Stop - it's too exciting

Unbelievable!! For years cricket has been dying on it's feet. Or rather it's supporters have.

Unable to attract young supporters, cricket has slipped down the list of favourite sports in England. The 5 day test format looked more and more like a dinosaur heading towards inevitable extinction in the hearts and minds of the UK sports fans. The modern short attention span is catered for so much better by other games. Fun is what we want, what our souls ache for. Then along came limited overs cricket - a whiff of change making the colling embers of the game of cricket glow a little more brightly.

20 over cricket, offering razzamatazz and excitement charged over the horizon like cavalry racing to the rescue. The IPL demonstrated just how this new format could capture the imagination, bring new supporters to the game, and enthuse a new audience. Throwing off the old fusty image we have a new sport, tailor-made for the new century.

The problem is that the cricket authorities are still made up from the sort of staid, saliva drooling, senile stalwarts that would rather see the sport die than change. Kevin Pietersen's innovation with the bat (changing from a right to left handed grip during the delivery of the ball and swatting the ball for six) moved everyone. For the new fans, they saw enterprise and excitement. But not the grey has-beens. It moved the MCC to cast off their Zimmer frames, put down their cups of cocoa and croak in unison "Stop!! This isn't cricket! It is too exciting. We must invent a new rule to stop this."

And I dare say they will. It is their motivation for this that beats me. Rather see the game die than evolve, rather snuff out popularity and keep things the same as they were, rather despise innovation than embrace it.

Their arrogance baffles me - but I guess they will have the ashes of the game to keep them warm in their dotage.