Michael Atherton, a former cricket player for England who is now a pundit, has expressed disappointment over the amount of cricket played these days, saying that spectators are finding it difficult to understand the significance of different series and tournaments. He claims that it is difficult for onlookers to distinguish between series and tournaments that are important and those that are not.
Following the end of India’s Cricket World Cup last month, a few teams have already begun their next series. Less than a hundred hours after the final, on November 19, at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the Indian cricket team played a brief Twenty20 series at home against Australia.
Before leaving on their tour, a few Australian players participated in a few matches in order to prepare for the impending series against Pakistan. In the meantime, India embarked on a lengthy series that included two Tests, three ODIs, and three T20s in South Africa. India will then play home series against Afghanistan and England.
“The schedule evokes the strongest feeling in me. People tell me they can’t keep up with it the more I talk to, maybe because of who I talk to or how old they are. It’s excessive! Which series are crucial and which are not is beyond our power to decide. Everything is coming together! Three forms of international cricket are played, plus franchise cricket is added. And then there’s an ICC event each year! We’ve had four World Cups in five years since 2019! Says Atherton on Sky Sports.
“This is what’s still in front of me in men’s cricket,” he went on, “simply too much complexity! It seems as though the cricket is consuming itself! It’s difficult for fans to remain at the top of everything.
Cricket players have voiced their disapproval of the dangerous quantity of cricket played in addition to fans. Following the World Cup, seven Australian cricket players were initially rested for the Twenty20 series against India. Five of the players then came back after a few games.
After deciding not to watch the T20 series, Mitchell Marsh called the scheduling “disrespectful.” “The boys won the World Cup, so maybe it’s time to celebrate,” he remarked. One would think that following major events, there wouldn’t be many series.”
It was noted by Australian captain Pat Cummins that athletes are not “robots.” He replied, “They are human, they are not robots,” to reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground. If players are not at their best during a World Cup and then play a few days later, it’s not my problem.”
Then, playfully, he said, “It’s still a game for Australia, and it’s great that these tours give young people or those who might not have been in the eleven before an opportunity.” These tours are valuable, in my opinion, and they can help you accomplish a lot.”