KT edit: Cricket gets a new lease of life during the pandemic

Cricket's decision to return to empty stadiums follows the recent resumption of (fanless) football leagues in Europe, and Formula 1 racing

A Test match bereft of spectators may have offended purists who have all the time in the world discussing the finer points of the game. But the 'leisurely' version proved its resilience and scored with the first tie of the West Indies-England series getting underway in Southampton on Wednesday. The original, in which the pace is gentler and often circumspect - a (square) cut above the rest, was met with showers that failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the men in whites who took the field after four months of the calendar were washed out by the pandemic. The applause is refined in Tests, the drive is perfected and the batsman often pauses for reflection on playing a loose shot. However, the applause died out even before the game started on Wednesday, though the drive was firmly in place.
The quieter pace of the game is to be relished - a purist's delight but what good is it without the fans, the faithfuls who will sweat it out in the stands for five days unaware that the match could peter out into a draw yet still exit the stadium with a grin on their faces? Test matches are considered safe bets, though the original form of the game may have become endearingly dull to those fed on a modern junk diet of T-20s. The quick-fix variety has tested the limits to which the original version of the game can be pursued - playing patience with the fan, one might be tempted to say. But two teams were all that it took for Test cricket to take guard again. Cricket's officialdom deserves some praise for their desire to satiate the television gallery and the throng of advertisers. They resolved to play crowd-pleasers to millions watching on screens, thereby saving the careers of young cricketers and those in their prime of performance. That said, this decision to revive matches has little safety in numbers with millions still infected and many perishing from the coronavirus.
Cricket's decision to return to empty stadiums follows the recent resumption of (fan-less) football leagues in Europe, and Formula 1 racing. A delayed start to the calendar is better than cancelling sporting activity, is the line of thinking that is not entirely flawed. Covid-19 has redefined and refined as entertainment - screens will suffice and real fans can be screened out during the pandemic and post-pandemic era. Screaming and chanting spectators are not worth the health risk as sport gets a fresh lease of life. This is the new virtual reality that sporting fans are coming to grips with. Test cricket, to its credit, has held its ground during the pandemic. The virus will decide which way the fans will go.