U Wait 5days to see Test Match. Most of Time Its no Result at that time U Feel that What waste of Time&energy.Most of Sportgame have result. IPL&ICL Giving More chances to Youngstar to show up what they have.

Laxi Patel, Chicago, Il, USA

Christopher. I applaud your take on the impact of Twenty20 on Cricket itself, International Test Cricket, and no, I don’t think you are over-reacting. However, I do not applaud your opinion that Australia should be penalized for balking at traveling to Pakistan at this time. Sadly, the threat now dictates that all planned trips undergo a benefit/risk analysis.

Garry, Colorado Springs, Colorado/US

And what's more, I don't like this view that India has destroyed Test cricket, and only people from England, Australia, etc. like it. Look at the attendance for a test match at Lord's or the Oval and compare it with a test match at Kolkata or Mumbai. The India v Pakistan Test there recently was a full house, great atmosphere, as was the one at Delhi. Indians love cricket, doesn't matter in what form it comes to them. In fact, it is the younger generation of countries like England and Australia who're getting bored with Test cricket.

Aditya, New York, USA

"A vast swath of spectators and followers, not all of them old, know that, too. " No they don't Christopher. Not only they do not know this in India but also in Austrlia, England, Pakistan... in fact in all countries where cricket is played.

I dont like it at all but I think this is the beginning of end of test cricket. And ICC / BCCI can do nothing about this. In case you have not noticed, even in IPL BCCI is not that much in control. Individual team owners are. There are TWO changes happening with IPL - Prominence of 20/20 AND private ownership of teams.

Yogesh, Mumbai, India

I'm tired of people begging and pleading that we collectively save test cricket. If test cricket can't stand on its own two feet, does it deserve to be saved? Cricket was a sport in deep decline just a few years ago. It took the introduction of the shorter form of the game to save it, not to mention the sudden prosperity in the sub-continent to fuel it. Why are the purists trying to shoot themesleves in the foot by condemning T20 and the IPL? Who has 5 days to spend on a cricket ground? I guess, the purists.

rdiddy, NY, NY,

Why would anyone want to set up Leeds Leopards or London Lions? Why would they make a profit, when despite having had hundreds of years to build up a fan base Surrey, Middlesex and Yorkshire depend on ECB subsidy? Just because franchises (may) work in India, it doesn't follow that they will here. Cricket isn't the main sport here.

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

In reply to Suraj's questions:
Why is it such a problem for cricket to have club-level games when they are present in other sports like football and rugby
:Because the existing structure of cricket is based on the international game, and test cricket is the highest form of the game. There is no example that is commercially dominated by one country yet has a thriving international game. The tensions that could destroy international cricket don't exist in other sports.

And how exactly is a 44-day event such a major threat to Test and ODI cricket that can take place in the other 321 days of the year?
:If it is profitable, it won't be restricted to 44 days for more than a few years.

What is so wrong in trying to inject new life into a dying game
:Test cricket isn't dying. It has always been a minor sport in commercial terms, but crowds in England are the best they have been for decades. It is just being overwhelming by more vulgar forms of the game, that are of no value to the purist.

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

With 70% of the ICC revenue coming from BCCI and a billion people crazy for the game, do you really think BCCI or for that matter India cares whether IPL is popular outside the country or not? If a player wants to make money while still playing they will pitch in.

In any case, IPL is similar to English premier league, so I do not understand why the cricketing world is over analysing and waiting for it to fail. Just draw comparison and you will know whether this will succeed or not. And while comparing remember that English premier league is not popular in India at all yet everyone is making money and the league is continuing with its business as successfully as it always had.

Prasoon, UK,

i dont understand why CMJ keeps on going on about 4 day test cricket. what's the difference 4 or 5 day? dont sell tickets for the fifth day. let either captain insist on a fifth day's play if they think they can get a result. that is just about every base covered. i dont see why you would want to deny the possibility of an excitng 5 day test, even while i agree that most tests are decided in 4 days.

oj, frant, uk

The paranoia of the author is astonishing.
Why is it such a problem for cricket to have club-level games when they are present in other sports like football and rugby?
And how exactly is a 44-day event such a major threat to Test and ODI cricket that can take place in the other 321 days of the year?
What is so wrong in trying to inject new life into a dying game by introducing a version of the game that can attract a whole new audience and some much needed cash?
Is it such a tragedy that Dhoni was priced higher than Ponting? The future of the game is India's hands because the Indian public pays for it - get over it!
You ought to try and popularise cricket among youngsters in Britain rather than mourn it's popularity in India. Trying getting cricket back from Sky to Five for a start.

Suraj, Cardiff,

When talk about india's poor you should think about 20 mn

UK fake benefits cliambants.

It is always going to be better than whitewash ashes series.

If you like test cricket you can always play/watch it.Nobody is holding your hand.

It is IPL not ICC PL we are going watch /play what we like not what you like,

Amar, NewYork, USA

If someone really care about England v Australia, then its news to me.

