Too bloody much

For once, Tim de Lisle is right. (Sorry, thats slightly unfair, but its a good opening line, you'll agree). The Australian one-day series is a right mess. And its a mess because its pointlessly long. I watch one-days when I'm starved for cricket. So why would I watch one-days when there is a surfeit of them? The tournament's length could be halved and no-one would complain. Well, perhaps a few sponsors and the like, but I'm not sure they would be so happy if they found out their marketing dollars are very likely to buy them progressively less down the line. International scheduling of one-days is quite similar; too many tournaments, over-long series (to my horror, I read that England have scheduled seven against India during their forthcoming summer tour!); and a desire to play all year around, everywhere. So, Australia will also play India in Ireland, and also visit India to play another dozen, and god knows what else. Its a shambolic mess. And with this BCCI in charge of Indian cricket, don't expect any changes. If anything, they might talk the ICC into dropping tests altogether. Or facing opposition to this, they might form their own one-day league. Yeah, I know, crazy ideas, but sometimes it seems ever-so-likely. Oh, I forgot, another one-day series starts tomorrow. Just because its Kolkata, and Dada's return, I'd watch, but work forbids it. Won't miss the cricket.