Boycs on the ICC Power Grab
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mikesiva
- Posts: 19320
- Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:30 am
- Location: Watford, Hertfordshire
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This is why we're doomed....
"Already, Test cricket is under pressure around the word. India will say it isn't because they're making zillions of money. But you look at the crowds actually going for Test matches, they're pathetic compared to the blooming cricket of the '60s, '70s when grounds in India were full for Test matches, you couldn't get a seat. You look in South Africa, the crowds are down, West Indies and New Zealand hardly get anybody there, Pakistan couldn't get anybody there in their own country before they had to play in the UAE. People have stopped coming to Test matches. Crowds have been decreasing for many years now. The New Zealands, the West Indies, the Sri Lankas, the Pakistans, they're important to cricket. And their crowds have been going down and down for ages. Now England are all right, you'll say. We play to full houses and quite a lot of money, we get zillions of money. India are all right 'cause they get television money. TV money is holding the game together and the sponsorship and the perimeter advertising and so on is where the game is being held together in Test matches."
This is the future....
"It's already getting hard for some of these countries to play in front of half-empty stadiums. Most players, and I'd say administrators, want Test cricket to survive, but with spectators, get less and less. If this money starts to dry up, then they'll say what's the point in playing Tests, there's no point at all. They'll just play more T20 and ODI cricket, make money and that'll be a win-win-win. So there'll be more of that and eventually no Test matches one day. It'll be very, very sad but it will happen. And India, England and Australia, playing each other a lot, eventually the public will get tired of it. There will be no variety, and variety's been so important in the history of the game. That is what has held cricket together."
The Big Three rule by fear....
"You've got Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, who'll be totally dependent on India for television. They may vote to support India out of fear that India won't tour their countries, so denying them huge television revenue, and there will be other countries with no money as well, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, they may be frightened too that India won't tour their countries or they'll just pull out like they did with South Africa recently. If these countries are weak and side with India out of fear, then they're misguided and hastening their own death knell."
"Already, Test cricket is under pressure around the word. India will say it isn't because they're making zillions of money. But you look at the crowds actually going for Test matches, they're pathetic compared to the blooming cricket of the '60s, '70s when grounds in India were full for Test matches, you couldn't get a seat. You look in South Africa, the crowds are down, West Indies and New Zealand hardly get anybody there, Pakistan couldn't get anybody there in their own country before they had to play in the UAE. People have stopped coming to Test matches. Crowds have been decreasing for many years now. The New Zealands, the West Indies, the Sri Lankas, the Pakistans, they're important to cricket. And their crowds have been going down and down for ages. Now England are all right, you'll say. We play to full houses and quite a lot of money, we get zillions of money. India are all right 'cause they get television money. TV money is holding the game together and the sponsorship and the perimeter advertising and so on is where the game is being held together in Test matches."
This is the future....
"It's already getting hard for some of these countries to play in front of half-empty stadiums. Most players, and I'd say administrators, want Test cricket to survive, but with spectators, get less and less. If this money starts to dry up, then they'll say what's the point in playing Tests, there's no point at all. They'll just play more T20 and ODI cricket, make money and that'll be a win-win-win. So there'll be more of that and eventually no Test matches one day. It'll be very, very sad but it will happen. And India, England and Australia, playing each other a lot, eventually the public will get tired of it. There will be no variety, and variety's been so important in the history of the game. That is what has held cricket together."
The Big Three rule by fear....
"You've got Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, who'll be totally dependent on India for television. They may vote to support India out of fear that India won't tour their countries, so denying them huge television revenue, and there will be other countries with no money as well, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, they may be frightened too that India won't tour their countries or they'll just pull out like they did with South Africa recently. If these countries are weak and side with India out of fear, then they're misguided and hastening their own death knell."
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Gils
- Posts: 3469
- Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 3:39 pm
When Chris Gayle says this everyone is up in arms, Boycott says the exact same thing and it gets barely noticed.If this money starts to dry up, then they'll say what's the point in playing Tests, there's no point at all. They'll just play more T20 and ODI cricket, make money and that'll be a win-win-win. So there'll be more of that and eventually no Test matches one day. It'll be very, very sad but it will happen
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mapoui2
- Posts: 2106
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 3:19 pm
I believe the crowd problem in the west indies lies squarely in the disconnect created by the wicb in the way they have managed west indies cricket since 1995.
they have broken the connection between the team and the west indian massive..and the ensue that the team does not do well..this last tour being a most egregious example of their sabotage.
they have found ways to make money without the people and so can treat the game on the field as they please at the expense of the west indian people.
the people in turn have lost interest
they have broken the connection between the team and the west indian massive..and the ensue that the team does not do well..this last tour being a most egregious example of their sabotage.
they have found ways to make money without the people and so can treat the game on the field as they please at the expense of the west indian people.
the people in turn have lost interest
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mapoui2
- Posts: 2106
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 3:19 pm
I also believe that the RSA problem is much like that of the west indies...
South African cricket remains apartheid cricket, which refuses to make any connection with ordinary black south Africans. Ordinary Black Saffies therefore go to soccer in droves,while their cricket remains absurdly racist.
west indian management remains colonialist..and so does Saffie cricket..and both managements have brought the game low in their native lands
South African cricket remains apartheid cricket, which refuses to make any connection with ordinary black south Africans. Ordinary Black Saffies therefore go to soccer in droves,while their cricket remains absurdly racist.
west indian management remains colonialist..and so does Saffie cricket..and both managements have brought the game low in their native lands
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mapoui2
- Posts: 2106
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 3:19 pm
indeed and in fact all the boards remain colonialist... racist and heavily prejudiced in all sorts of old and pointless ways, that have harmed the game, brought it to the low levels of public support it now has to deal with
and the people who brought the game this low are not the ones to fix it. but they are still in charge and are taking decisions that appear to be going to make the game even worse off in the eyes of the public
greater player input may help. but that elitist/bureaucratic management will not allow. they have all been infected by neo liberal economics ,and their greed for profits along with their prejudices have just about killed the game
they cant recover, this current global cricket management. they will succeed in killing the game soon enuff given their point of view
and the people who brought the game this low are not the ones to fix it. but they are still in charge and are taking decisions that appear to be going to make the game even worse off in the eyes of the public
greater player input may help. but that elitist/bureaucratic management will not allow. they have all been infected by neo liberal economics ,and their greed for profits along with their prejudices have just about killed the game
they cant recover, this current global cricket management. they will succeed in killing the game soon enuff given their point of view