T20 CRICKET

Cricket is an interesting topic for most Indians, and this applies even to Indians living in countries where almost no cricket is played. T20 cricket has revived interest even amongst aficionados who were on the verge of losing interest in this lovely game.

I plan to do two things in this article; one is to find reasons for the run away success of this brand of cricket with the Indians and two will do some crystal gazing on what shape T20 will take in the foreseeable future.

Indians as we all know love two things the most and these are bollywood movies and cricket. Any entertainment for Indians to be wholesome has to be a family affair and entertainment has to be for minimum three hours duration. Is it surprising then that most Hindi movies are stretched so as to be nearly three hours affair. Even the satsangs, musical concerts, satyanarain kathas are all stretched to three hours duration. A T20 match is a three hour entertainment with a short interval during change of innings. Involvement of stars and big industrialists has given T20 enough star value for Indians to lap up this version of bang bang cricket. In which other event do we Indians get to see their favorite cricketers performing with bollywood stars and successful industrialists supporting them. Most young Indians dream of becoming either a national level cricketer or a bollywood star or a businessman. Is it surprising that most of these dreams remain a mere dream? Consequently these unfulfilled desires are relived through IPL T20 matches. How I would have played? How much each player is really worth? How the advertisements should me made? All these and more are discussed by the fans as they attempt to relive their lives as successful icons they had at sometime aspired to become. One important reason why T20 cricket has become so popular with Indians is the fact that technical knowledge of cricket is no longer needed to understand and appreciate the game. Whether the ball delivered is a late swing or a reverse swing the batsman is expected to hit the ball out of the park. Full tosses are no more bad balls as long as there is a surprise element to it .Matches are easier to follow and this has brought the fairer sex to the game. Kids simply love the format. Music and dances in between balls and overs just add to the fun. Players’ uniforms are now designed by top fashion designers. Players look much smarter in their new attires with all the advertisement they carry on their uniforms. The game has forced them to be fitter and more athletic. And there is no better sight in cricket than watching fit fielders diving to bring miraculous saves. One other reason for popularity of this form of cricket whether you go to the stadium to watch the game or watch it on TV at home or in a pub is that you miss your work for not more than couple of hours. So dear readers be rest assured that this brand of cricket will only continue to gain in popularity in future. Though I must admit that I feel that T20 will ultimately see the demise of the one day version of pajama cricket. Test cricket will survive for some more time for cricket fans who love to watch the challenges between bat and ball in situations which really tests cricketers’ skills.
Now let’s do some crystal gazing and see how the rules of the game will be rewritten in future to make this form more entertaining.
1) Today theoretically it’s possible for one batsman to face all the 120 balls. I see the rule changing. No batsman will be permitted to face more than 24 balls ( 20 % of the total)
2) Fielding restrictions which is currently for six overs at the start of the inning will be in three installments in future. The first one of two overs will be mandatory at the beginning of the inning. The second one will be at the fielding side’s request and this one becomes mandatory if the fielding side hasn’t opted for it till the beginning of the seventeenth over. Batting power play (as it is called in one dayers) of two overs will be immediately after the fielding side has finished its power play.
3) Every team will compromise of thirteen players. A fielding side will have a maximum of eleven players on the field. Batting team can only have a maximum of eleven batsmen but will be permitted to use any from the team of thirteen players. (Similar to the rules they are following in the practice matches before the T20 world cup).
4) To speed up the game the batsman’s guard will be pre marked with a sticker line which will start from the wickets on each side and end two feet from the crease. Batsman won’t be allowed to ask the umpires for the guard.
5) All stadiums will be forced to have same dimensions. All boundaries will be of seventy five yard no more no less.


Now let’s examine which kind of players will be consistently successful in this brand of cricket.

1) With fitness level of players increasing I see the average age of players in team be over thirty ( Hayden, Gilchrist, Gibbs and Warne are prime examples )
2) Players who are less excitable will succeed. In this game success and failures happen so fast that players who can’t control their emotions are bound to fail.
3) Players who are taller than the average will have greater success. The longer reach and stronger built will help players get more power. Short or tall a player will be expected to be very fit. He should be able to run like a hare and have enough strength to throw a flat return to the wicket keeper from the boundary line.

Let’s enjoy the T20 WORLD CUP and wait for the rule changes and predictions made above come true.