Is Cricket losing its appeal to the general public.

[heater31]

Think that sounds about right. From perhaps late 90's onwards the Australian tours stopped being televised on FTA, no domestic one dayers on FTA. Became more and more that you needed Foxtel to follow the sport properly which only some people can afford. BBL only really exploded after Channel 10 got the rights.

The big area that cricket suffers is the spike in interest is December/January, however club season starts in October. No clubs are taking new players or registering teams when the season is halfway done. Whereas football has the NAB Cup and early rounds in February/March which drives interest, then most club or school football seasons start in April.

Apparently in years there is an Ashes tour to England during winter there is a large spike in junior cricket participation. Cricket is on tv in July/August during prime time and that flows through into club/school registrations in September/October. This 'perfect storm' only occurs once every four years. Usually cricket has to start 'cold' without any promotional lead in.

Then why aren't we playing games in our 'Northern' Summer venues Darwin, Cairns & Townsville?

[Rik E Boy]

I haven't lost interest in the game but I have lost interest in many of the meaningless tours our national side goes on.

I'm interested in the test series against England, South Africa, India and New Zealand and not much else. ODI's are mildly entertaining on a hot day in summer when it's on the box, but I wouldn't bother watching one from O/S. T20 means nothing to me.

A test championship is desperately needed to provide context to these tours imo.

Test championship? Nope. Every test is a stand alone event. Leave test cricket alone. Teeball exists so we don't have to mess with Test Cricket. You don't need a reigning champion you just need champion teams.

regards,

REB

[Tony Clifton]

Think that sounds about right. From perhaps late 90's onwards the Australian tours stopped being televised on FTA, no domestic one dayers on FTA. Became more and more that you needed Foxtel to follow the sport properly which only some people can afford. BBL only really exploded after Channel 10 got the rights.

The big area that cricket suffers is the spike in interest is December/January, however club season starts in October. No clubs are taking new players or registering teams when the season is halfway done. Whereas football has the NAB Cup and early rounds in February/March which drives interest, then most club or school football seasons start in April.

Apparently in years there is an Ashes tour to England during winter there is a large spike in junior cricket participation. Cricket is on tv in July/August during prime time and that flows through into club/school registrations in September/October. This 'perfect storm' only occurs once every four years. Usually cricket has to start 'cold' without any promotional lead in.

Then why aren't we playing games in our 'Northern' Summer venues Darwin, Cairns & Townsville?

A few reasons I think but perhaps no good ones.

First because CA have never strategically used (or thought to use) international cricket as a way to drive grassroots participation. It's just a spin off benefit.

Second because during September football and rugby finals dominate the airwaves. Some random cricket tournament would get lost in the mix.

I think cricket misses the boat a little. When football finishes there is a void until the first test. No sport on tv whatsoever. People are in the routine of Friday night football but cricket doesn't step straight in to fill it.

[bennymacca]

I haven't lost interest in the game but I have lost interest in many of the meaningless tours our national side goes on.

I'm interested in the test series against England, South Africa, India and New Zealand and not much else. ODI's are mildly entertaining on a hot day in summer when it's on the box, but I wouldn't bother watching one from O/S. T20 means nothing to me.

A test championship is desperately needed to provide context to these tours imo.

Test championship? Nope. Every test is a stand alone event. Leave test cricket alone. Teeball exists so we don't have to mess with Test Cricket. You don't need a reigning champion you just need champion teams.

regards,

REB

It's the only sport I can think of where the pinnacle is just a bunch of bilateral friendlies. Between 3 countries. That sells cricket massively short imo.

A four yearly program would allow each team to play each other team at least once home and away and also allow the big events such as the ashes to remain untouched. Whilst giving context to the lesser contests where interest is waning

[FlyingHigh]

Remember watching Ian Healy hit the 6 to win at Port Elizabeth around '97, pretty sure was on Ch 7, but can't remember watching much of the rest of that series, so perhaps it was only on the weekends?
Used to love watching the Domestic one-dayers at the start of a season when they were weekend day games on Ch 9 in October and November as a lead-in to the "bigger" cricket, and then later in the season when the semis and finals were on.
Channel 9 love having cricket in timeslots that suits the eastern states audience, including the day-night tests, so if they've got three channels now, why don't they try to show Aussie tests from the sub-continent which would suit this perfectly?

Regarding ODI's, as Gideon Haigh said after the last World Cup, when there is something legitimate on the end of it and teams send their best sides, ODI is still a entertaining, valid form of cricket. Unfortunately these two things don't happen often enough, and I often find myself looking forward to watching the ones during the Australian summer but then interest wanes during them.

