If it takes say, 8-10 years...

For the flaws inherent in t20 to become evident to the non-cricket-loving public that the game is now seemingly destined to be marketed to, at the expense of the traditional life-long fan, what will you - as an existing cricket fan - do?

I can see the writing for traditional, challenging, cricket on the wall:

• SL players will be allowed to choose IPL over Tests.
  
• ICC is apparently looking for some way to 'recognise' the ICL.
  
• CL says IPL teams will get first call over players over home states/provinces - and wanting them over country as well.
  
• The discussion over the Englsih version of the IPL.
  

If the trend continues at the current rate, Tests will be the sideshow, and we'll be lucky to see boards schedule series of more than 2 Tests.

I'd like to think the sport-loving public can't be fooled forever, and hope that the irrelevence of bowlers in t20, the repetitiveness of batsmen swinging at everything, the almost-certain overscheduling of the t20 form, and the overimportance of winning the toss will see the popularity of t20 decline over the next couple of years.

Alas, by that stage, there will be a shitload of players conmtracted to innumerable official, unofficial, rebel, domestic, national, provincial, and international t20 competitions that they'll take a few years to unwind all the contracts. (Unless some just collapse through lack of spectators.)

TV companies may be the worst hit (no bad thing) because I reckon there will be broadcasters who'll pay way over the odds for mediocre product that people may just stop watching.

But it may well mean a dearth of Test cricket for a few years. The question is, if the amount of Test cricket did then start to increase, would you come back?

I'd like to think the sport-loving public can't be fooled forever, and hope that the irrelevence of bowlers in t20, the repetitiveness of batsmen swinging at everything, the almost-certain overscheduling of the t20 form, and the overimportance of winning the toss will see the popularity of t20 decline over the next couple of years.

This is how I see it playing out.

I think it'll take just long enough for the new 'fans' to walk away, and the old fans to say 'well, f*ck you' when the cricket authorities try to lure them back.