Mohali against Mumbai will be interesting..

Vinu, Hitchin, UK

I'm glad the ECB has put a ban on English players going over. It means KP et al won't be able to complain about playing even more cricket!

Carl J, Nottingham , UK

united states is the chalenge of the milleneum to have cricket established in at least an appreciable part of its culture. unlikely to replace baseball and grid football, it still, with plenty of blood sweat and tears, hasevery chance of taking a foothold here further than the static 15,000 immigrant population that play here.

20/20 will have the greatest appeal to see america on a significant international scene in good time. but, like soccer, grass roots, grass roots, schools, colleges and educational institutions is where the seeds will have to be sown.

much to be done - note that lacrosse in the last 25yearshas has flourished with americans and is now well on the international scene.

give cricket to the american as hisown and success will be there. traditional forms will, after a while, will be their interest.

edwardwlpole-brown 111, toms river, new jersey, u.s.a.

Twenty20 is still cricket, after all, and the game has always had to keep up with social trends to remain vibrant............


if it was not for the indians, some one else would have tried it. aussies and english feel sorry that they were not the one, who made money out of it.

mr jenkins is a sore loooser,

david bignell, j'burg, RSA

Lot of venom, out there huh! I think Jenkins has a very valid point. I really felt sad the day the 'Game' was auctioned. Its not about the money that is flowing in-its obscene, no doubt-but the players are entitled to whatever they may be worth, its also not about Ishant raking ten times Ponting-thats the market force, and surprisingly now India also has a free one; what is really hurting is the immediate Aussie reaction that is a sign of things to follow-i can bet my last rupee that security's got nothing to do with their ridiculous take on Pak tour. What is really sad is that Indian administrators have proven records of sacrifcing the game for their personal gains-monetary, egotistical, political. What is worrisome is the possible effects on the youngsters' evaluation of priorities AND what is KILLING is the likely deterioration in the quality of Cricket.
For all the T-20 supporters and for all the talk of nurturing talent, only 1 question-What has Stanford done for West Indies?

Pradyuman, Delhi, India

I think the comments on here demonstrate the difference between the attitude to cricket of the English/Australians and the Subcontinent. There is very little interest in the glitz and money surrounding the new leagues. We, in England, are far more interested in Test cricket. It is possible that that form of the game may lose some of its lustre in India or Pakistan, but it will always be the highest form of the game, and considered so in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.

What I do find somewhat disturbing is the rampant prejudice, verging on hatred, that from these comments seems rampant amongst those of Asian extraction for those of European extraction. It's a sad occurrence when the nasty side of sport that is so common place in football shows itself in cricket.

SFC, Leicester,

Oh yeah, if this was happening in England, nobody would care...

Alex, London, England

The fact is that, apart from the wonderful blip that was the Ashes 2005, test and county cricket has been in steady decline around the world for the last decade.

Then something came along which got everyone keen on cricket again - Twenty20. Grounds filled up, and people actually had an entertaining evening at a cricket match, while helping the counties finance themselves.

While I love test cricket I am not a purist, and I think Twenty20 is great for the game. Better to have a vibrant flourishing sport than one which is slowly dying, surely. While the longer game may be superior sport it is much more fun to be in a packed stadium than a completely empty ground.

I also think it's great that individuals like Standford or the IPL are prepared to put their money where their mouth is and get something new started. God help us if it was left up to the Labour Government, BBC or ECB.

Toby, Winchester, UK

< A more commercially acute ECB would have applied for a patent >

Sorry to state the obvious but playing a 20 over cricket game was not a concept the ECB invented nor is it patentable. 20 over cricket has long been played on beaches, in schools and competitions around the world.
This is the usual piece of anglocentric resistance to change where every new development is cause for alarm.

Dinesh S, London, UK

Clearly shows this CM-J has not been to India in the last couple of years. Let the show at least put on the first act before you start to tear it apart.
"why else would anyone bid nearly four times more for Dhoni than for Ponting?"
Here are 3 good reasons:
1. For the very same reason ManU paid 25m for Hargreaves or Spurs 16m for Bent. I could name dozens of players who are better at quarter that price.
2. Dhoni has 10 years of cricket left in him compared to Ponting, Gilchrist and represents the future. Arguably the best wicket keeper batsman in cricket today since Gilly.
3. They expect Indians to fill up the thousands of seats for the games rather than see a few Aussies turning up to see Ponting.
The east is where the game will evolve in the future. This is where the next gen of fans will come from. Imagine if China starts playing cricket. If you cannot bear the shift, you can take your bat , wickets, the few fans you represent and go home. The game won't be any poorer.

