CA and the schedule is an utter clusterf**k.
How they've bent over and accepted FIVE tests per summer is pure idiocy.
For as long as I remember...the big summers were The Ashes of 5 tests. India and South Africa should be 5 tests too, but I can live with 4. That gives other teams 2 test series (I hate 2 tests but a decent compromise).
In the other years, we have 3 test series vs SL / WI / NZ / Pakistan for 6 test summers. I had hoped - and I know they were working towards adding more tests in summer for January. Now, the compromise for ICC / India seems ridiculous.
The Domestic One Day cup is dead. Poorly promoted and not really cared for. Crowds are dead. Sure, the BBL has taken over, but they've killed the Shield too.
The whole schedule is a hodge-podge. Australia should own Nov-Feb and give no one else a sniff.
And sure, it's about money...etc etc. But they bang on about Tests being best, but then expect up and comers to make it in hit n tickle and wonder why no one can make solid inroads or decent averages in First Class cricket. Even with the BBL, take a look at this year's standard. Pretty f**king poor. The decent imports don't really come here now and the sides are packed with peripheral state / grade players. The "Test" players don't even play BBL.
Sorry...I'm just so frustrated. Surely they could arrange another couple of Tests in January!?! There are venues in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne with Tassie, Canberra and elsewhere available. FFS - going to 5 tests, some venues won't have Test cricket except for every 2nd year. Imagine State Govts etc? They'll pull investment in infrastructure/promotion etc when they lose hosting Tests. And Sydney and Melbourne won't ever miss a test, so fans etc will drift away when there isn't a test every year in their city.
And mix up the schedule! Going to SCG you rarely, if ever, see a "live" Test. First world problems, sure...but CA needs an absolute overhaul.
