A person with great skills in marketing is often described in mundane language as “He’s a man who could sell ice to an Eskimo”. The reason – they could sell any given merchandize to any one in any given marketing environment.Cricket’s biggest marketing tool came in the form of the T20. So much so a person by the name of Lalit Modi and his team sold that tool in the form of the Indian Premier league to South Africa in a matter of three weeks when the Indian government said that it could handle only the security headache of conducting a general election and security concerns emanating from it.

The selling skills were so strong according to Lalit Modi that there was a 93% turn over at the matches in general and the funniest part is that out of a percentage of 93 % attendance 73% of the people were watching cricket for the first time. Still we are talking about selling ice in Alaska!!!” With this then surfaces a new truth. Cricket is a very sellable merchandise. Delving into the basics of the matter IPL barely concerns South African cricket other than there were some South African cricketers representing some of the teams – some times one, some times two at the most per team.

Sometimes the very pitches that modern Test cricket is played on can become the root cause of its death. The present India-Sri Lanka first Test at Ahmedabad could be cited as one. (AFP Photo)

Indian Premier League is essentially an Indian domestic tournament played by the Indians for the Indians. Even the playing times were altered to suit the huge TV audience in India by the stake holder TV companies. Yet in a foreign country, a strong marketing strategy that worked for only three weeks managed a lure in a gate of 93 per cent. So much so if it was a person who was walking into to watch cricket for the first time would it have mattered if it was Test cricket or a T20 match, because they would have been oblivious of the entertainment value of either – it was just cricket they were going to watch.

With this the cricket authorities can dispel their fears that this segment of this great sport is on the slide. For a while the authorities and the past stalwarts have been rather disturbed about common interest in this segment of the game and were convinced that it as on the decline. But, it must be pointed out it is the cricket official who brought forth the situation by their lackadaisical attitude towards Test cricket. I can remember once, even before T20 became what it is today, Sri Lanka scrapped a Test match that was to be played in New Zealand and replaced it with two T20 Internationals. It was also not so long that the very same Sri Lankans – this time the players themselves opted for the lucrative T20 riches than playing a Test series against England. Then I remember reading recently about Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara wanting the country to play more Test cricket.

At the same time for a game to be sustained it should sustain itself. Though Test cricket has been given a time frame of five days over 65% of the matches do not run the full stretch. Once I wondered what the reason for this and how it could resurrect itself. While talking to Sri Lanka only elite umpire Asoka de Silva – a man who has seen the game with all its present greats in action at its closest quarters and has played the game at the highest level with the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Mohammed Azharuddin just among his Indian contemporaries.

The Musings just wanted to know Test cricket being segmented for five days and at the same time there being a majority of Test matches in the past going on for five days and now why were the games crashing out in just 3-4 days., and was it the Test wickets that were being prepared for the present day cricket responsible for this situation.

The ICC Elite Panel umpire explained -- “Still when two countries with equal strength play the games do go on for five days. Recently I was standing during the Australia-South Africa Test series played in Australia. Most of the games went for the full five days. I especially can remember Australia going through this present transitional period had this new set of fast bowlers, but, without the services of a recognized spinner in their match in Sydney. But, they battled it out and won the match in the last session on the fifth day. I feel if Test cricket is played in that intensity it will never go out of vogue.”

Explaining the games finishing early de Silva explained “When I was playing Test cricket we used to bowl an average of seventy five overs a day. Now the ICC has made it a mandatory ninety overs a day. This means a game gets an additional seventy five overs during the same five-day frame work. This means that the quantum of balls that is bowled in five days is bowled in approximately four days. So I feel also a result in a Test match can come in four days if the sides are not matched and evenly balanced.”

The shortest Test match in Test history lasted only 61 balls when the England-West Indies Test in Kingston was abandoned as result of a wicket not being suited for Test cricket. England batting at that time had limped to 17 for 3. That was in 1997-98. The Shortest Test match with a result involved Australia and South Africa. It came in the final Test of the 1931-32 series at Melbourne, when Australia (153) beat South Africa (36 and 45) by an innings and 72 runs. That match lasted only 656 balls.

Finally de Silva added “It is not the quality of the wickets that is the problem. At present almost all the wickets are well preserved and prior to the match all wickets are covered and guarded against the elements, however with the mandatory ninety overs coming and that added to the players’ skill the results of the matches can come out”.

Another good view for the authorities. May be they can introduce four day Test Cricket for some. But, whatever the level it is played Test cricket must be well marketed”.