The Windies are back..so good.

[Rubyjo]

Go woke go broke ..you lose the killer instinct becauce you are worried about race, gender , sexuality , illegal immigration .colonialism , critical race theory...or whatever ..well done windies and wake the f*** up saints , find that killer instinct .

[B.M]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

[NickyDal]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

If it wasn't for the Big Bash cricket would be bankrupt

[saynta]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

If it wasn't for the Big Bash cricket would be bankrupt

Says who? You?

[B.M]

The BBL is losing money hand over fist

The test cricket (against lesser nations) has been a roaring success

Well attended - memorable performances - good games!

While the BBL was letting people in for free to build crowd numbers. The product has been on the nose for four years


I’ll tell you what funds cricket
India, Australia and England

[NickyDal]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

If it wasn't for the Big Bash cricket would be bankrupt

Says who? You?

You have no idea, NONE!

[amusingname]

Go woke go broke ..you lose the killer instinct becauce you are worried about race, gender , sexuality , illegal immigration .colonialism , critical race theory...or whatever ..well done windies and wake the f*** up saints , find that killer instinct .

"Go woke go broke"... I guess Cummins and the Aussies were eventually going to lose one so the Sky news set can claim this trope again!

Could celebrate an incredible individual performance by Joseph to get his team the win, but nah, its of course because of Pat Cummins answering questions and the answers not pleasing some people who have are terrified of any change from the 1970's.

[saynta]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

If it wasn't for the Big Bash cricket would be bankrupt

Says who? You?

You have no idea, NONE!

More than you champ, more than you..

[The_Dud]

Go woke go broke ..you lose the killer instinct becauce you are worried about race, gender , sexuality , illegal immigration .colonialism , critical race theory...or whatever ..well done windies and wake the f*** up saints , find that killer instinct .

Sky News should have known that those who struggle to comprehend 3 word slogans would be completely lost with 4!

Australia are currently dominating both mens and womens cricket to the point that its embarrassing for the rest of the world.

Just focus on trying not soil yourself or shove too many crayons up your nose today Rubyjo!

[Sainternist]

So, Cummins says, “change the date!” for Invasion Day and all the right-wingers suddenly rally against the Australian cricket team. Pathetic!

[mr six o'clock]

What happened?
Not much
Cricket like most sports is a simple game .
If the wicket has a bit of life in it , then if you bowl at the stumps then you get results.
Aussies spent much of the summer trying to knock the heads off the opposition.
We were lucky that Pakistan can't catch or else we'd never have won 3 nil

[Killa]

The success this side has (basically) enjoyed has masked problems.

There are too many players moving from State to State, being offered Contracts to do so and not allowing a pathway for youth from District Cricket to State cricket and to Test cricket, so debuting at 20 or younger aka Doug Walters or Ian Craig or Ian Chappell et al

That was once the strength of Australian cricket.

There may be a case where a young player has talent and his pathway is blocked but just too many moving because they are being offered Contracts are bog ordinary and not future Test material.

Cricket Australia will pay a price for this as it will for its focus on 20/20 cricket matches, which is called "Big Bash" for a reason.

When others join Warner, or are found out as Head has been to in-swinging yorkers (the photo of him leg side of the ball, head not in line and only the bat between ball and stumps will be in every opposition Change Rooms), where does "winning" go not only in India where we go every 6 months but in Australia?

Because winners are grinners - and the rest can please themselves.

Cricket Australia has to gather support to curtail the influence of the BCCI and their agenda.

They are ruining the game internationally.

And once Australia start losing consistently, India will lose interest.

[Nick DalSanto Claus]

The main thing that has held W. I cricket back is a lack of funds, driven mainly by the unequal distribution of funds from TV rights.

India, Australia, and England take the lion's share of the pool, while the minor nations get what's left over. Compounding the problem is that as a collection of nations, the Windies don't have a single national broadcaster who could provide a better deal, overall, and offer some competition to the Foxtels and Kayos of the industry.

Their other threat, of course, is T20 and the riches it offers. It will be interesting to see how many of the current side will make it in Test cricket, and how many will become "guns for hire" in the myriad T20 leagues. Throw in the mega riches offered by the nearby USA, in basketball, soccer, and athletics, and it becomes obvious why cricket in the Caribbean has been under threat. Only long-term success in the international arena and lots of TV dollars feeding the grassroots will save it.

As for the loss yesterday and the extraordinary effort of Shamar Joseph, it was, dare I say it, "good for cricket". The aussies may have suffered from some overconfidence if not hubris, but a loss in these circumstances might not be the worst thing. A definite wake-up call.

