Globalisation, denationalisation and crass commercialisation have taken hold of international cricket: Test, One-Day International and soon, the 20-20 version of the “game of glorious uncertainties.”

What is certain is that the organisation and organisers of international cricket are drawing the life blood out of what is a national sport that represents the finest skills, dispositions, cultural expressions and valour of a people.

In recent times perhaps the only Test series of consequence was the last Ashes tour of England by Australia. At the end, thousands of English people came on to the streets to acknowledge the gladiatorial contest between the traditional foes of Test cricket.

Why? It had all the elements of the best of the tour and Test series as a contest: there was the build-up in the county games—not nearly as many games as 30 years ago but a good compromise; the contestants were seen, analysed by each other and the cricket loving world got its appetite whetted for a true contest.

When the moment came the teams were pitted against each other over five matches. At first Australia threatened to sweep the Englishmen’s hope for a first Ashes win in a generation into the Thames. But the English bounced back with heroes going head to head over an extended period. After the last ball, many could barely stand.

It was a meaningful contest stretched over five games, there was no sham and the players peaked to defend country and glory.

The two and three-game series and the one-off Test match come and go with blinding speed and anonymity. No one will be able to look back on these artificial occurrences and remember them like the 1948 clash of Australians against the English (the last series of Bradman) will always be remembered.

So too the titanic series of 1960/61 when the WI and Australia played the first tied Test match and when 250,000 lined the streets at the end of the series to say a tearful goodbye to Frank Worrell and his men.

Organisation of the game is no longer about Test-playing nations seeking out contests to demonstrate national skills and character one against the other. The prime consideration is about putting corporate sponsors, looking for markets for their products, in touch with large live and television audiences.

The Asian Test-playing countries with hundreds of millions of consumers and the rich markets of England and Australia are trapped on the carousel—round and round.

The West Indian administrators, no longer able to bargain with the most dynamic players, are screaming for “piece of the action.” Australia and India are not listening, even willing to drop a proposed series here or a Test match there without second thought.

There are no million-dollar profits or real challenge to playing the WI team of today and the likes of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, so why waste time and effort. It brings to mind Rudder. We are “...in a world that don’t need islands no more...”

To acquire and sustain commercial appeal, Test-playing countries have bought into a magic being developed down under. Australian coaching crews, supposedly with the magic potion in their bags, are crossing continents to deliver new “scientific” methods of coaching and training.

Test countries are paying large sums to the new coaches, knowing that the commercial world requires instant results. Overall, the WI, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and England teams have foreign coaches, mainly Australians, on staff.

In all of this, the history and culture of Test-playing countries, the national character and that special something they bring to international sport are being lost in a watered-down sameness.

The players and their associations are beginning to scream “burn-out and fatigue” from the non-ending series, one following the other. But they, too, are caught in the trap. Long the poor relations of international sport, cricketers are coming into lucrative match fees and individual sponsorship contracts.

The ICC, intent on spreading the commercial net even further, is seeking to incorporate a number of its associate members into the Test fold, especially those that provide large and lucrative markets for sponsor products and services.

Perhaps having found that he missed the opportunity to earn serious match fees and sponsorship contracts, the great Indian opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar is perplexed and disappointed by the players saying that they are reaching their endurance limit.

Obviously past the stage when he can see the ball clearly, Gavaskar completely misses the point, saying that when players are playing for their country and national glory they should be prepared to play 365 days a year.

The point is, Sunil, the players know they are not playing for pride and honour of country, but rather for pure commercial gain. And many of them, having satiated their financial appetite, want something else out of the game.

The crass commercialisation is breeding a vulgar culture in the game, going under the euphemism of “sledging.” Never polite with their manners on and off the field, the Australians, on top the commercial heap and desperate to hold that position, are operating like the worst elements of the corporate world—anything goes to keep the nest covered.

Television commentator Tony Greig, who was never associated with genteel behaviour during his playing days, was so shocked by the language coming through the stumps microphone that he called for the mike to be shut off.

Records of runs and wickets built up over decades by the greats of the games are being surpassed by mediocre players who by sheer number of games played are overhauling aggregates and averages. Soon enough, especially when the gate is opened for countries which do not deserve Test status, statistical records will have little meaning.

It seems inconceivable to contemplate a slowing down of the united forces of globalisation, denationalisation and crass commercialisation. Moreover, it is clear that these forces have further distances to run before reaching saturation point.

As dark as the times seem for West Indies cricket in the context of being outside of the core Test-playing countries that are thriving in the circumstances, maybe being at the bottom of the table amongst the genuine Test-playing countries could have some benefit.

Only recently, Bangladesh pushed the weary and saturated Australians to a close finish by bringing something fresh to the contest.

Maybe if the West Indies were able to transform the administrative, social and cultural structure of the game, the team will be able to return that special self it has demonstrated during the first 75 years of playing Test cricket.