test matches in india...
apart from seeing oz getting the taste of defeat match after match what else pleases me is the oz fans turn out at ground...even now when they are losing badly and have already lost the series...the last count was around 35000 spectators today!
this is just simply amazing...that too for a dead rubber match...
cut to india...and in not so recent past certain sachin tendulkar had to wave his bat to embarrassingly empty stands after crossing highest runs in test cricket...
when that was the last appearance of another bright son of india, ganguly, at that ground...who was playing magnificently...
...and when india was winning...
it sucks mann...it really sucks...
more so when they say cricket is like religion here...
though the reality is that its one day cricket which is religion in india....everything else just pales...be it the mother of series india-pak, the father of series india-oz...and even the prospect of india beating oz hands down is not enough for us to rush to stadiums...
did somebody say domestic cricket?
now what's that...you must be joking...nah dreaming...nah...whatever...
it's not that we don't follow test matches...we do...but at the same time we are somehow allergic to the thought of going to stadium for test matches...
before you jump on me sighting reasons like stadium apathy...bcci's complete negligence towards average cricket fan...etc etc...
you must have missed the test match at chennai between india and england...not only the match was great...but so was the atmosphere despite almost same (non)facilities prevailing over there...
no wonder cricket god upstairs blesses them with one great match after another...
that tie match...that india-pak match when tendulkar almost single handily won the match for us...who can forget the standing ovation pakistan received after winning that match...
...and now this biggest run chase on indian soil...to give you few examples...
we know correcting things like better facilities in and out of stadiums...more awareness towards common cricket fan's problems...ticketing issue etc will take some time to resolve...if bcci is willing that is...
so why not start with simpler solution?
some ground or places have cricket cultures...some have not...as simple as that...
like chennai...like mumbai...like kolkotta...or to some lesser extent bangalore or delhi...
why not make them permanent fixtures for every test series...?
if its a three match series than let it always be at chennai...mumbai....kolkotta...
and if its more than three match series then they can arrange rest match(es) on rotation policy to other places to see if there is an improvement in turn out in those stadiums?
or let them have rotation policy for stadiums only for odi series...to appease local cricket associations and their so called voting powers...
what do you think...? tell me...
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22 comments:
eggzactly........have 5 or 6 test venues fixed and have a tradition :)
yes sam...lets have some tradition first...may be after seeing them flooding stadium...other too will join in...
SP, it was following rebellion and subsequent federalisation of BCCI that cricket went out into the mofussil grounds. So much so that now it is quite the reverse - the better grounds and conditions (for spectators and players alike) are these out-of-metros cricket stadia.
Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Nagpur...these are fantastic stadia in comparison.
They are the pride of small cities and large towns and hence looked after.
In smaller places, there is still some importance given to things like sports, a leisurely day, a family outing to the cricketing stadium...where many still know each other in these towns....where security is only now becoming prominent enough to encroach upon your day's outing.
Many things in India are sustained because some things still matter in smaller cities and bigger towns.
Many such things aren't that important in metros unless it comes packaged with fizz.
In fact, what I suggest is that test matches shift to mofussil grounds...where they will be accorded more attention and respect.
Such towns are keen to create their own cricketing culture and develop it. Best to give them all the star value. hey still take pride in sports and sportsmen...and anyway are producing most of them.
In fact, quick money can be gained from metros through ODIs and T20 where attention spans and patience are shorter and the game is only incidental to the spectator's evening/night out.
Rather radical but please consider it for a moment or two first...
good suggestion SB!...thanks for carrying the debate fwd...
we have seen test matched being hosted at nagpur and other such places but i still feel test cricket is yet to catch up there...
though i am not against giving them regular does of test stars to see how they respond...
Blore, Chennai, Kotla, Mohali, Ahmedabad and Kolkata -- the Test venues
Rotate ODIs and T20s amongst others....
IPL would help sub standard venues a great deal like Mumbai (dont think Brabourne or Wankhede are gud enuf to host a Test) or Cuttack !!
