Some Reflections On The Super Series Test

My old chemistry teacher once said to me that an experiment that doesn't work can be just as informative as an experiment that does. It is in this spirit that the ICC should reflect on the Super Series Test.

By attempting to ensure that all the major Test playing nations had a stake in the World XI the ICC fell between seven different stools. The diplomacy involved in ensuring that only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe were missing from the ICC World XI was ultimately self-defeating. Inzamam-ul-Haq should not have been forced to play just so the organisers could tick all the boxes. His fielding was lethargic and he failed to trouble the scorers in both his innings. The side should have been selected on merit alone.

The Australian crowd loves a good contest and the disappointingly low crowd numbers are indicative of the failure of the whole Super Series. This is despite the incredible array of talent on show. Audiences want to see these players competing for their respective countries in a cause that matters to them. To an Australian, beating a side doesn't really count as a victory if there aren't a large number of fans crying into their beers as a result. They recognise that for there to be a real sporting contest someone has to win and someone has to lose, but who really lost today? Only an invented non-entity called the ICC World XI, which now appears to have no supporters at all.