English County Cricket has NOTHING to learn from the IPL. In fact far from being cutting edge it was merely organised as a riposte to the breakaway ICL. The only reasons why the IPL is attracting the top stars are the money, the short time and the fact that the ICC has approved of it. It can only satisfy those current internationals who wish to have their cake and eat it too. Also, while the short time frame may be of an advantage, can anyone really pretend that the cricket put on display will be better than what is on offer in the 5-day game? A case in point being Andrew Symonds' over to his ex-Aussie pal Shane Warne when 20 or so runs were needed. His deliveries had 'HIT ME' written all over them and Warne duly capitalised, taking his team to an unlikely win. So far we have seen great batting exploits but only precious few bowling performances of note. The ICL, while attracting some good overseas players, was able to stay true to its promise by giving local players more opportunities and focusing more on the actual cricket, with the result being the development of some good locals and the realisation of their potential. Where are the locals in the IPL?! The IPL only seems to be content to place emphasis on the entertainment factor and the money involved and by bloating the teams with full internationals while promising hefty salaries. When players only play because of the money you can see that the soul of the game is lacking, and if that be the case then no matter ho entertaining or popular it may be, it's really the equivalent of the dead man walking. At least in first-class cricket, you see the people continuing to do the hard yards because of the love of the game. And contrary to what you may believe, there are plenty of fans in England who still admire cricket for its traditionalism and its almost near-certainty in an ever-changing world. Those people are the true cricket fans. MAYBE a bit more money can be invested, but every year there is always an investment. And since most of those IPL internationals would return to the first-class scene anyway, I see no 'crisis' at all!

And yo think many people have no jobs and they can just watch test cricket or four day long county.I just say these are good to increase the popularity of cricket outside the subcontinent.If you don't agree then what can i say.

Most of the first-class cricket takes place in the English summer when plenty of schools and colleges are on holiday, and a lot of people CAN take a few days off to see a match in between. So I don't see your point, if anything there is a lot of incongruity here.

But people in the parts where cricket is most popular do not like test cricket much like the subcontinent.

5 day test cricket should not be compared with 3 day county matches. 3 day county matches should not be compared with 50 over a side one day matches. 50 over matches should not be compared with 20/20 matches. Each one has its own flavor and there are specific spectators for each one. 20/20 seems to fit the needs of the young cricket fans of today since they are busier than before. None have time to sit and watch longer versions of the game. They want to complete work, have a beer and watch a short game before getting ready for the next day of work. Times have changed. And if cricket does not updates itself to the changing times, it will be left as a traditional game and will decline. Accept all forms of the game and allow the new formats to come into their own. One day cricket took three decades to mature to its current state. And popularity is something none of us control. Things happen on their own accord. No one knows how things will turn out in the long run. But only through experimentation can changes be made. Therefore do not be cynical and write everything off. If you love county matches, go watch and enjoy them. If someone else like 20 over games let them enjoy it too. Everything takes time to evolve and one can only conclude after allowing things to come into being and gain its stature.

Yes i totally agree with you.