Muzarabani selected to psl

[TapsC2]

Got a feeling they will reintroduce that test fund again. Especially for the 3 teams not playing in the league. That test tri-series that was once suggested here for me would bring some context and would take maybe 6 weeks to finish with each team playing 4 tests. I love the idea. ICC sponsors it and we have a solution. Then maybe sneak in a couple of tests against the West Indies and Sri Lanka here and there. Ideally I think a full member should play 5 tests a year minimum but they don't have 5 million to spare. A solution needs to be found

[secretzimbo]

So effectively SZ you are saying that fans should give up on Zimbabwe cricket and that it is a lost cause.

No. It's been largely a lost cause for the past two decades, with little sign of improvement. But I haven't given up - still a fan and as passionate as ever. We live in hope. I admire all you non-Zimbabwean's for still retaining interest though after everything. That's impressive.


Going forward, we are desperately relying on something new replacing the Super League, or a new structure for the Test Championship, or a significantly better FTP for us going forward, or a special 'Test fund' to fund extra cricket amongst the bottom few nations, or radical reform to the cost of hosting matches. Without any of those things, all these fantasyland demands from people who think it's easy, affordable and realistic for ZC just to organise loads of random test matches is ridiculous. It's pie in the sky stuff.


It would be relatively/slightly 'easier' if we hadn't have had twenty years of gross incompetence, negative headlines, constant disasters, suspensions, criminality, infighting, racism, a completely failed economy, and just generally being a laughing stock etc etc. The point is almost nobody - at home or abroad - holds any interest whatsoever in us these days - that's why commercially it is impossible for us to just magically play lots of test cricket.

[secretzimbo]

I could probably list 100 things ZC have fucked up and things they do that I absolutely hate.

ZC could obviously do a lot better and do more and if they didn’t waste half their income then they could probably organise more….

But it’s still extremely hard when the ICC is completely unfit for purpose and unfortunately the leading nations are mostly entirely self-centred and interested only in short term gain.

Even though Ireland have a better economy, a better broadcast market, significantly more corporate sponsorship and government funding…….they still can’t play test cricket at all - partially because it’s too expensive and partially because no one is really interested in playing against them more than maybe a one-off cursory test once a year. Come on, this is a rotten situation. Perpetuated largely by the ICC and/or its members.

Cricket must surely be the worst administered sport in the world.

[secretzimbo]

Apologies we are way off topic again.

Willey is back in the Multan team today, Blessing didn’t play .

[ZIMDOGGY]

I could probably list 100 things ZC have fucked up and things they do that I absolutely hate.

ZC could obviously do a lot better and do more and if they didn’t waste half their income then they could probably organise more….

But it’s still extremely hard when the ICC is completely unfit for purpose and unfortunately the leading nations are mostly entirely self-centred and interested only in short term gain.

Even though Ireland have a better economy, a better broadcast market, significantly more corporate sponsorship and government funding…….they still can’t play test cricket at all - partially because it’s too expensive and partially because no one is really interested in playing against them more than maybe a one-off cursory test once a year. Come on, this is a rotten situation. Perpetuated largely by the ICC and/or its members.

Cricket must surely be the worst administered sport in the world.

The ICC probably have the mentality ‘you might only play one test a year, but we still gave you test status and that’s still one more test a year then you guys used to get so shut your trap nigga’.

Word for word that’s how the ICC would reply in an email of Ireland complained.

[Kriterion_BD]

Cricket must surely be the worst administered sport in the world.

Not to get overly economic, but the ICC is merely following the for-profit capitalist model. In fact it's still not 100% there because the top 3 members are still throwing some bones to all the other boards below them. They could just as easily nix the WC qualifiers and say "we lost tens of millions when the top 8 or 10 sides have already qualified, so we're stopping the charity events".

A lot of the voices complaining that smaller boards don't get enough opportunities or a level playing field are perfectly happy accepting that in real life. Well the ICC exists in the same world and experiences the same drivers and catalysts as both individuals and other corporations.

[secretzimbo]

A smart capitalist is always thinking about tomorrow.


The ICC/big full members are only thinking about today. And often yesterday.

[Kriterion_BD]

A smart capitalist is always thinking about tomorrow.


The ICC/big full members are only thinking about today. And often yesterday.

If that's the case there are no smart capitalists. 100 years from we might realize that having a billion still sucks when we can only roll around in a 8x8 cubicle aboard our SPACEX
Orbital pods.

The Big 3 Boards are thinking about tomorrow which is why they are expanding all things T20, both the IPL and the now 20 team world cup (16 is already borderline too many).

There is no tomorrow in which expanding Cricket to Phillipines or Vietnam somehow makes the game better. Soccer hasn't even expanded beyond the top 50 countries and it's as universal as water. No one wants to watch 90 minutes of Bhutan playing Lesotho.

If not for the WTC, Cricket would have been worse off for it IMO.

[Kriterion_BD]

But it's pretty clear that for the 3 smaller Test nations a Test fund (ie socialism) is the most viable solution. I propose it has some tweaks to it.

Emerging 3 teams (ZIM, IRE, AFG) can use the Test fund for any red ball expense, not just to play Test matches. For example the Irish can use it to fund their domestic FC tourney. The ZC can use it pay first class or Test class contracts. The E3 can use the funds to offset losses incurred if and when the WTC9 teams host them. The caveat here should that the E3 will have allow the Fund to audit their finances so that ZC don't embezzle the funds.

The fund itself could be funded from ICC event revenues. Surely there is enough money there.

E3 can also agree to curtail expenses if they want to use the funds. For example, no need for DRS, or top quality broadcast with drones. 7-8 camera angles is sufficient. Also have a fixed number of matches the fund will pay for eg 4 Tests per annum per team (that's only 12 Tests) with any additional Test being funded by the E3 teams themselves. So if Ireland doesn't have the money they will just play the 4 Tests.

[Jemisi]

Cutting some of the requirements is crucial to playing more games amongst the little countries. Less tech, cheaper umpires. Getting the million dollar cost down has to be an option.