A New Documentary on How Test Cricket is Nearing Extinction

A New Documentary on How Test Cricket is Nearing Extinction: A recently released documentary film titled, “ The death of a gentleman” talks about the decline of test cricket and the murky world of the sports administration. Sam Collins and Jarrod Kimber, the makers of the film have successfully pioneered an unbiased production of this film that describes the scepter of the sports administration being passed on from the ICC into the hands of the big 3 that comprises of three cricketing giants namely India, England and Australia.

This current situation, the film contends, is the result of the January 2014 ICC meeting at Dubai in which these countries rubber stamped a land-grab for the proceeds of television rights. Many claim this will reduce the Boards of South Africa, New Zealand and West Indies to vassal status. The film conveys that cricket is reduced into a single monolithic market for the Indian T20 directly taking a dig at the IPL.

It also portrays N Srinivasan in bad light and insists that Srinivasan may well be cricket’s Sepp Blatter. Many others have contributed to this movie in much more significant ways: the roll call of interviewees is an absolute who’s who, from Jonathan Agnew to Lalit Modi.

One of the most telling comments comes from the Australian cricket historian Gideon Haigh, who says: “Does cricket make money to exist or does it exist to make money?” That is really a question that would reverberate in hearts of the devout followers of the gentleman’s game.