Test cricket is like a 500-page novel with multiple events and characters. In the present world, not everyone can read and finish a novel. They do not have time or the patience to go through every page. Similarly, test cricket needs lots of patience and time along with understanding of the finer points of the game.
The attitude of spectators has changed, so also the game. White dress has been replaced with pyjama cricket. The cricket field has been shifted to drawing rooms and clubs. Crowds are attracted towards T20 and 50-overs match, that too through night cricket so that neither the players nor the spectators get sunburn. To attract spectators, Hindi cinema heroines are roped in for sex-curious Indians! As if that was not enough, cheer girls are introduced as item girls by the ICC and the BCCI like cabaret dance in Hindi films.
People used to go to the ground with canned beer and to have fun. The spectators could watch international players during T20 and other formats like IPL from close quarters whereas in earlier days it used to be sport and pastime magazines which used to provide information and statistics. Nowadays, there is no inquisitiveness amongst spectators to watch foreign players because those international players have purchased houses in India and are available throughout the year.
True cricket lovers used to flock to watch their idol run 40 yards to deliver a ball. Gone are the days of Roberts, Holding, Lyoid and Richards. The rules have been changed and boundary line shortened. Every day, a record is broken by some unknown players because the bat size and pitch condition have undergone drastic changes. If batsmen see grass on the pitch then they drop out of the team or the curator is changed.
Money became a big factor for everyone which slowly killed cricket with match fixing and spot fixing. A big nexus started to develop between politicians, bookies, cricket players and Hindi film stars. People realised that they are made fools with these fixed matches. Through advisements the BCCI and the ICC earn huge amounts of revenue. Ultimately, it’s the earning from each match which is important, not the number of spectators. Earning through ticket sale is a peanut for the cricket authorities. Knowing full well that the stadium would go vacant in different test centres, organisers pay a huge amount to host a match. Through television rights and advertisements, millions of dollars are earned by the BCCI; hence, they are least bothered if a five-day test attracts spectators or not. It’s like Hindi cinema halls, which has been closed or converted into godowns and still then the film heroes and heroines earn in crores per film. Similarly, whether spectators come to watch test cricket or not is immaterial for the organisers of the game, players and coaches continue to earn in seven digits per month!
During the post-Independence era, people of Orissa, Bihar and Assam used to go to Calcutta to watch their favourite players in flesh and bone. It was like an annual picnic. Those days, Calcutta was like Hong Kong of today. Daytime people used to watch five-day test match and evening in Metro or Lighthouse cinema halls screening new-release films. Those who had money could go for cabaret dance or live Usha Uthup show or PC Sircar magic. Some smart boys went to the New Market or China Town for modern shoes. Test cricket at the Eden Gardens had its charm for true lovers of the game.
The beauty was during winter months a test match was a must at the Eden Gardens from December 29-30-31 to 2nd and 3rd of January. New Year day was an off day for players and spectators. There were five test centres, Bombay, Kanpur, Madras, Delhi and Calcutta.
Suddenly, cricketers and officials have realised that Test cricket would have its burial in another few years like cinema halls throughout India. Test cricket grounds would be converted to exhibition centres in near future. Unlike football, cricket is a different game. In my view, in another fifty years or so, Test cricket will be a thing of the past except for statistics. As long as the Indian team is winning matches, people will spend money for watching cricket. Once the Indian team meets the fate of West Indies or Zimbabwe, Indian viewers will find other mode of entertainment.
Remember, whether people go to stadium to watch a Test match cricket or not is immaterial for ICC and BCCI as long as they earn in billions through TV rights and advertisements. Cricket will not die in India in near future as long as BCCI and IPL exist and a strong bondage between bookies, cinema and cricket continues.
(The writer is a former East Zone cricketer and a former executive of SAIL)