By Sara Bharrat
with photos by Jules Gibson
This week we asked the man/woman in the street whether they thought test cricket is going to die because of Twenty 20 cricket.
Lennox Barker, Taxi Driver: ‘I don’t think that Twenty 20 cricket will cause test cricket to die. Test cricket is the ultimate sport and I prefer it over Twenty 20. In test cricket you get to see more of the cricketers and they are given to chance to perform and display their sportsmanship. I appreciate that Twenty 20 is a wild version of the game that excites you but it lasts for less than one day and does not allow you to see the best of the players.’
Pramchand, Self-employed: ‘Yes, Twenty 20 cricket will definitely 
cause test cricket to die. Most of the people I know like Twenty 20. The game is faster, you get more action and there are more matches to see.’
Hazel Williams, Accounts Supervisor: ‘Yes I think so; I would definitely say that test cricket is being strangled slowly to death by Twenty 20 cricket. I find test cricket boring. Who wants to wait five days to see who wins a game? Twenty 20 cricket is shorter and it’s more exciting. Although good sportsmanship is displayed in the longer game it does not compensate for the entertainment that we get from the shorter version of the game. My not watching test cricket has nothing to do with my time being limited to do so. I just prefer the shorter Twenty 20 game.’
Marcus Battice, Private Sector Employee: ‘I don’t really watch a lot of cricket. My game is soccer because I’m into contact sports. Since Twenty 20 is a shorter, exciting game I can relate to that more as opposed to a test match. I think that cricket has become a money-making industry. The game has lost its spirit. When I was growing up I remember that getting a bat and ball for Christmas was a big thing but now children don’t seem to care and it’s not such a big part of our culture now. Cricket has definitely lost something.’
Bonicka Gordon, Clerk: ‘Twenty 20 cricket is definitely better. It is more exciting. I watch cricket fairly often and I find test matches to be awfully long and drawn out affairs. I find that I lose interest in test matches. I figure I’ll stick to the attention grabbing Twenty 20 and I know that a lot people think the same way and this is what will cause the death of test cricket.’
Farrah Reid, Private Sector Employee: ‘Thursday I watched a couple
of Twenty 20 matches between the Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Dare Devils, the Mumbai Indians and other such teams. Those matches are short and sweet and you watch everything. I think cricket is becoming more a form of entertainment for people and when you look at it that way then I’d say test cricket can’t compare with Twenty 20 cricket.’
Quindel Williams, Finance Officer: ‘When it comes to Twenty 20
cricket I can actually say that it is bringing a younger more vibrant group of people to cricket. But yet it is bringing away initial focus of cricket as being a gentleman’s game. While this may not necessarily be a bad thing … everything has its pros and cons. I enjoy Twenty 20 but I miss the exuberance of test cricket where you get to see your favourite players stay at the crease and show you what they’re made of.’
Vimla Ramharakh, Private Sector Employee: ‘I prefer Twenty 20 cricket. No Twenty 20 match is exactly like the other and I think it spices the game up. I’m not much into test cricket so yes, I think it is slowly dying because of this shorter, more exciting kind of cricket.’
Samantha Lewis, Self-employed: ‘Not a cricket fan but I think test 
cricket is going to die because of Twenty 20 cricket. I guess the shorter version of the game is more exciting because it has managed to get even my attention. I guess cricket is evolving like everything else. I notice too that the cricketers play more for the money now and less for the love of the game.’
George Calder, Public Sector Employee: ‘I love both versions of cricket and I think that any true cricket fan will love the game whether it is a test, one day international or Twenty 20. Indeed Twenty 20 cricket has become popular and I think that players are more attracted to it for a little more money. I don’t think test cricket is going to die because of Twenty 20 cricket. For me it’s just become less popular.’