A chat with some of the veterans of the regular drubbings we copped from the Windies in the 80s and 90s might give us some motivation for the future and give us a reminder you can't take any opponent lightly when you're playing elite level sport.

[NickyDal]

Well done Windies - great effort

The media pushing the bulls*** argument that test cricket is dead have NFI

Big Bash is fkn rubbish

If it wasn't for the Big Bash cricket would be bankrupt

Says who? You?

You have no idea, NONE!

More than you champ, more than you..

[Dis Believer]

Well this didn't age so well, did it...???

[B.M]

Different form of the game - less important

[CQ SAINT]

Even less important.

Cricket has been a farce for a very long time thanks to gambling and the South Africans, then we have the ball tampering.

I don't even watch it. I'll wait for the highlights. Surely there was no interest in Australia flogging the West Indies.

[magnifisaint]

Different form of the game - less important

Depends who you talk to.

[Yorkeys]

Different form of the game - less important

Depends who you talk to.

Talk to the crowds that are not turning up and free to air channels that would rather broadcast shopping channel stuff.
And how about the constant drivel, yes constant, that passes for commentary. The whole thing has shrunk to second class vaudeville.
Although you could have got good odds on a 7 over run chase.

[B.M]

Floggings happen in sport

AFL

Tennis

Rugby

Boxing

Etc

Not every game/match can be a blockbuster

Every strong team must play weaker opponents at some stage.

[The_Dud]

Different form of the game - less important

Depends who you talk to.

It would seem players from nations/teams like the Windies and SA are starting to prioritise the shorter form of the game over Tests

[Killa]

No doubt the 20/20 game is relied on for not only player wages but also by National Associations for revenue (media more so that match attendances)

Hence so many 20/20 contests all running at the same time

It appears the only 20/20 competition not subject to other matches at the same time (including Test matches) is the Indian competition

Look at the South African side playing NZ - whilst their domestic 20/20 is being played

And the WI side - the focus on 20/20

Decisions need to be made because now Test cricket is being prostituted for 20/20

How long will 20/20 remain a cash cow - so what are game and tv audience sizes because it is media providing the revenue (from advertising revenue)

It is noted that coverage of the IPL apart from scores appears scant in Australia

Sitting under this time bomb is India

Who is going to tell them the Test and 50 Over competitions take precedence and that all 20/20 competitions are to run in the embargo period of the IPL utilising players not contracted to the IPL?

Because what is happening now is rubbish - and sounding a death nell to Nations and their Test and One Day sides

At a time when the likes of Afghanistan, Bangladesh et al are producing players so plenty to go around during a dedicated 20/20 International window concurrent with the IPL

We now have the ability to put a roof over a venue where all games are played so weather should not be an issue

And 20/20 revenue is pooled - including India - to provide venues and funds equally to National Associations

India are the problem - and they are here yet again next summer!!!

[shanegrambeau]

Let's look at TV Ratings and YouTube views as an indicator of interest in test cricket when a 'minnow' plays a 'giant'.

Now let's consider this BEFORE the miracle win by the Windies last week. (its effect will cascade forward though)

The TV ratings were right up there with the Australian Open. Over 400,000 in some sessions. That says something.

On YouTube, where we know money is not made (yet), we note that just the official cricket.com.au daily summaries are over a million views per day. And that is just the official Australian one.

It will take clever decisions, and the roll of the 'ol luck dice, but to say that passion for test cricket is waning is a big call.

Of course the players will take the money when they can, but they know the legends are made in tests. Now we also know that weak test nations hardly play any tests anymore, so there we have a conundrum right there. But don't think test cricket is dead yet in the hearts and minds of followers and players as a concept. True, people do not have time to put their phones down to watch a session of cricket in the context of a five day match and pay a hundred bucks to do it - especially at our concrete corporate complex jungle venues with their 10 dollar hot dogs and half strength beers.

THey ought to make it a picnic like atmosphere IMO, but there is no way so-and-so catering are gonna give up their plastic hot-dog deal, so unfortunately...

But the test is still the test!

Now t20 is another sport altogether. It's an individual sport.

[B.M]

I disagree about t20s being more significant or popular than ODIs

The last t20 World Cup was one of the most successful cricket events ever!

Made 100s of millions

T20s are for kids or non cricket fans

6s and 4s aren’t what draws me to cricket

Great innings, good spells, and proper cricket is what I like to watch.

[bobmurray]

They were liquid poo at the 50 over gam,e post the 2 test shite.