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HEADLINE: Test Cricket Will Not Die - Dujon

 
CaribbeanCricket.com 2018-05-22 06:33:04 

"It's about winning, and for the people ,it's about the power of expectation."

West Indies cricket legend Jeffrey Dujon says that despite Test cricket's fall in prominence and importance, this format has too much history and tradition for it to die.

Dujon was commenting on former New Zealand captain Brendon McCallum's comments recently that this form of the game will not survive as not many countries can afford it.

The former outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman also does not think that the popular, TV-friendly Twenty20 format has enough history to totally displace the game's longest version.

"Test cricket is never going to die. Other forms of the game have got more and more popular , but no books are going to be written about the individuals who played T20 cricket. There is really very little history. So I think Test cricket will go on, and I don't think there is any danger of it dying out. There is too much tradition," Dujon told The Gleaner.

Money Factor
"The other forms of the game, basically, exist because of the money they generate. So Test cricket is going to be around because no books are really going to be written on T20 or 50 overs for that matter," he added.

read more at Jamaica Gleaner


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Emir 2018-05-22 07:37:19 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

I hope Duje is correct but he not looking 20 plus years down the road when T-20 builds it own legends and history.

Even in the WI, the teens and young adults know very little about about our stars despite the books.

I once relayed my experience here with my friendly interaction with 5 wonderful young men from Jamica who I met at the resort.

I was sadly shocked when none of them, including the most avid cricket fan from the lot, did not know who Mikey Holding was. They all know of Gayle.

 
Drapsey 2018-05-22 07:54:50 

In reply to Emir

I was sadly shocked when none of them, including the most avid cricket fan from the lot, did not know who Mikey Holding was. They all know of Gayle.

Let me add some fuel.

Before Shawn Findley, a very promising U19 player, became part of the Frendies, I was in Jamaica listening to a radio interview where he was asked to name the batsmen he admired and aspire to emulate. His response was that Chris Gayle was the one. At that time Brian Lara was in his prime, so the interviewer gave Findley every opportunity to mention his admiration for the batting champion, but to no avail.

I wrote him off then and there.

 
jacksprat 2018-05-22 09:45:35 

In reply to Drapsey

There is no law that says that every West Indies cricketer must admire Brian Lara or aspire to be like him. The fact that one is considered the best batsman does not mean that every batsman must him as his favourite.

I am sure that when Viv Richards played not every young West Indian batsman aspired to be like him. That's life.

It could also be a issue of proximity. Findlay could see Gayle every day and interacted with him and be impressed by his something like his engaging personality, which transcended cricket.

Some youngsters-fans and cricketers alike- report that Brian Lara, great batsman though he was, was not always the most pleasant nor the most accommodating when they interacted with him.

 
Tryangle 2018-05-22 09:51:24 

I think Dujon has a point on history - people are always going to talk about Bradman or Sobers or Tendulkar, for example.

However, T20 is not some fly-by-night operation.

And maybe there are people who fondly remember their old Pontiac or Oldsmobile but history doesn't guarantee survival.

 
jacksprat 2018-05-22 10:01:07 

True, history is important, but to whom?

You can have all the history in the world but if the youngsters do not care, what does it matter?

Many of them see cricket as long, boring and pointless so the challenge to engage their interest and an appeal to history is not going to do it.

I am sure there are more youngsters right now who would much rather be a Chris Gayle or a Dwayne Bravo than a Kraigg Brathwaite or a Shaie Hope - the alleged test 'stars"

We live in an age of instant gratification so many of us from any generation were not averse to sitting or playing in the sun for hours, days even, why pursuing our passion for cricket. I am not sure many of these youngsters are prepared to do this and why should they?

They have the option of going to play a football game and be done with in 2 hours and be free to pursue other interests.

 
Drapsey 2018-05-22 10:28:27 

In reply to jacksprat

Huge Gayle fan here, and I don't like a bone in Lara.

My opinion though is that Findley didn't aspire to be the best batsman. Had he been a 'student' of cricket, he would've known that Lara was the best of his generation if not the all time best.

 
carl0002 2018-05-22 10:39:59 

Obviously Dujon did not watch the documentary Death of a Gentleman.

 
Bigzinc 2018-05-22 11:33:22 

In reply to jacksprat

I am sure that when Viv Richards played not every young West Indian batsman aspired to be like him. That's life.



As youngsters we wanted to be like Viv, Rowe or Kalli. Sometimes we mashed up the names like Viv Rowe....

a the wonders of childhood

 
jacksprat 2018-05-22 11:51:30 

In reply to Bigzinc

That's the point. Viv was the acknowledged best but as youngsters some had other favourites who were not necessarily the best players.

My favourites were Lawrence Rowe, Desmond Lewis & Richard DeSousa.

I wanted to do everything like Desmond Lewis - a wicketkeeper/opening batsman

 
VIX 2018-05-22 12:30:07 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Film photography ain't gonna die either. It still there being used by a couple thousand "purists"

Know anyone under 35 who ever had a traditional film camera?

Of which there is so much romantic history attached?

 
XFactor 2018-05-22 13:42:11 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Test cricket is on its death bed. Very few people are willing to pay to watch test cricket. In an ever changing world where young people have no time to sit around 5 days for a result, test cricket has not changed with the times.

Next to nobody in the stands, test cricket will no longer be financially sustainable. As we have seen, most decent cricketers are opting for the shorter version of the game and the dollars that comes with it.

 
dayne 2018-05-22 17:22:53 

In reply to XFactor

Very true, unless Test cricket is modified it will die. I think the ICC will have to import some of the shorter games rule into Test cricket for it to regain the attention of the Fans in most cricket nations. For example, put a limit on the number of overs allowed on the first innings of each team.

 
Emir 2018-05-22 21:11:15 

In reply to Drapsey

Huge Gayle fan here, and I don't like a bone in Lara.

My opinion though is that Findley didn't aspire to be the best batsman. Had he been a 'student' of cricket, he would've known that Lara was the best of his generation if not the all time best.


Well you do have to read and spell everything for some posters here. wink

 
rhatid 2018-05-23 22:15:09 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com
Maybe test will not die out in the wider cricketing world, but it sure is on a death bed in the Caribbean. This format will slowly disappear in the region as the youngsters have fewer and fewer cricketers of note to admire, emulate, look up to.
The two things that will help bring back test cricket in the West Indies are: 1. Creative thinking by the administrators in the region. Until they start making going to a cricket stadium somewhat as interesting as going to a baseball stadium for the fans, fewer and fewer people will attend. 2. Where have all the big, strong fast bowlers gone? These days all we have are a few little, puny, injury-prone guys calling themselves fast bowlers. A team with big, strong, fearsome, fast bowlers breeds confident, dependable, fearsome batsmen.
In other words, make test cricket sweet again.

 
gvenkat 2018-05-24 17:47:32 

First of all, Who in this age has 5 days to dedicate? That's right off the bat absurdity. Secondly, If people want to see their favorite players they have choices. So it's not like they need to watch a test to watch the likes of Kohli, Williamson etc.

Name a Test only player and ask yourself if you would pay to watch the guy? lol lol

And test cricket lacks context. Apart from Ashes, It lacks severe context. Put it simply the game has evolved. To draw an analogy in olden days, They had ships sailing across the globe and took 5-10 days to reach across continents. Air planes have come over and taken that space. Do you hear of People taking ships to go across continents, Apart from people who want to do it and that's a minuscule percent.

So Tests, Will go the same way with maybe Australia and England playing it and everyone else ditching it. Pray tell what does a SL-WI Test match bring to the paying public?