Fact: Test is Best

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!

Watch out Cricket, Money is coming!

The Stanford 20/20 for 20 series is coming as the end of the year and the end of the cricket season in England approaches. This series, and the eventual match against the Stanford XI, could make each player of the England XI about half a million pounds better off, just from playing one game. This trend of money in to the game follows on from the Indian Premier League earlier in the year and the proposed idea of the Champions League.

My argument is that perhaps this isn't a great thing; a sudden influx of money in to football did it no good. Players are set to suddenly go from average wages to having thousands in the bank over night - from rags to riches (or not so extreme but you get the point). Players will have money from playing a few games; i mean look at Dhoni, he nearly got a million (in terms of English pounds) for 30 odd days work. I believe this will affect attitudes and could harm the previously bright looking future of cricket in both One Day and Four/Five day forms.

Football is a game filled with lazy players with more money than sense who now dive for fun and swear at the referee. Maybe the influx of money in to cricket will change it so severely that similar things will happen. Many players have said they would sacrifice Test cricket and playing for their country in order to make money playing in the IPL or similar tournaments. Personally i couldn't think of anything better than running out to play a test for England at Lord's, or anywhere for that matter! Today cricket is changing, Money is taking over and Twenty20 power is growing. I'm only 18 and still of the belief that Test is Best; there is hope for the younger generations i assure you, it's just a shame some want money in the bank and not international caps