T20 has stumped Tests

There are some days Neil Manthorp actually applies his mind to cricket and comes up with decent and well-thought-through arguments. Then there are days when he seems to completely lose the plot.

His opinion piece on how T2O cricket may procure the longevity of Test cricket (Bring on T20 circuses to help ensure the theatre of Test cricket survives, January 24) is completely off the mark.

Manthorp may want to consider the state of Test cricket all over the world and apply his mind as to how strong this form of cricket is right now. Just as we measure the strength of rugby by considering the standard of rugby played by the All Blacks (certainly not the Springboks), we have come to measure the strength of Test cricket by the standard of cricket played by Australia (again not the inconsistent Proteas). And right now, apart from Australia’s flickering hope against Pakistan, they are probably in the worst form they have been in many decades.

The cause of all this is the circus of T20. All over the world T20 parties seem to attract some of the greatest talents, reducing fast bowlers to ridiculous “change of pace” weaklings and causing once-classical batsmen to descend into some kind of shot-making stew in gratification of the instant, not the tenacious grinding of three to four sessions of batting. Yes, there are smatterings of that still around, but normally against decidedly weak bowling.

T20 will not save Test cricket because it has already destroyed it. Manthorp would do well to not always speak the political correctness of the cricket masters, but to consider the real integrity of the game he loves so much.

Deon Crafford

Tshwane