Are You Still A Fan?

Read the popular cricketing press and you'll find nothing but doomsday predictions pertaining to the future of Test and ODI cricket. Such predictions of death and gore put the greatest horror film directors of our time to shame. If cricket writing were to be given classifications, such commentary would be nothing short of R18+. Are cricket fans really deserting the game in droves? Are you part of the 'once were fans' brigade?

After watching one of the most enthralling global cricket competitions ever played, preceded by a gripping Ashes series and IPL², I have great trouble believing anyone who proclaims that the older forms of cricket are dead. Hell, even if you didn't appreciate the cricket during the Champions Trophy, surely you were taken by the white jackets presented to the winners?

In all this kerfuffle about the use-by dates of the older formats, why is it that that the likes and dislikes of the nouveau spectator is given precedence over that of the purist? Why must every form of the game conform to the thrill-a-minute expectations of fans with short concentration spans?

It has been said previously and will be repeated ad nauseum in future, any current problem with certain formats of the game have everything to do with the ineptitude of administrators, rather than a fundamental flaw in the format's laws or structure. I do not often insinuate that Sachin Tendulkar is anything but immortal, however he must have been on something pretty potent when he suggested this.

With the Champions League tournament all set to offer cricket fans a viable alternative to traditional national flag-waving contests, we do not need a new format of the game. We need administrators who have the courage to pull their fingers out and learn the art of effective scheduling. As they say, it's not rocket science.

Are you still watching?