[heater31]

Remember watching Ian Healy hit the 6 to win at Port Elizabeth around '97, pretty sure was on Ch 7, but can't remember watching much of the rest of that series, so perhaps it was only on the weekends?
Used to love watching the Domestic one-dayers at the start of a season when they were weekend day games on Ch 9 in October and November as a lead-in to the "bigger" cricket, and then later in the season when the semis and finals were on.
Channel 9 love having cricket in timeslots that suits the eastern states audience, including the day-night tests, so if they've got three channels now, why don't they try to show Aussie tests from the sub-continent which would suit this perfectly?

Wasn't Channel 7's short lived pay TV channel that broadcasted it? They did the Shield for a season or 2 until Rupert and his Foxtel mates suffocated it....

[FlyingHigh]

I don't really know much about the Pay TV players that came and went mid-late nineties, but yeah, the Shield was definitely on one of them for a while and some of that SA tour was on FTA.
The Shield on 9 used to be great in between the tests, and other times full days.

[jackpot jim]

Not sure about the General Public.
Obviously the Big Bask has been a big hit with the public along with Night Test cricket at Adelaide Oval
Other than the Ashes, i think the rest has all become a bit Ho Hum.

Personally i've been a SACA / AO Member for over 30 years but i will NOT be renewing my membership this year and most likely ever again.
I guess thats a sign i've lost interest at 1st class level to a degree. Have ZERO interest in the Big Bash. Test matches have been live on telly in recent years so easy just to stay home. Shield cricket i used to go to but are now at Glenelg or when at AO are during the week these days so not convenient to attend.
Used to go to Domestic 1 dayers but SA dont even get to host them any more.

My interest in cricket at my local club is as strong as ever and appreciate and enjoy following the fortunes of my local country mates playing for fun 100 times more than the over paid Internationals playing for the sake of earning as much money as they can not that you can blame them tho.

[Booney]

It's the only sport I can think of where the pinnacle is just a bunch of bilateral friendlies. Between 3 countries. That sells cricket massively short imo.

A four yearly program would allow each team to play each other team at least once home and away and also allow the big events such as the ashes to remain untouched. Whilst giving context to the lesser contests where interest is waning

A four yearly program?

That would mean absolutely nothing.

[Booney]

Get back to a summer with 5 tests against one nation, a tri-series of one-dayers and the public will become interested again.

Two 3 test series, two ODI series, T20's....it all becomes meaningless and, IMO, doesn't truly demonstrate the strength / weakness of the opposing teams.

[bennymacca]

It's the only sport I can think of where the pinnacle is just a bunch of bilateral friendlies. Between 3 countries. That sells cricket massively short imo.

A four yearly program would allow each team to play each other team at least once home and away and also allow the big events such as the ashes to remain untouched. Whilst giving context to the lesser contests where interest is waning

A four yearly program?

That would mean absolutely nothing.

im not the one that came up with the idea mate. they are currently working towards steps to put it in place. Whether they get there, i dunno. But they are talking about it.

[The Bedge]

Get back to a summer with 5 tests against one nation, a tri-series of one-dayers and the public will become interested again.

Two 3 test series, two ODI series, T20's....it all becomes meaningless and, IMO, doesn't truly demonstrate the strength / weakness of the opposing teams.

Agreed.. but that will never happen, because the 2x series each summer generates more $$ for CA, and that's all they care about.

[bennymacca]

not sure about that - 5 tests against the west indies would be meaningless too

my idea would be - play a series of at least 1 test, 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is against everyone in x years. award points for each game and bonus points for a series win. obviously the bigger nations will have longer test series, but its imperative we play against the weaker nations too

This then feeds into a ladder where the top two play off in a final to be crowned test champions every year.

ODIs and T20Is can feed into their respective world cups somehow.

[Booney]

We all agree it could / should be better, but try getting the BCCI, CA, ECB and the might of the IPL to agree to a rolling fixture that gets uprooted every 2 or 4 years for a championship. No chance. Mores the pity.

[Dog_ger2]

Once I could name the entire team.

I can't name one today.

Cricket Australia, you sold your soul.

I have lost all interest in cricket.

Same with my children and Grand children.

That means your future is in doubt.

[Lightning McQueen]

Once I could name the entire team.

I can't name one today.

Cricket Australia, you sold your soul.

I have lost all interest in cricket.

Same with my children and Grand children.

That means your future is in doubt.

I'd never lose interest in my children.

[Brodlach]

Seeing my kids at night is what keeps me going during the day

[bennymacca]

:shock:

Seeing my kids at night is what keeps me going during the day

He was kidding mate. LM mate a joke about the slightly ambiguous wording. Dogger was clearly talking about his kids losing interest.

(I hope!)

[Brodlach]

Haha

I read doggers post incorrectly

[Dog_ger2]

@60 cricket needs a jump start.

Like many I have lost interest.