Twenty20 Cricket, good or evil?

By Amit M, 29 June '03
July 9 2003

What is Twenty20 Cricket? Is it a fast-paced slugfest compacted into a format that morons can enjoy, or a breath of fresh air from the dull monotony of meaningless ODIs? As fans of the great game, do we shower it with praise or pray that it never progresses to the international stage?

The idea itself is out of the ordinary. A game of cricket that one can enjoy in 3 hours, pumped with amphetamines and tossed to the masses. At first the idea of batsmen attempting to smash the daylights out of every single ball continuously for 20 overs, then having a break, and doing it again provoked the same feelings as a hyperactive poodle with sharp teeth. “This isn’t pure cricket,” fans and media complained. And they were right -- what’s the point of taking a sport that is already well-liked by so many and revamping it to meet the demands of people who couldn’t care less?

The never-ending bout of slogging definitely made traditional fans grumble and moan. Yet, if we let go of our rigid doctrines, we may well find Twenty20 entertaining. The regular 50-over-a-side ODIs have started following a fixed pattern. The fan wakes up, watches the first 15 overs of the team batting first, sleeps for 2 hours, and wakes up to watch the end of the first inning. They then watch the first 15 overs of the 2nd innings, sleep for 2 hours, and watch the end of the match. This saves one from watching the utterly boring stage between the 15th and 35th overs. Now, the geniuses who created Twenty20 have sliced out the fat from ODIs, leaving an entertaining game that doesn’t take too much time.

Not only does the game seem a great idea, its overall effect on cricket in general may be priceless. Twenty20 will lure skeptics into developing a fondness for the game as a whole. They may later start watching ODIs, and finally Tests. In addition, countries like Bangladesh and Kenya, teams which have shown talent at times but lack the depth top teams possess, could use the speedy Twenty20 format as a step towards entering the challenging world of test cricket. One can even imagine the commercial aspects leading to include events like six-hitting contests and a more showy atmosphere. The greedy rulers of the ICC won’t object to this, in the end it's all about the money right?

One need not be concerned about the future of ODI and Test cricket; those formats can only benefit if Twenty20 reaches the international stage. During rain-affected matches, where teams have shortened innings, batsmen will have a clearer idea of how to pace their innings if they've played Twenty20. At the present time, teams are woefully underprepared when it comes to batting in reduced innings matches, the team batting 2nd usually wins in these situations. England’s swift demolition of Pakistan a few days ago shows that the habits from this form are already reaching the big stage. Bowlers will need to learn promptly how to keep the runs down, providing preparation for bowling in the death overs, the most arduous of times to be tossed the ball.

It seems improbable that the popularity of Twenty20 will have an adverse effect on Test cricket. If anything, interest in Tests will increase, since Twenty20 will bring more fans to cricket. Between ODIs and Tests, it seems more likely that ODIs would suffer if Twenty20 becomes a hit. Tests will accommodate the more serene brand of fan, while Twenty20 will interest those who enjoy instant entertainment. However, since all three formats have their pluses and minuses, I don’t see why the attractiveness of one form should dull interest in another. Currently, teams visiting a country play 3 Tests and 5 ODIs on average. This could change to 3 tests, 3 ODIs and 3 Twenty20 matches, but that will likely be a long time coming.

What we need to realize is that cricket was created to entertain people. If Twenty20 cricket is entertaining, then it is fulfilling its purpose. People laughed at ODIs when they first appeared, but look at the astounding extent to which One-days have benefited cricket. This is a game, let’s not forget that. As times change, so must sport. Hum hain naye, andaaz kyon ho purana?

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The man who saw tomorrow