Ed, London, UK

The most interesting thing about twenty twenty is that english county players actually play it with enthusisasm and seem to enjoy it. This is totally different to their attitude to normal limited overs cricket where they seem to treat it as a chore. This is reflected in the way that the national team plays 50 over cricket. They don't seem to play 50 overs with the same intensity and sense of invention that they put into T20.

bill edmunds, Basingstoke, england

Why does the rest of the world have to fit in round our championship and one day series ?
I'm sorry but I think you'll find the train has left and were not on it . It may have mattered when England was a powerful sporting nation or indeed a powerful nation , we could wield a bit of leverage here and there but not anymore . These new and vibrant economies are starting to dictate to us and rightly so , if we can't be bothered to take the lead in a certain sport then don't be surprised when somebody else does.
None of the southern hemisphere nation's give a stuff about the English game anymore . English cricket will become the equivalent of Argentine rugby , played well but to far away to have any real influence.

Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England

If domestic first class cricket was a sellable product there would be no need for the innovations.

Globally cricket administrators, are seeing the difference to revenues and indeed importance to the games existence 20/20 can offer. Compare the crowds for the English 20/20, Stanford 20/20 and hysteria surrounding the IPL bidding compared to the turnouts for English 1st class cricket and watching on TV recently, the Duleep Trophy. It provides entertainment and a fun evening out who would not normally watch the game at all!

Test cricket is still the high water mark but it must be recognised that 20/20 will soon be the revenue stream by which the game survives and therefore should be an integral part of the cricketing calendar.

With so many more things people can do these days cricket must not alienate an entire audience

Steve, Milton Keynes,

Malcom Speed, the puppet CEO of ICC has already started to buckle under the pressure from BCCI. He's stated that post 2012, a window may have to be found for the IPL to protect the international game. In its current time slot, this would decimate the start of the county championship and with our own Twenty-20 comp taking up almost all of June, you're looking at between 3-4 months to fit in the championship, FPT and Natwest League. Impossible.

Peter Hills-Jones, London,

Nobody outside India will give a damn about this nonsense. The rest of cricket will carry on just as it did during and after Packer. The rebels will come back with their tails between their legs - just as they did back then.

Roger Tilbury, Worthing,

'Like 1977, when World Series Cricket disrupted the Test game, 2008 will be seen by future sages as one of the most significant in the 300-year history of organised cricket. '

And just like it did in 1977, test cricket will survive. Stop being such a chicken lickin'. The sky is not falling in.

Bill, Sheffield,

As an expat living in Mumbai who's had the misfortune to see games at the Wankhede and Brabourne stadiums, I wholheartedly agree that proper investment is required to Indian cricket - but you can bet it won't be - The IPL is a chance for seriously rich Indians to get even richer and to swell their ego's just that little bit more - end of story. Nearly $2 billion have been raised by the IPL already - just think what that money could help do in a country where nearly 900 million people live in absolute poverty and lack access to clean water and proper education. Will a penny of it find it's way to them - not a chance. The BCCI is run by arogant individuals who think that they are the games true champions - they're not - it's the kids who play on the streets of the towns and cities of India who are and with ticket prices staring at 450 Rs for a game, will any of them have a chance to participate in this circus. No - of course not.

Frank Roberts, Mumbai, India

Ha - there is so much thinly-veiled envy in this article that it is is funny.

Some good points made, but not substantially followed through. With private individuals owning the IPL franchises, what do you think the outcome is going to be? They are going to work on the entire ecosystem - improving the stadiums, the training facilities, the viewer services to attract crowds, and also building up recruiting, grooming and training of young talent to ensure a good future supply for themselves.

Look at the positives, and come up with a fair view-point.

Samm, Mumbai,

acute negativism for no rhyme or reason.

If cricket doesnt reinvent, and adapt to the changing life styles, it will perish..
The innocence of cricket is lost.. gone are the days of gower, kapil and border..modern cricket is all about fast and furious..
for the puritan ..its heartburn..but for the restless young generation, its instant gratification...

the main cricket watching crowd is the WWF generation..!

Accept IPL with a pinch of salt..for its here to stay..

why is no english man complaining abt beckham getting paid 250mil..for playing in US..,,and soccer is considered a womens game in US..;-)


Its evolution..am glad its happening in my time.;-)

Its the english cricket that will lose ..if they dont join the bazaar..;-)..irony is...its slavery revisited..the difference being..the slaves are driving the Ferrari's.;)..

raghu, chicago, usa

I think IPL is nothing new. For years, players from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and many other countries have been playing in English county cricket. The main reason that they used to play in county cricket was that they got paid much better than in domestic cricket. Then what is wrong in cricketers playing in IPL for money? Why is land of Adam Smith preaching socialism?

Shyamal Pain, Webb City, MO, USA

We all need to feel sorry for likes of christopher martin jenkins who can steep so low that he suggests patenting. Hope he is suggesting that they would be paying the patent fee to Greece for the olympics they plan to host soon.

Raj, Hastings,

i think a large part of the heartburn in UK or Aussie press about IPL is that Indians will now control the game, that can't be allowed to happen now, can it? All sports should be controlled by the Europeans, who after all have been divinely mandated as guardian of sports of the world. Maybe the English should stop paying so much attention to EPL and some to their sorry cricket team to improve matters.

Ranjan Tekle, singapore, singapore