Letter from the Editor: Howzat? Is there such a thing as too much cricket?

One of my favourite summer memories is of watching the Boxing Day cricket Test with Dad – at least the start of the match.

We’d always spend Christmas Day in Grafton with the extended family and it was always, always, stinking hot.

I remember lying in front of the open door at Nana’s house, hoping to catch just a movement of air.

To me, the Boxing Day Test signified the “official” start of summer and the long, glorious school holidays.

Never a cricket fan – or much of a fan of any sport – Mum would enjoy a cup of tea and a good book on the verandah and my younger sister would be absorbed in her Christmas presents.

But Dad, Nana and I would be in front of the old black and white TV waiting for the dulcet tones of Richie Benaud to kick off the commentary.

It was the days of Lillee and Thompson, of Marsh and Chappell; the days when Test cricket usually lasted for the full five days and the one-day limited overs game was only in its infancy.

It was before media tycoon and Channel Nine owner Kerry Packer barged his way into the gentleman’s game and introduced World Series Cricket, transforming the way cricket in Australia was promoted and played.

Fast forward to today and although I’m far from a cricket tragic, I still enjoy watching the start of the Boxing Day Test – although there’s nothing that would persuade me to spend days watching the game, unlike the mate who shared a photo while on a train platform at 4:19 am to get to the SCG to join the queue for a seat at day one of the Sydney Test.

But this column is not about the merits of Test cricket versus One Day versus T20 or any other version of the game.

Rather, I’m wondering if anyone else suffers from cricket fatigue these days? Is there just too much cricket played – do we really have an appetite for year-round cricket? And is it taking its toll on players (as well as fans)?

I’m sure true cricket devotees would be taking aim at my stumps right now, and certainly the figures from the recent Border-Gavaskar Test matches between Australia and India appear to shoot my theory down in flames.

It was Australia’s fourth-best attended series – the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne drew a record 373,691 spectators over five (full) days – and was reportedly the most-watched Test series ever played in the country.

And proving too much cricket is never enough cricket, there are those hardy souls who, an hour or so after stumps, settle down to watch one if not two games of “hit and giggle” T20.

There’s no doubt the Test series was great cricket, providing a tight competition, some exciting new players to watch – Sam Konstas was a breath of fresh air – and a bit of niggle between the teams.

But with just a couple of weeks to recover from a gruelling series, the Aussie team will head off to take on Sri Lanka in a two-Test match and a one-dayer. In June the team takes on South Africa in England ahead of the next Ashes series at the end of the year.

Co vice-captain Travis Head admitted he was “wrecked” after the series, while captain Pat Cummins – who will miss the Sri Lankan tour for the birth of his second child – said he had little left in the tank.

In the days of Lillee and Marsh and co, players made their way up from state sides to the Australian team. Full stop.

In the mid 1970s before one-day cricket really gained momentum, the Aussie team would play a Test series against a visiting side and maybe undertake an overseas tour. Throw in Sheffield Shield games – which featured Aussie team players – and that would pretty much be the cricket season.

If it feels like cricket is now played year-round, it is. And that has to take a toll on players, mentally and physically and often forces their hand in deciding which form of the game they want to play.

Look at Indian bowler Jaspit Bumrah, the player of the Border-Gavaskar series. Hailed by many as one of the greatest all-time fast bowlers, he gave the Aussie batsmen grief throughout the series, taking 32 wickets. But he was forced to withdraw from the Sydney Test due to injury. Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood only played a minor role in the Test before he too succumbed to injury.

Ironically, while the calendar for men’s cricket matches is packed out, the Australian women’s cricket team would love to play more than just a solitary Test match – fair call too.

The question is, is the plethora of cricket in response to demands from fans, from players, from cricket administrators or, more likely, from those in charge of the broadcast rights and the millions of dollars to be made?

Of course, that’s nothing new for cricket – Kerry Packer didn’t create a revolution because he loved the game – nor for any other major sport.

At the end of the day, Aussies love their sport, any sport, and we love to see the best of the best playing for their country.

But if the cost of so many top-tier competitions is the loss of the “best of the best” before their time, then we should be asking – is too much cricket really worth it?