Test Championship may cause disharmony

Have you enjoyed dethrone ceremony of Australia’s legacy?

Have you enjoyed dethrone ceremony of India’s Number 1 position?

Have you enjoyed England being number 1 test side at the moment?

Are you eagerly waiting for certain team who will dethrone England in few months? Aka South Africa?

Are you eagerly waiting for Australia 2.0?

Are you eagerly waiting for India Fightback to top 2.0?

Are you waiting for a massive upset coming by Pakistan, West Indies and surprise surprise Zimbabwe, who may dislodge bails of Top Test Team?

Are you optimistic about Sri Lanka the Test team post-murali?

If the answers for above questions are yes.

Then, where does Test Championship fit in?

ICC is planning to replace ca$h cow tournament ICC champions trophy (ODI series) with ICC Test Championship.

Are they doing this because they want to ‘save’ test cricket? No.

ICC Test championship is nothing more than making more Ca$h. I can say, It is basically another ICC World Cup or another T20 Domestic Tournament (IPL, FT20, Big Bash, etc.)

There is no difference between them. Here, ICC (mainly) and respective boards, who take part will make money, whereas, in T20 Toruny, hosting board and player’s board make money.

There is no early intention reveled by ICC that what are they planning to achieve here. I bet they will be happy if only ICC Test Championship go on and no bilateral team touring series in future. If that happens, say goodbye to traditional bilateral test series.

I am not sure if I would like that, because on one hand I can’t wait for revenge test series against England when India host them, on other hand, I am still sulking about Zak’s terrible fitness, and amount of tests India will play on top of IPL and Zillion ODIs.

Schedule is quite hefty for Indian players. As much as I like player to be fresh for IPL or ODI world cup that much I want my players to be fresh for Test Tournaments. So, I am not sure what is the ICC and other boards’ plan is.

What I can assume from FTP, that ICC’s plan is to just add another Test championship on top of hefty schedule, just like how they added T20 World Cup. (thanks to India, who won the first WC, against epic contender Pakistan)

(It’s ridiculous that IPL has gotten this much of scrutiny and people have started to think IPL = T20 cricket, and ignored FT20, ICC T20 World Cup, T20 Tourny in Pakistan, T20 Tourny in SA etc etc.)

So, Why would Test Championship may cause disharmony? I mean first thing first, if tournament is won by number 4 ranked test team, it just totally disturbs the team that is at the top of ICC ranking. Now, many people argue that ICC Ranking doesn’t make sense. Well, I don’t want to go in detail, but it is applied on all teams.

Another thing may happen that it will start to devalue or belittle or cause buffering in Bilateral Test Series.

Just like how media and many fans massively value Ashes (Australia vs England), people will start to value Test Championship so much that they will stop carrying about bilateral test series. What do you think will happen to tournament between not so strong test sides?

Now, fan like me will watch any kind of cricket, whatever is on!  What about the fan wanted more of test tournament between particular nations? Now, tournament will go on, as per FTP, but what if players start preferring Test Championship more and don’t play or rest for normal bilateral tourny? What will we do then?

Let’s say they have no choice but to play then what about freshness of players for bilateral test tourny compare to Test Championship?

I expect disharmony is just waiting to happen. Either players will not be fresh or will break down for particular tournament due to load of tests. Also, bantering and preference of particular Test Tournament will always be there.

Imagine the scenario E.g. England who are at the top of ranking, losing to India, but media/fans will say, well, we are still at the top, no?

or another scenario, SA is at the top of ranking, but Australia beats them fair and square in one test ergo winning the semi-final but losing to India in the final, which team is the best test team then?!

It will be interesting to see how ICC, Media and Fans will give importance to test championship before or after the winner of the first test championship.

For me, test championship is nothing but to make more money but not to save test cricket, just like ICC T20 World Cup.

Mini-Final Mega-Final Final-Final

So, here we are … trying super hard to act like ‘we-don’t-care-about-upcoming-mother-of-all-matches’ and trying super hard to concentrate on our daily activities.

But, It’s not working right!

I know I know. This is what Cricket does to you.

I also know almost everyone (other than few Indians) want India to NOT win this World Cup. Many reasons. Quite understandable.

I know, our team has become punching bag after Australians, so I understand that.

So, look how many finals India has to win to be called champions.

1) Mini-Final vs Australia

Why Mini-Final! Because Tim Nielsen said so. Not, exactly. India had to beat biggest and most consistent WC thumping team on the Human Planet.

They defy Australians. Mighty Australians. Think about it for a sec.

Still Number 1 ODI side in ranking.

Was coming with 6-1 win to England.

With line-up of Lee, Johnson, and Tait (Average speed over 140 km each).

