It's a rare English summer when an Ashes series shares top billing with a limited-overs tournament. To discover another year like 2009 you have to go back to 1975, when the first World Cup preceded four Tests between Australia and England.
However, 1975 was different to 2009. First the World Cup was scheduled, and the authorities then decided that as Australia would be in the country, they might as well play a Test series, even though it wasn't an Ashes year. Thirty-four years ago the World Cup with its memorable final probably outshone a lacklustre Test series that provided three draws.
This time around it appears likely Twenty20 and the Ashes will share the spotlight. With cricket currently in a state of flux because of the success of Twenty20, this scheduling rarity may provide a blueprint for the game's future. The international cricket programme is a complete shambles, and there's a feeling that something has to give. The future could well feature a more selective Test programme, a wide range of Twenty20 competitions, including globalisation of the game via franchising, with precious little 50-over cricket. I'd be tempted to predict the death of 50-overs cricket, except that the World Cup is a valuable commodity and the administrators will be loath to let it slide into oblivion.
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