness and overdose, has proven that allegiance can be bartered. Recent chilling admissions by Daniel Vettori and Gary Kirsten that players may choose IPL over country are a case in point. When Chris Gayle uttered those dreaded words a while back on not giving two hoots about Test cricket, he probably didn’t envisage others to feed off him.

Cricketers have a choice now. Something they haven’t been privy to all these years. No longer are they married for life to country. A divorce can be fashioned with relative ease and players are free to ply their trade at the expense of country commitments. Such a scenario can well determine the longevity and popularity of Test cricket in its current form.

Or will the organisers of Twenty20 leagues spell their own doom with their overzealous avarice? Lack of direction and strategy from the top tier can have a lethal effect on operations. Cricket is at the crucial crossroads. There is a temptation to treat Test cricket as a seriously ill patient in pressing need of a quintuple bypass.

Thankfully, Test cricket is not dying by any stretch of downbeat imagination. It needs some fine tuning; a bit of DIY to keep up with the times. It also needs the custodians to take a grip and ensure Test cricket takes precedence in the yearly calendar. A two-tier Test system wouldn’t be amiss either. Night cricket, coloured balls, and what have you do contribute in enhancing its appeal. One-sided contests can be avoided with the likes of Bangladesh shunted to the second tier. The pool of Test-playing nations can be increased by providing Test status for Kenya, Ireland and Afghanistan. This gives an incentive for the teams in the second tier to aspire for the top tier. Moreover, the ICC needs to work with the IPL and other leagues and not perceive them as a threat.

Twenty20, ODIs and Test cricket can co-exist and strike a common ground. The IPL needs an exclusive window. The magnitude of its lure and attractiveness is enormous. By no means is Test cricket dead and neither is it on course to a sudden arrest in its fortunes. However, the authorities must ensure that the exodus is restrained. Priorities have changed. This is what being professional is all about - having a choice. Test cricket is alive, but it needs to live and breathe easily without being suffocated by other formats. So, save on the obituaries for now. Nothing beats the balance Test cricket provides between bat and ball. Nothing can supersede the theatre, the drama, the enjoyment and the pride that one associates with Test cricket. Nothing can emulate its experience, but unless it embraces the changing times and demands, it runs the risk of becoming a forgotten experience. Cricket’s landscape is altering. It remains to be seen whether Test cricket gets on board or becomes a mere bystander and a victim of its apathy.