Growth of Test cricket
In 1909 the Imperial Cricket Conference was established and this had just South Africa, Australia and England as members. Very soon some other countries were also given Test status. These were West Indies in 1928, New Zealand in 1930, India in 1932, Pakistan in 1952, Sri Lanka in 1981 and Zimbabwe in 1992. Several other countries like United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Canada, the Netherlands and Bangladesh attained associate status. The English women’s cricket team toured Australia during the 1930s and afterwards countries like West Indies, New Zealand and India also established their teams. However cricket was still considered as a men’s game.
Suspension of South Africa
South Africa adhered to an approach of racial segregation called the apartheid. In 1961 the country did not participate in the Commonwealth of Nations and consequently the cricket board could not continue with the International Cricket Conference. In 1968 when the English team was to tour South Africa the colored cricketer Basil D’Oliveira was included in the team. Due to this inclusion the authorities from South Africa cancelled the tour. Due to this incidence the opposition of cricket to apartheid increased multi fold. As a consequence of these happenings the members of the International Cricket Conference in 1970 voted not to include South Africa in the international cricket competition indefinitely.
Limited overs
In 1963 the English domestic cricket witnessed the introduction of limited overs cricket. This match was completed in a single day and a result was a certainty. The possibility of a draw was absent. This shortened version of the game was an instant success. It encouraged innovative approach and the result was that the interest of the people in three day domestic cricket was decreased. It took some time to understand the potential of limited overs cricket and it was from 1971 that this form of game started.
World Series
In 1976 a 0.5 million and five year bid was made by Kerry Packer to gain the exclusive rights for the broadcast of international cricket played in Australia. However the Australian cricket board sold the rights to ABC for a lesser amount. Due to this Packer was angry that he was not offered an opportunity to negotiate. At the same time the Australian cricketers were not happy regarding their emoluments. Alan Barnes the ACB secretary announced that if the current cricketers were complaining there were a large number of cricketers in Australia who would readily take their place. Packer took this opportunity to begin a new competition that would satisfy the economical desire of the players and his television interests. He called this as World Series Cricket in which 50 leading cricketers of the world were signed. The characteristics of this cricket were body armor, motorcycle helmets, day-night games under lights, batting and fielding restrictions, white balls and colored uniforms. The most important feature was that the fans of the game would get some result before vacating the stadium. The first season of the World Series Cup was played in 1977-78 and during the second season in 1978-79, the television ratings and attendances of the matches increased. On 30 May 1979, it was declared that Packer’s Channel Nine had been given the exclusive rights to telecast cricket in Australia. The Channel Nine was also given a decade long contract to market and promote the game through PBL Marketing, a new company. The last match of the World Series Cup was played was played on day on 10th April 1979.