2022 review

[secretzimbo]

My son knows who has won every World cup. We don't remember who has won the T20 version. It's too cheap and frequent.

I'm sorry to be brutally honest, but 'they' don't give a fuck about you or your son's opinion.

[eugene]

2022 saw a few signs of progress after about 20 years of no progress whatsoever.

Has ZCF seen enough progress last year for the return of the ZCF XI though?

Ha! I was lacking motivation this time last year to do an annual XI and was thinking perhaps it had run its course since the response seemed to diminish the last few years. Also not sure I keep up with the forum enough to know the characteristics of some of the newer regulars.

[eugene]

Eventually the T20 leagues are going to become so long that they will hold the main contracts and national games will be pushed into smaller windows. Unfortunately money talks guys. One has to wonder whether a kid still wakes up and dreams of playing a test match or they dream of the T20 millions.

It will be interesting to see how the ODI world Cup does next year in terms of interest and total views.

If nothing changes, cricket will eventually be like rugby league, completely dominated by domestic leagues with the international game consisting of a few weeks of the season.

I find it hard to fathom that cricket fans are really interested in all these T20 Leagues which have as much sporting integrity as professional wrestling. But perhaps I'm wrong and just out of touch? The subcontinent fans seem to lap up this T20 stuff. My hope is that T20 will be killed off due to over-exposure and people will long for real cricket again.

[TapsC2]

Eventually the T20 leagues are going to become so long that they will hold the main contracts and national games will be pushed into smaller windows. Unfortunately money talks guys. One has to wonder whether a kid still wakes up and dreams of playing a test match or they dream of the T20 millions.

It will be interesting to see how the ODI world Cup does next year in terms of interest and total views.

I disagree. Ultimately, I think the IPL stars are stars because of the international game - with some exceptions like Umran Malik. 98% of the game's stars start at some level of international cricket (U-19, or Test/ODI/T20 level). In fact, the only domestic leagues big enough to make a trans-national superstar on their own are the IPL and the Hundred/Natwest T20. Even the BBL lacks the exposure to create an internationally recognizable superstar without the Australian national team performance.

Similarly, I think the vast majority of Indian cricket fans would value the national team over Mumbai, Chennai, Punjab's franchise teams.

Here is my concern. I was just reading Trenr Boult justifying his refusal of a national contract by saying he has 3 young kids. How many Kiwi stars turned down a central contract? This is why I am personally insisting that the senior players be allowed to play in these tournaments. These guys are humans with retirement on their mind. Those leagues will go a long way for them.

Second worrying trend. I was looking at the IPL auction with a bit of interest this time. I read that 47 of the international players who registered for the auction don't even have a single international cap. I looked for an example then I ran into Marco Jansen's brother, Duan Jansen. He got picked up by the Mumbai Indians for a small fee. Then I saw he got picked up in the SA T20 league for almost 200k. So here is somebody who has made about a quarter of a million dollars from T20 cricket but has never played for the Proteas.

Then I found Donovan Ferreira, same thing. Most of the West Indian Players who registered don't have a cap. Brevis has made over half a million already and he hasn't played for the Proteas.

All this shows the economic power these leagues have. This is why South Africa were willing to put their ODI world Cup at risk, so that the likes of Duane Jansen can pick up 200k and continue to be happy

Money talks and will keep on talking. You will even see how something silly like a T10 league in Zim will greatly benefit fringe players like Zhuwao. These guys need to put food on the table, they have families. It's a serious threat to international cricket when big stars opt for leagues over the national team and domestic players don't need international exposure to get picked up.

[Jemisi]

My son knows who has won every World cup. We don't remember who has won the T20 version. It's too cheap and frequent.

I'm sorry to be brutally honest, but 'they' don't give a fuck about you or your son's opinion.

Probably not, just our money and where we choose to direct it.

[Kriterion_BD]

Kriterion’s wildly optimistic and naive (and overly long-winded) assessment above is touching and sweet and nice but unfortunately rooted in fantasy rather than reality or any actual knowledge of the current cricket economy, sadly.

I'm not saying that with 100% certainty. I'm saying that its a likely outcome.

We are approaching 15 years after the founding of the IPL and there will be more international fixtures in the current FTP than ever before.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/icc- ... ty-1329616

Even as new franchise T20 leagues sprout up like mushrooms during the monsoon - the South African and UAE variety will debut in January - the ICC's new FTP contains an increased number of international matches during the 2023-27 cycle. From 694 matches in the current FTP (2019-23), the 12 Full Members will play 777 international matches - 173 Tests, 281 ODIs and 323 T20Is - in the next four-year period. And that's not counting ICC tournaments, of which there is one every year (for the first time since the 2011-2015 FTP). Expect the country-versus-franchise debate to get much louder.

But yes, a lot of this is because the Big 3 will play even more games amongst themselves. But, a key point here is a team like Bangladesh playing the most internationals, and New Zealand and West Indies playing more games than Australia or India. BD/NZ/WI are not rich like the Big 3, but they are still finding a way to play a lot of games.

I am fully aware that there are serious issues like Boult forfeiting a national contract or QDK or Stokes retiring early.

However, I believe the ODI world cup will still retain its primacy, but bilateral ODIs will definitely lose their ground.

[jaybro]

Kriterion’s wildly optimistic and naive (and overly long-winded) assessment above is touching and sweet and nice but unfortunately rooted in fantasy rather than reality or any actual knowledge of the current cricket economy, sadly.

I'm sorry to be brutally honest, but 'they' don't give a fuck about you or your son's opinion.

Wrong side of the bed this morning?

[secretzimbo]

Wrong side of the bed this morning?

Not really. I deeply want to agree with you both but the reality is different.

Commentators recently were seriously discussing that this could be South Africa’s last ever Test tour to Australia. For example.

Pakistan have been getting less than 200 people per day to the ground (in Karachi!) for recent Tests. Another example.

Zimbabwe’s tests with Ireland and Afghanistan this year are unlikely to go ahead etc.


Unless you are either;

1. A wealthy Indian business magnate

Or

2. A normal Indian dude who regularly inexplicably gambles their entire family income on cricket betting

Then your opinion holds decreasing weight. Sadly.

[secretzimbo]

The danger isn’t the IPL btw.

The danger are the new leagues on the periphery. BPL, ILT20 and SA20 all happening at the same time. Whilst we are attempting to host international cricket!

Things will be okay until 2027 but I think there will be significant change from then onwards, after that WC and FTP ends.

[jaybro]

I think you (SZ) need to read my post again, ultimately you have agreed with what I said. BCCI not these IPL owners are going to kill off the rest of the world via this proxy t20 franchise monopoly game they’re playing