Only Two Test Matches in India This Winter

Dello wrote:The ECB should cancel the tour. A two Test series is a waste of everyone's time and an insult to Test cricket.

Minnows play two-Test series.

If the BCCI can't find the time in their busy ODI-packed schedule to play some proper cricket, they're not fit to host the tour.

England should find someone else to play.

Or have the time off - and go to the caribbean a bit earlier to play some proper cricket before the tests.

Or send over an "A" team. That'd be hilarious.

"You don't want to play a proper Test series, we're not going to send a proper Test team."

Dello wrote:Or send over an "A" team. That'd be hilarious.

Why not, if India aren't going to take the tests seriously - why should we. David Walliams for skipper anyone?

No use moaning about it. All we should do is give them 2 tests in an Ashes year as the 'filler' series preceeding it.....

Don't the ECB have to agree to it though? They may well ask how they're finding the time to fit all 7 ODI's (yawn!) in...

JKLever wrote:No use moaning about it. All we should do is give them 2 tests in an Ashes year as the 'filler' series preceeding it.....

And what a stink they'll kick up about it - probably refuse to tour...

Don't the ECB have to agree to it though? They may well ask how they're finding the time to fit all 7 ODI's (yawn!) in...

The ECB wanted them to drop two ODIs to fit in the third Test, but the BCCI wouldn't budge as ODIs are "popular".

i know its fashionable to bash the bcci and i hate to interrupt but from that report, it is the england players that want to return home for xmas and so the 3rd test cannot be squeezed in. the icc champions trophy and the aussies tour - both ICC FTP series - immediately prior to england means the tour cant start any earlier.

its obviously not an issue with the england players to be spending xmas in australia or SA so why so in india? dont see why the bcci should cancel a couple of odis (part of the original sched) and make a substantial loss just at the whim of a few eng players.

Give them one Test next time they tour England.

No, make them play five.

7 Tests and 1 ODI.

Ash wrote:i know its fashionable to bash the bcci and i hate to interrupt but from that report, it is the england players that want to return home for xmas and so the 3rd test cannot be squeezed in. the icc champions trophy and the aussies tour - both ICC FTP series - immediately prior to england means the tour cant start any earlier.

its obviously not an issue with the england players to be spending xmas in australia or SA so why so in india? dont see why the bcci should cancel a couple of odis (part of the original sched) and make a substantial loss just at the whim of a few eng players.

Ash, the report does indeed say that ... but says the tour was always planned November - December. We stay in Aus and SA over Christmas for 5 match series - traditionally, with split winter tours we have one one year, holidays back home, and the other late Jan- early Feb onwards.

This quote from the link .......

"BCCI's main grouse is with the ICC Champions Trophy that is slated for September, without which the board would not have had to trim the itinerary for England's visit. After the Champions Trophy, India play a four-Test series against Australia at home in October before England arrive."

....... gives no indication that the series was due to go into New Year.

the tour cant be put forward because of prior commitments so the only option is for it to spill over into xmas/new yr. i can understand if the england players dont want to do that given tht its not a 5 match series but then it wouldnt be fair to blame the bcci.

india played 3 tests and 7 odis in england last year. if the ecb cant be flexible in reciprocating then its the bcci's call how it trims the tour and obviously the odis rake in the moolah. tbh even if they were to chop 2 odis, not sure if that would allow another test to be squeezed in.

i feel a full fledged 4 or 5 test tour is the way forward between the big boys.

Ash wrote:the tour cant be put forward because of prior commitments so the only option is for it to spill over into xmas/new yr. i can understand if the england players dont want to do that given tht its not a 5 match series but then it wouldnt be fair to blame the bcci.

india played 3 tests and 7 odis in england last year. if the ecb cant be flexible in reciprocating then its the bcci's call how it trims the tour and obviously the odis rake in the moolah. tbh even if they were to chop 2 odis, not sure if that would allow another test to be squeezed in.

i feel a full fledged 4 or 5 test tour is the way forward between the big boys.

Ash, that would seem to cast england as a bit player in two or one off tests

Horace, I read that as Ash would like to see a longer series between England & India.

thanx growler..Ash clearly includes england, after their victory in NZ, as one of the big boys

In truth though - we did win comfortably without playing at all well.

There is no obvious explanation as to why we're underperforming, but we haven't become a poor team.

If / when Fred returns fully fit, there's no reason why we shouldn't compete with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, while still bashing WIniides, NZ and the minnows.

At present I don't see us beating SA. Australia, of course - while undoubtedly weaker with the retirement of two great bowlers - are still ahead of the pack.

Growler...your team will be undoubtedly stronger in spirit and talent with Freddie back in the side...in a losing cause here last summer, he battled very bravely through injury and lost no admirers here...if strauss continues with his vein of form and jones returns you have a good team...ambrose is a real find too

If the 3rd test is not being played, it's actually the doing of the ECB, as the 3rd test had to be cancelled on their request. Also, the calls for cancelling 2 ODIs is impractical and unfair as that would deprive one of the smaller centres of the only intl. cricket they get in 2-3 years.

it's actually the doing of the ECB, as the 3rd test had to be cancelled on their request.

But this doesn't mean that BCCI can be absolved of all the blames. As I said earlier if India can stay put in Eng for almost 3 months, what stops BCCI in forcing ECB to let its players stay in India for a week longer?

Though this also shows that general consensus on this forum about only Eng (and Aus) caring about test cricket looks quite hollow from this instance atleast.

SG wrote:

it's actually the doing of the ECB, as the 3rd test had to be cancelled on their request.

But this doesn't mean that BCCI can be absolved of all the blames. As I said earlier if India can stay put in Eng for almost 3 months, what stops BCCI in forcing ECB to let its players stay in India for a week longer?

Though this also shows that general consensus on this forum about only Eng (and Aus) caring about test cricket looks quite hollow from this instance atleast.

Apart from the fact that the ECB want to drop ODIs so that the test can be played, but the BCCI refuses . . .

Don't think even 'saviours' of test cricket (Aus and Eng) would agree to drop ODIs.

PS: BTW whatever next? An Aussie speaking for English?

ECB want to drop ODIs

So easy to say that when you're not hosting them.

If Aus wanted they could easily have gotten India to play 5 tests in the recent edition and could have scrapped a couple of meaningless rounds off [hell, even 1 round] off the CB triangular series.....

Batman wrote:If Aus wanted they could easily have gotten India to play 5 tests in the recent edition and could have scrapped a couple of meaningless rounds off [hell, even 1 round] off the CB triangular series.....

And how the fark does that little piece of pointless conjecture have any reference to the Eng v Ind 2 test scandal . . .

Whatever, I think BCCI should not accomodate this request and get ECB to stick to it's contractual obligations and not scrap a single game off the list. Indian players don't make bones playing away from home when some national festivals are around.

Batman wrote:If Aus wanted they could easily have gotten India to play 5 tests in the recent edition and could have scrapped a couple of meaningless rounds off [hell, even 1 round] off the CB triangular series.....

not a bad idea..tho 7 tests in one summer (we played 2 against the SLs) would have been tough...personally i would be happy if we had five test series against India and Pakistan...we sort of have a six test series with the saffies (3 here and 3 there)...for fun (if not competition) I'd like the 5 test series against Poms..