| There has been a lot of talk recently that suggests | | | | Yet nothing is as simple as it may seem. Although |
| that there are real problems ahead for Test Match | | | | county sides may indeed be struggling to attract |
| cricket. These dangers appear to be caused by a | | | | large attendances to their County Championship |
| combination of the increased popularity of | | | | contests, it seems that the national team are having |
| Twenty-20 cricket and falling crowds at Test | | | | no such problems. Attendances at Test cricket here |
| Matches in some parts of the world. | | | | in the UK tend to be impressive and tickets are in |
| So let's take a look at some of these issues and see | | | | high demand. |
| what's going on. One point to note is that more and | | | | So what is going? It seems clear that there are |
| more money is being pumped into the game in India, | | | | different approaches to the game in different parts |
| increasing the importance of this country massively in | | | | of the world. Limited overs cricket is really capturing |
| cricketing terms. It's also the country that has the | | | | the attention in some parts of the world but Test |
| greatest number of cricket fans in the world. | | | | Match cricket remains the primary form of the game |
| This is having a big impact on the game as a whole. | | | | for some viewers, especially in England and Australia. |
| The great success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) | | | | Is this to be the end for Test Match cricket? It |
| has brought vibrant matches to a large, worldwide | | | | seems hard to believe that it possibly could be, |
| audience. It's also clear that crowd levels at Test | | | | although different countries may place more |
| Matches in India appear to be much lower than those | | | | emphasis on particular forms of the game. There |
| for IPL and other limited overs forms of the game. | | | | could be associated risks with this, but it may be |
| But does this necessarily indicate problems ahead? | | | | best that we all simply accept that the newest form |
| The situation here in England is somewhat different. | | | | of the game provides new opportunities and helps to |
| There's no doubt that Twenty-20 has made a big | | | | bring more people into the game. |
| impact on the domestic game. Crowds have been | | | | Anything that makes cricket more popular has to be |
| much larger for these matches than they have in the | | | | a good thing. One important set of people in all of |
| 4-day County Championship matches. So this might | | | | this will be the players themselves. As long as they |
| indicate that the longer form of the game is certainly | | | | still see Test cricket as being important, it seems |
| at risk. | | | | certain that this form of the game will continue. |