Nah, "Market Forces" innit.Perhaps it would take the Government to step in and save cricket from itself, by declaring a number of significant games protected by making them FTA as in other sports ?
British Grand Prix, FA Cup Final, Wimbledon Finals for examples. It could be done if you have the will !
They're in the most finals, I am amazed the WC or Euros are still FTA, The ones you mentioned are sort of "Written in Stone", For some reason Cricket never was given that status. I can still recall watching the 2005 Test series ( I think the last on FTA) that was one amazing series and summer, My good lady kept moaning at me to go out and enjoy the sunshine but you couldn't take your eyes off the whole series.
Agreed I remember cricket enjoying a surge in popularity then and was amazed they immediately sold the rights to the highest bidder ie Sky.
I think during that Ashes series it was announced Sky had got the rights, The ECB should have had foresight and seen how that series got the nation gripped, Yet the next Ashes (Granted it was in Oz) it was a "Meh" to lot of people because it was only on Sky and they imho lost a lot of new fans they gained in 2005. The limited stuff when shown on FTA TV the audience figures are pretty good but the ECB don't see that, They only see £ signs.
I thought exactly the same, Let it rip through the team (Safely) and we won't have to suffer the embarrassment of a 5-0 whitewash.So England Coach Chris Silverwood will miss the 4th Test after being forced to isolate. The cynic in me would suggest that perhaps he should miss the 5th as well, for all the good that he is doing !