A solution to FTP controversy

It seems cricket can never be free of controversies whether at domestic level or global. In recent times we have seen controversies over, among others, selection or non selection of a specific player in India, government’s taking over the administration of board in Zimbabwe, pre series war of words between Australia and South Africa and ICC’s subsequent warning to players. But this latest action of BCCI might just end up shaking cricket world big time.

BCCI wants to get out of FTP (Future Test Program) and schedule its own with other nations. That will complete the circle and take back cricket to where it was before first FTP (ICC’s 10 year test program) was designed in 1999-2000. ICC was little more than a rubber stamp until early and mid nineties but gradually took steps to become FIFA of cricket. Globalization of cricket became its mission statement.

On one side it’s easy to simply criticize BCCI for playing a bully and trying to underplay the importance and role of a world governing body that ICC is. On a closer look there is more to it. In the original ten year plan Ashes remained unchanged. Not only four year cycle remained as it is, even the time during the year series being played wasn’t touched. For both ECB and CA Ashes is top priority for all the revenue they earn from it. Similarly neither England’s nor Australia’s home season was ever disturbed. It never happened in these 5 years that a boxing test wasn’t played at MCG or a Sydney test didn’t start on Jan 2nd. The original World Series cup (presently called VB series) never lost an edition since it’s inception in late seventies. While India for example hosted just 1 ODI in 2004, yes just 1 (they had to split one day and test tours with Australia and South Africa).

I know what’s coming. Boxing Day test at MCG is a tradition faithful will say and so is the summer test at Lord’s. How about boxing day test at Durban? There was a test played at Durban in 1996, each year between 1998-2000, and 2002-2004. Any clue why 1997, 2001 & 2005 are missing? South Africa was playing a Boxing Day test at MCG in these years. In 1995 there was a Boxing Day test in Port Elizabeth but since than Durban has been established for this test. Traditions don’t come out of blue they are being established over the number of years, just as South Africa is attempting to have Kingsmead host a test on Boxing Day every year. So why can’t others have a chance to either continue their traditional seasons or start a brand new one? The primary fault with FTP has been that some nations have enjoyed elite status while others not quite. For couple of nations nothing changed while for some others they sometime only play away series after series killing their home season completely or forced to stretch their home season to months when weather is not very friendly.

Question still exist, does all this allow BCCI to play a bully? Answer is a big NO. BCCI, with their stand, has exposed an anomaly in FTP that was not widely realized. It’s time that a more sensible approach is taken in drafting future plan. This whole controversy can be taken advantage of in dealing with issues of bottom rank test nations such as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. These nations should be given a longer cycle. That will also give opportunity to have more series between top nations just what they seem to be in favor of. It will be mutually beneficial to all parties. One can only wonder how 30 defeats in a year will impact a player psychologically. Playing all the time and keep on loosing is not going to improve standards. Teams like Bangladesh need to have less number of tours but longer tours. They should be playing lots and lots of first class matches with domestic sides apart from tests and one day internationals. They should be encouraged to take a big touring party, say 16 or 17 members so more young players can get chance to judge themselves against quality opposition. You don’t become a world class boxer if your first professional fight is against Mike Tyson at his prime. You’ll be knocked out before you can even think of learning moves from your opponent.

Any cricket fan would like to have more teams at top level but it shouldn’t be rushed. Sri Lanka didn’t tour West Indies until 1997 despite being a test nation since early 1980s. They never played a test when West Indies were undisputed king of cricket like Australia is today. It’s hard to imagine their record would have been any better than Bangladesh’s if FTP was in place at that time. They still became a very competitive test team, didn’t they? Today Sri Lanka has a 5-2 win loss record in their favor against West Indies in tests which could easily be 5-20 had they played them earlier. I don’t even want to try guessing where would have Courtney Walsh ended in number of wickets. Could he be first one to reach 600 test wickets?

It’s time ICC gives fans more of what they want to see, gives more breathing space to new nations with a true opportunity to improve and minimizes mismatches that are not helping the game.