Two-match series are killing Test cricket: McDonald
London: Cricket’s leaders should set a three-match minimum for all Test series if they truly wish to keep the game’s longest format flourishing, Australian Andrew McDonald declared after an enthralling Ashes series.
There was much of the usual self-congratulation after a Test series between two of Australia, England and India after the Oval Test, amid refrains from the hosts that Bazball is about keeping Test cricket as popular as possible.
Steve Smith bats during the fifth Test at the Oval, part of an enthralling Ashes series.Credit: Reuters
But away from the Ashes and other similar series, Test cricket is slowly withering. McDonald offered a suggestion as to how to improve the format’s broader health.
“I think the length of Test matches – we played four against India, and we play five against India next time we play them,” McDonald pointed out. “And here it’s a five Test match series, so I’d encourage that the minimum number of Tests against a nation should be three.
“And I think that puts an importance … I think two Test match series should be put on the back burner and that would show the importance of Test cricket to every nation if it was a minimum of three Test matches.”
Players and staff have felt unfulfilled for some time by two-match series, feeling as though they are incomplete contests and have the grim vibe of a contractual obligation. The contrast between last year’s three-match tour of Pakistan and then a two-game drawn series in Sri Lanka was stark.
Yet, the recently announced future tours program will have Australia play a glut of two-match series over the next four years, both at home and away, against the West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. England play a pair of two-match series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh over the same period.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain spoke soberly about Test cricket in the aftermath of Stuart Broad’s farewell lap of the Oval. He was asked whether the 2-2 Ashes series result and compelling brand of cricket that was played was what the format needed.
“I think it did, but it doesn’t solve all the problems,” Hussain said on Sky Cricket. “The top three, England, India and Australia, they have been successful, and they will continue to be successful.
“Those three are trying to push it on, but they’ve also got to keep an eye on the rest. It is not just about the top three. It’s all well and good me saying on commentary in my big moment at Headingley ‘the Ashes is alive, Test cricket is alive’ – have a look at other parts of the world where it’s not so alive ... it’ll be dull if we just play India, Australia, England, month in, month out.”
For England’s coach Brendon McCullum, the series pointed to the fact that the most successful sides against Australia tended to get on the front foot against them.
“You look back to when the skipper [Ben Stokes] took over and I came in as well, [the question was] would we be able to take on a great Australian team – and they are a great Australian team – and go toe to toe with them?” McCullum said.
“I think the answer is yes and that’s a tremendous confidence-booster for the group. There will be some new faces in two-and-a-half years, there’s no doubt, for both sides, but I’d imagine it could be another cracking series when the time comes.”
One player who will loom large in Australia is Zak Crawley, after he finished the series as England’s leading run-maker and also excelled as a slips catcher.
“Coming into the series he was under quite a lot of pressure,” McCullum said. “The great thing was he was able to block that out – and you hope that’s down to the environment the skipper’s trying to create and sincere messaging.
“But 480 runs at a strike rate of 90 against the best bowling attack in the world, against the Dukes ball in an Ashes series, people don’t do that. As the skipper says, you look at what people’s upsides are, what their best days are, rather than focusing on things that might not be there.
“I think we’ve seen someone really grow and develop over the last six weeks or so. It’s great, not just for Zak but for all the guys around the side and around county cricket.
“They know when they get the opportunity, they’ll get support.”
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