T20 - Only time will show the real impact

It’s a rare time when there is no test cricket or ODI’s being played. Other than to a couple of months leading up to a World Cup, tours consisting of both forms of the game are constantly taking place. At the moment there is none of it, just T20 games in Sri Lanka and India.

Just as with test cricket and one day cricket, the birth of the twenty over game at first class level was given birth in England. It was to be the catalyst to draw spectators into the county grounds. As it is essential for the totally professional county game to be a profit making venture, this form of the game opened new doors in the twenty first century.

Now it is being contested at international level and the authorities are making every effort to keep the lid on it, to ensure that it is only a tool to derive some fun. The ICL tournament took a fresh turn and opened a confrontation with India’s governing body. They in turn formulated the IPL which is currently running into packed houses. That is not to say that ICL will lie low. They will aim higher when they go into action the next time.

The attraction or the spectator interest is in the entire episode being completed with three hours or less. Why wait for five days for a result? Still there is no guarantee, even then. To the connoisseur it is not a test of all the skills of the batsmen and bowlers do not have the opportunity to display the brilliance in their respective trades.

Having said that, it must be said that T20 cricket has come to stay. It could be the attraction for many nations who have not embraced the culture of real cricket. Nations like the United States or China who may never accept the purpose of five day test cricket. They also would not mind spending three hours for the purpose of enjoying a sport.

The pitch determines the course of the game to a great extent. All pitches for this form of the game are prepared to suit the batsmen. They are flat, well rolled, devoid of grass and little or no moisture on the top surface. Every effort being made to nullify bounce, seam movement, cut and spin. Often the bowlers are on a hiding to nothing.

Batsmen are beginning to adapt to the requirement. They are not attempting to smash every delivery. They have worked it out that there are a minimum one hundred and twenty deliveries and to score off as many is the way to go. It is a matter of accelerating from the word go, playing as many cricket strokes and playing the innovated shots, when risks have been taken.

This form of cricket will be a further boost to the fielding department. The ground fielding, catching, throwing, chasing successfully, are all bound to improve. Holding onto the half chances, saving every run, becomes all so important. One concern is introducing players at too young an age to this form of the game. The present Inter Provincial tournament in progress comprises of a schools team. They have been outplayed on almost every occasion. More than that they do not fit into this all out attack, aggressive mode of cricket. An under 23 team would be the better option. Young cricketers must be moulded to become capable of handling the longer game which is about absorbing the techniques of the game. Success in whatever shorter version of the games will then follow.

T20 is stuff to whet the appetite and draw spectators to the ground. The game between recently crowned World Champions of this format and Australia played last December in Melbourne attracted a crowd of 84,000. India were bowled out for 74 in 17.3 over and the Aussies cantered home in a jiffy, scoring the runs in 11.2 overs. The massive crowd witnessed just 28.5 overs and that was their day’s cricket!

Only time will tell the real impact of T20 on the overall structure of the game. One thing is for sure: it has shown that cricket is a game and that cricket could be fun.