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Less first-class cricket leads to less mental strength

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in 1960/61 and at that time, changed the game of cricket completely because of their magnificent performances, although they lost the five-match Test series by a 2-1 margin. The first Test was tied, at that time the first time it had happened in Test history. Nevertheless, what really made the WI very popular, was the very attractive cricket they played throughout the series. Two years previously, in 1958/59, England were Australia’s opponents in Australia and the cricket was so exceedingly dull that the crowds began staying away. At Brisbane, the Aussie fans referred to it as the “Battle of the Snooze.” When West Indies arrived in 1960, the cricket reporters asked the captain, Frank Worrell, whether they would be playing bright cricket. The captain’s reply was that his team would be playing their natural game, the West Indian way. That was why, at the end of an enthralling series, a few hundred thousand Australian cricket fans lined the streets of Melbourne at the conclusion of the fifth Test match, to say goodbye to the most popular cricket team to have visited Australia. Worrell’s team had brought the enjoyment of the sport back to the playing fields of Australia and the face of cricket was changed forever. England welcomed the WI in 1963 and lost the series 3-1. MCC, knowing that cricket in the County Championship at the time could not sustain itself financially, implemented radical changes to their county cricket set-up. Firstly, they changed their fixtures in order to allow WI to return in 1966, although not due until 1971. It meant arranging twin tours every summer at that time, when just one country visited each year previously. WI again toured in 1969, in a shared visit. [caption id="attachment_1199258" align="alignnone" width="1024"] -[/caption] The archaic system of no overseas players allowed unless they became citizens and would not be qualified to play championship matches until resident for three years, was changed in 1968. Furthermore, they would no longer be permitted to play Test cricket for their home country nor first-class cricket for their territory. This not only prevailed for the WI, but similarly for every other nation. The new system then provided for a county to employ two overseas cricketers. Plus, players were permitted to represent their countries. Because of the attractive cricket played by West Indians, the plan was to hopefully increase the attendances, thus improving the gate receipts and ensuring that the first-class county game would be solvent once more. This all came to pass in the late sixties. Of course, after the initial success, during which the fans were also enjoying the fifty-overs and the forty-overs versions, county cricket was better off than before. However, cricket is the type of sport that always sought sponsorship to keep it profitable. The most vital and important assets were always attractive players, mostly batsmen, but also fast-bowlers, spinners or wicket-keeper-batsmen. The common denominator in these explanations is the quality of the player. It started when Sir Frank’s team set Australia alight and became so immensely popular that many West Indians were sought for contracts, so that in its initial stages in 1968, out of 17 counties, 13 employed West Indians. In those days England was the only professional cricket circuit. And at present, there are cricketers, both batsmen and bowlers, but especially batsmen, that lack the ability to bat for a lengthy time, or play with a proper technique, as they have been force-fed heavy doses of T20 cricket, where some administrators believe that form of cricket could develop cricketers. A cricketer’s foundation is formulated in the first-class game. Common sense will inform that the batsman who has to concentrate and bat for a few hours, requires a certain discipline to negotiate several bowlers of variable types. In first-class cricket, the bowler is using strategy to dismiss the batsman and could bowl for lengthy periods to achieve this. In T20, if a bowler is giving him trouble, the batsman knows he’ll be off after four overs. The bowler, on the other hand, is aware he’ll be called wide for leg side and slightly wide deliveries. It’s a simple variation, but still needs discipline to be successful. One’s foundation cannot be based on T20 cricket. The best cricketers grew up on two-inning cricket. Take away that groundwork and batsmanship is weakened. And that is what’s happening with Caribbean batsmen currently. The mental strength is missing. Too much T20 preparation and too little first-class cricket.   The post Less first-class cricket leads to less mental strength appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.