These are generalizations about small towns versus the metros. In Mohali during the Australia test, BCCI was only selling 5 day passes, and only at banks. No ticket sales at the ground. Nagpur, during Dada's farewell, the new stadium was way outside the city with no public transport and the same 5 day passes to be purchased at a bank counter. No phone sales, no internet sales, no day passes. In Nagpur there was a huge crowd to watch the practice at the old VCA ground in the city, but people did not travel out of the city for the match. The only real change in India has been the lack of free time with people due to economic growth and faster pace of life. New stadiums in smaller towns are out of the way and infrastructure will take time to catch up, even though the stadia have good facilities. Also, having addressed the facilities modernization, BCCI now needs to focus on amenities and the overall spectator experience. Things like cheap plentiful parking, good approach roads, comfortable seating, shade, access to water, food, beer, clean toilets etc definitely will go a long way. BCCI is light years behind in these aspects of managing the customer experience at the grounds. In fact BCCI is a horrible custodian of the game by world standards - they do not even have a museum of Indian Cricket yet, let alone a sense of what Cricket means to the people. Its simply the Board for Commercialization of Cricket in India.
anon...
when i wrote this pc i never thought it can turn out to be metro vs small town debate...
if you again read my post you will see that i have given fixed test stadium based on cricketing culture only...
my suggestion of organizing some test matches on rotation to other grounds to see if there is any improvement in turn out is also based on flexibility in approach...
but small or big town...i wanna see crowd and thats the only point i wanted to raise...
cheers!
for the longest time, whenever i used to fret about the future of test cricket i would marvel at how indians would pack the stadium for any test match not so long ago (the pak tour of 99 being my reference point.)
since then, even in india the situation has gone to hell. the small town v metro debate holds some merit - in pakistan karachi and lahore get all the tests but no one ever comes in. yet in venues like faisalabad and peshawar you get good crowds for any form of cricket. but then the anomaly comes in with a venue like multan where the new ground is wholly out of the way and there isn't even a proper road leading to it.
but then again, no one will play test cricket in pakistan ever again, so my comment is just a pathetic waste of space.
welcome KK...
yes the conditions are similar in both countries...new stadiums are coming up but are far from city and lack of proper infrastructure is also not helping the cause...
but my point is same goes for odi matches...isn't it...then why stadium goes packed with mass?
so according to me ans lies in cricketing tradition, culture to see best engaging in dual over five days...when we have that even for tests crowd will come in...till then why not organize them where there's some culture at place already?
irrespective of the stadium is at metro or non-metro that is...
SP,
Wrong argument.
People go to an ODI because they are assured of a result AND they have to make a commitment of only one day in an Indian stadium.
People avoid going to a Test match BECAUSE they have to COMPULSORILY make a commitment for 5 days AND are not assured of a result.
Factor in ticket costs, proximity of the stadium to the city, facilities inside and out of the stadium ( sanitation, water, concession stands, food and beverage) and it is easy to see why people would much rather watch the game from the comfort of their living rooms than sweat it out at the grounds.
Cheers,
they should just start serving beer at the stadiums.
It'll solve all problems.
Obi2,
They serve beer at Mohali.. Havent seen much crowd there though :)
Cheers,
sure homer ppl go to odi's assured of wins...and test match can never guarantee that...
but this applies to every test played at every venue...then why some grounds attract more crowd for test matches and even a lure of sachin scoring 12000 runs, indian win and beer at mohali too cant attract crowd...?
a warm welcome Obi2...hope you will keep dropping by...
yes beer and good dose of cheerleaders would do for me atleast :)
SP,
The grounds you mentioned - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta, Chennai - all of them are in the city and well connected by rail and road.
Also, because they are in the city, food and drink is a non issue ( even with no concession stands in the stadium).
Mohali and Nagpur dont offer that. Plus there is the monetary aspect - if tickets can be purchased at the gate and on a daily basis, people can make the time..
But if you are asking me to commit 5 days, in advance, and I have to pay upfront for all five days in full, I am going to think twice.
Add up the non facilities and the time to the equation and you can understand why people dont go to the Tests.
Cheers,
yes homer...thats more than makes the case for selecting venues where ppl go despite all these hassles...isn't it? :)
Excellent stuff SP... however the attendance was quite poor at the start of the Aus-SA series and also against NZ.
However they are churning out better crowds. We have a problem.
thanks scorpy :)
we too are better churning out numbers (v r more than 1 billion) ;-))
The SCG crowd are very appreciative and welcoming of good cricket, regardless of the state, especially when they clap Laxman, SRT, and so forth.
A great place.
yes a great place and its amazing how matches turn up there...YM
scg has developed a knack of producing one cliffhanger after another...
I reckon have a rotation policy. Also with regards to Indians not coming out to see a dead rubber match, there are some (how embarrasing) Australians that like to see the Aussie team get beaten. I know these people should be thrown out of the country but thats what we are i suppose, a mildly tolerant society that accepts people. grrrrrr
OD...think about it had they missed the scg dead rubber...they would not have got that live thrill of smith walking to pitch and then glory...!!
so there's something good in that also...i guess :)
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