Quote:[size=1.35em]In India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand - and even to a certain extent Australia - crowds for Test matches are falling. Set against the growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket (particularly in India and Australia) there are concerns at the highest levels of the game that its most traditional format could die out.[/size]

Quote:Is cricket in danger of dying? Dean du Plessis  •  28 July 2013 10:41PM

HARARE - Throughout the modern years of cricket, there have been those who have been determined to make cricket a game for the elite.

They have gone out of their way to make it abundantly clear that they are not in favour of the game spreading or expanding.
Why these people have such an undisguised hatred of the smaller nations trying to make their way into the mainstream of world cricket, only they will know.

When Zimbabwe were pushing to gain full Test status, it took a huge amount of convincing both on, and especially off the field before it was finally put to the vote in July 1992.

Even then, it was with a great show of reluctance and displeasure that Zimbabwe were finally granted full Test status on July 8, 1992.

Six of the then eight Test playing nations agreed that Zimbabwe were ready to join the so-called family, while Australia and England were against the idea.

In order for a nation to be granted full Test status, seven of the nations had to vote in favour, which meant either England, or Australia had to relent.

Thankfully, Australia ?relented and, Zimbabwe were added to the Test family.

It all seemed rosy and good from the outside, with India and New Zealand touring Zimbabwe in October and November of 1992.
But, the undercurrents and resentment has never been far from the surface.

Like a big boil waiting to be lanced, the resentment has always been there amongst some of the nations.

England have always come up with excuses as to why they didn’t or indeed wouldn’t want to play Zimbabwe.
So much so that they forfeited their points and a lot of money in the 2003 World Cup, which backfired on them as they were sent packing after the first group stage.

Now, as the series between Zimbabwe and India is played, scathing remarks have already been made by a number of Indian journalists, if you can even call them journalists, asking questions such as... What’s in it for India?

Granted, the series up to this point has been pretty one-sided, say for a few performances from one or two Zimbabwean players, which in all fairness most people expected.

But, to answer the question directly, there is a lot in it for India.

India are making a massive contribution to ensure that cricket in Zimbabwe gains momentum, encouraging thousands of budding cricketers from all walks of life to work that much harder, while the senior players would undoubtedly learn and gain knowledge from the likes of Kohli, Sharma Dhawan and even the Indian coaching staff.

But, let’s take it further than that.
Zimbabwe are not the only ones bearing the brunt of a bunch of selfish stuck up snobs.
Ireland have been knocking on the door of Test status for a number of years, but, have been turned down on each and every occasion at ICC meetings.

We need only to remember their heroics of the 2007 World Cup, when they advanced to the super sixes of the tournament.
What really confuses/frustrates/angers me, is that although Ireland supposedly are not ready for Test cricket, you will find a number of their players playing county cricket, not club cricket in England.

England have also poached two of Ireland’s players to join their ever increasing list of non-English players, and yet, they still have the audacity to shout the odds about who should or should not be playing international cricket.

It is reported that the 2019 World Cup will only be played amongst 10 teams, which means that there is a real possibility that Zimbabwe may not be there.

Unless they improve considerably over the next six years. No prizes for guessing for where the 2019 World Cup will be held... (England of course).

So, now players in countries such as Holland, Kenya and the rest will be asking themselves what the point would be of trying to play cricket when the incentive of possibly playing Test cricket may never happen, simply because the super powers of world cricket may be responsible for killing the world’s most precious game.