Ricky Ponting.

Shane Watson.

Hussey Brothers, Recent decent form of Micheal Clarke, weird aggressive stroke play of Haddin, Could blast at any time Cameron ‘Bear’ White.

And lastly, They just had a Hat-trick in WCs, ALSO, were defending champion.

These were enough reasons, they could have STILL win this world cup.

It looks easy to talk about it now, that ‘hey, they were beaten by Pakistan, and also were beaten by India in Warm Match’. But, remember India was batting 2nd. And 260 wasn’t bad target to push for win.

They tried their best, argued, sledged, fought, bled blood.

But, phew!! India won. It wasn’t easy.

2) Mega-Final vs Pakistan

Mega Final is next up. Mother of All matches. The Jugular of Asian Cricket. Gold Mine of Cricket. Sons and Daughters of Cricket.

The India vs Pakistan. In Semi-final.

First Time ever in ODI World Cup history.

Pakistan has the most complete bowling side. In form bowling side. They beat Srilanka and Australia in their Group stages. Almost beat NZ (Kamran Akmal). So, it’s fair to say, they are literally unbeaten side.

India has home pressure. Never lost WC match, but never won game in Mohali against Pakistan.

It will be another, the toughest match, India will ever play in their WC history. Even tougher than 1983 final.

And at the End, if India somehow manages to win that one then,

Phew

3) Final-Final vs Srilanka or New Zealand

And that might possibly be the toughest match mentally.

Because, it’s final. Final-Final. You win -> You will be called champions. The Champions of the World.

Doesn’t matter who comes in Final.

That team will bring it!

So, if India manage to win this world cup, they should be called winner of 3 Finals.

1) Mini-Final, which they have won against Australia

2) Mega-Final, which they have to win against Pakistan

3) Final-Final, against Srilanka or New Zealand.

Phew!

Now, how is that going to happen?

“We don’t Choke .. “We don’t do sledging .. “We don’t play short ball well ..

South Africa: We don’t choke

Australia: We don’t do sledging

India: We don’t play short balls well

Srilanka: We don’t mostly win test matches at home

England: We don’t care about Tourny other than Ashes

Pakistan: We don’t think Afridi is 32 years old

Bangladesh: We don’t think we are minnows

Ireland: We don’t wish to play for England

West Indies: We don’t think we can win like Past West Indian legends

Zimbabwe: We don’t care who govern our Country

Kenya: We don’t think Tikolo’s glasses are cool

Netherlands: We don’t think we are rich of cricketers

New Zealand: We don’t think it’s all about Dictator Daniel Vettory

Canada: We don’t think there is anything wrong with our squad selection

Who wants to win World Cup for whom?

India wants to win World Cup for Sachin Tendulkar

Srilanka wants to win World Cup for Murali

South Africa wants to win World Cup for Kallis

NewZealand wants to win World Cup for Vettori

Kenya wants to win Wold Cup for Tikolo

Australia wants to win World Cup for Ponting

WestIndies wants to win World Cup for Brian Lara

Ireland wants to win World Cup for Eoin Morgan

Netherlands wants to win World Cup for Ryan Ten Doeschate

England wants to win World Cup for Stuart Broad

Bangladesh wants to win World Cup for Saurav Ganguli

Zimbabwe wants to win World Cup for Andy Flower

Pakistan wants to win World Cup for Ijaz Butt

Canada wants to win World Cup for Celine Dion and Micheal Fox and Sidney Crosby

My 5 cents on 50,000 Pounds

1) Think logically, no-one pays you that much of money for 3 no-ball. It has to be the Trap.

2) Many Players don’t even make this much of money for whole Fucking Season, even if you are playing under very rich Board.

3) You have to be very patient to get respect, money, and chance when you make cricket as your career. i.e. look at number of cricketers who didn’t play much of cricket but they can still work as a commentator or TV presenter. So, you can’t jump to 50,000 pounds from just your even less than 10 seasons of playing cricket.

4) Don’t take anything granted once you are in Sport, Hero becomes Zero in couple of Seconds. If you are skill full, good for you, can you show us and prove it every time you are on field? So, try to be down to Earth. There is always someone better than you.

5) Out of All three  Butt, Asif and Aamer. I will miss Asif.

That’s my 5 cents.

I forgive Pakistan but not Pakistani Cricketer

I don’t care what Pakistani Cricketers do because I have been reading news and watching some videos of Flood Disaster. I thought I could share.

But despite all this after watching video below makes me think I wish I have already finished the Medical School and paid my loans. Day will come for me to prove myself. I hope that day comes soon.

http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/09/02/gupta.pakistan.hope.floats.cnn

Till that day come All I can do is this.