SO here we go again, after months of dominating a team that doesn’t count and impressing in one-day Cricket, the England, Wales and the Rest of the World team returns to action in the Test arena today.
But does a two-match Test series with Bangladesh really excite?
Does it really entice anyone to drop everything in order to stay glued to the Sky Sports screens for the duration of the Lord’s Test?
In fact, can a Test between the England, Wales and Rest of the World team (who, seemingly, we must call England because we are allowed to pick as many South Africans as we want as long as it lets us to win) and Bangladesh really be classed as a Test?
Because the name Test arises from the idea that the matches are a test of strength and competency between the sides involved.
Interesting that. Bangladesh have won just three of their 66 Test matches. One of those was against Zimbabwe – the cricket equivalent of the Faroe Islands – and the other two were against a West Indies team who were on strike.
That record, dear reader, is not exactly going to scare many people.
And the biggest indictment to the idea of Bangladesh getting Tests in this country – don’t forget, we hammered them over the winter – is the madness that anyone thought it would be a success.
It probably won’t be.
You could estimate that around 98 per cent of MCC members don’t have a clue what Twenty20 cricket is. Okay, we know they are stuck in their ways – but they have obviously not got to grips with the idea of a Test match starting at HQ tomorrow with Bangladesh.
Because there are bucket loads of tickets available for a Lord’s Test. Never been known.
Madness. They are £35 and £40. It is too much money for a second-rate Test match between our collective band of nations and a team that really doesn’t deserve Test status.
And then the next Test is at Old Trafford. That is almost a smack in the chops for the Red Rose.
Cricket is already in danger of losing credibility and some of the decisions only add to that thought.
It would be even worse if an Irishman who played for England and then got dropped decided he wanted to play for Ireland again.
That would never be allowed to happen would it?
Oh, hang on. I forgot about Ed Joyce. It is madness.
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