Peak Test

https://i.servimg.com/u/f10/17/18/57/84/testao11.jpg

Well, it certainly appears we are past Peak Test.

Probably not a bad thing, the schedule was a bit hectic back in the early 2000s.

we have also lost 1 team (zim) and one which has no home base (pak)

would be interesting to see team-wise data. some have probably suffered a lot more than others. lanka for one wont be playing a single test in 2013, mostly their own doing

in the last 20 years peak years for various teams

aus - 1993 (16 tests)
ban - 2003, 2008 (9)
eng - 1998 (16)
ind - 2002 (16)
nz - 2008 (14)
pak - 2000, 2002, 2006 (12)
sa - 1998, 2008 (15)
sl - 2001 (13)
wi - 2000, 2002 (14)
zim - 2001 (11)

for us from the top 10 years in our history (for number of tests) 7 have been since 2001. the others being 1979, 1983 and 1997

most matches by each team by year - http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=matches;template=results;type=team;view=year

we have also lost 1 team (zim)

Zim played a test last year, so rumours of their demise have been exaggerated.

Then again, they lost by an innings to New Zealand...

18 matches in 1983 and not a single win!

and i thought the last year or so was bad. we did win the world cup though

2007 had too many and long ICC tournaments.

How many tests are Sri Lanka playing this year? Something like five? F*cking ridiculous.

2 confirmed

Not including the already completed Sydney test, I assume.

Surely that can't be allowed to happen. As usual you have to ask- what the f*ck is the ICC doing about it?

Henry wrote:Not including the already completed Sydney test, I assume.

Yeah, 2 against Bangladesh are the only ones they've confirmed (might yet add some later). Most others have been cancelled for various 2020 leagues.

OP Tipping wrote:Probably not a bad thing, the schedule was a bit hectic back in the early 2000s.

Zim were playing regular tests, Pak were playing home series and the Bangles had just joined the test ranks as well.

What about JAMODIs, I guess they have peaked now as well with the advent of T20 and (thankful) decrease in SODITs, triangulars and 7-match series?

More three match T20 series are creeping in. And there's more three match rather than five match odi series. There's becoming a big discrepancy between the amount of tests England, Australia, and India play compared to the rest.

really...so the saffies play less?...are we not all meant to play similar numbers of tests?...makes a mockery of world rankings

matches in the last 5 years

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;orderby=matches;spanmax2=15+Jan+2013;spanmin2=15+Jan+2008;spanval2=span;template=results;type=team

2012 (90) had the lowest number of odis since 1995 (60)

peaked at 191 odis in 2007

So it's more than halved in 5 years, that's quite remarkable. Although I suppose 2007 was a World Cup year so that distorts things a bit.

Seems there's less international cricket being played and more domestic T20 tournaments. Urgh.

And does anyone really care about these domestic franchises, beyond those who turn out to watch them in the stadium? Don't think I could name which IPL team any individual currently plays for, and don't they re-auction them all every couple of years anyway?

Yeah, after two or three years they're all up for re-auction again. Anyone who follows sport knows that fans need to build loyalty to a team and its players in order for the team to become ingrained in the conscience.

Everyone except the IPL, that is.

Aye, it's sort of an Americanised thing.. which in ways is more egalitarian.. but it promotes less of a connection - in essence the teams are for everyone (mainly for the TV) - so there's likely to be more apathy toward the teams.

BBL, IPL, it's path breaking.