50-over cricket? I could take it or leave it...

Before you know it, another summer of cricket has again passed us by. We have had it all.

Australia losing its first Test match to the Kiwis for more than 20 years, a 4-0 sweep of India, a hugely successful Big Bash League and, to conclude the summer, a one-day international tri-series.

A very successful and lucrative summer for Cricket Australia to say the least, but there is still a big white elephant sitting in the corner: 50-over cricket.

Is it in good health or is the game the late Kerry Packer revolutionised back in the 70s dying a slow death?

If you know me at all, you will know my true love of the game is Test cricket.

From staying up late to watch my first Ashes in 1989, to pulling on my own Baggy Green cap in 2009, the game has been, and will always be, a big part of my life.

But with 50-over cricket I could take it or leave it, more so now than my younger days. The funny thing is, I probably get more pleasure from watching the World Series re-runs from the 70's and 80's on Fox Sports than I do watching the current one-day matches.

I know Cricket Australia has defended ODIs, saying they're in good shape despite the poor crowds and growing popularity of T20 cricket, but they have to, don't they?

Australia is hosting the next 50-over World Cup with our neighbours New Zealand in 2015 and that means upward of $100 million in revenue.

The reality is 50-over cricket is still a cash cow for the leading nations of the cricketing world, with TV rights contributing the majority of revenue. The fact that we are seeing empty stadiums at ODIs now does not give a true representation of the "health" of the game.

With the busier lifestyles we now lead and the rising cost of living, you can only justify spending so much on tickets to the cricket. It looks as though the cricketing public have made their choice.

The Test matches attract the cricketing purists and the groups of lads on the all-day bender with their big green and gold sombreros.

The rest of the folk, meanwhile, seem to have decided to embrace the wave that swept the country with the inaugural T20 Big Bash League. More than 550,000 fans flocked to matches at eight venues, at an average of nearly 18,000 per match.

I must admit I have been converted to T20 cricket, not just as a player but as a watcher of the game. Originally I thought it was just a bit of hit and giggle, where the end result didn't really matter and only the entertainment was important.

But the game has come a long way since its introduction back in 2003.

Players and teams are giving it as much attention, if not more so, than Test or one-day cricket. Maybe the money incentive has something to do with that, with players getting paid more money to play in the Indian Premier League for six weeks than what they earn playing for their countries in a year.

Leaving the money verus country debate for another time, I am yet to meet someone who prefers ODI over T20. It's faster, more glamorous and as a package far more entertaining to a broader audience.

50-over cricket is here to stay, for at least the immediate future. There is no doubt it is dying a slow death in attendances at matches but there are still a million of you watching it on TV, regardless of who is playing or how well the Australian team is performing.

However, I am sad to say that watching 50-over cricket is no longer high on my agenda. Test Matches and T20 cricket for me thanks.

What do you think the future holds? Is T20 cricket going to knock out the older brother or is he going to keep rolling with the punches?

Follow Western Warriors skipper Marcus North on Twitter @Marcus_North

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