Test cricket IS cricket.- The picture shows cricket the way it's meant to be played.
With the Stanford Twenty20 coming up and more ODI matches being played One day cricket appears to be taking over the cricket world, and the England team. The IPL was the second step (after Twenty20) towards a cricket world dominated by the shorter form of the game.
My view remains that Test is the best form of cricket there is, the biggest test and the greatest honour for a player playing for their country. As i've said in the past much of the England squad were reported to have put the shorter form above the longer form of the game in terms of importance to them; money is probably brainwashing them along with the media.
The ECB have come out and said they want to support the England test team to even out the riches and fame the one day team is set to make. This is a great move, maintaining the importance of Test cricket is what i and many die hard fans believe to be best. The ECB want the Test match to be the main form of cricket for the England team with the Ashes coming up next year. Players may not be allowed to play in the IPL next year due to this, if they are then they will apparantly be closely monitored.
Test cricket has in the past been the big thing for cricketers. Playing a test match for ones country was a great honour and to some i suppose it still is. Cricket is changing, however, and the shorter form seems to be far more popular with media and monetary interests in it and the emerging young audience. I sincerely hope that Tests remain the focus of all international cricket boards and the majority of players; they aren't called Test matches for nothing, they are a great challenge and an awesome battle to watch.
Long live the Test match!
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