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Are the days of high elbow and elegant body balance gone forever?

“Bring on the butchers and we will make cricketers out of them” – seems to be the recent trend. Surprised? Well don’t be. Many a cricket academies will follow the dictum in the near future. Considering the recent craze for slam bam T20 cricket among the masses, the world of cricket is now ruled by the muscle guys. It seems as if to be a successful cricketer, you need to have the raw power.

Gone are the days when people used to pay to watch Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi score 34 in 300 balls and applaud for his forward defensive shorts. Today’s generation can’t expect anything less than a run-a-ball century. Given a choice between – a smashing fifty from Sehwag or a patient knock from Dravid that saved the match the majority of the crowd would vote for the earlier.

Earlier the beauty of cricket lied in a well timed cover-drive or a beautifully executed leg glance. But today the crowds don’t mind how the runs come as long they keep coming. Otherwise, can any person expect a batsman to scoop a bowler over the wicketkeeper’s head or play a reverse sweep and get thundering applause from the crowds?

It may appear as if we are complaining like a sissy failing to understand that evolution is a necessary process and cricket is no exception. In today’s age of globalization and commercialization even the game of cricket has to change in order to keep pace with time and demand. Let the artistry of cricket remain intact in the footage of the past. Enjoy the bang-bang cricket in vogue. After all, time and tide wait for none.

Gone are the days of back tracking now we move forward!

Cheer leaders in cricket? Surprised? Yes, you have heard (and seen) it right! Well, it is the latest option being used to promote cricket globally. In fact, the first conscious step taken by the ICC, in promoting the game worldwide is the introduction of T20 cricket among affiliate playing nations.

The last World Cup clearly showed which teams are considered minnows in cricket and why. A bitter reminder is the match played between Bermuda and India. Such matches surely result in a huge dip in the viewership of the game. It was high-time ICC made some permanent changes in the format of the game to remove this wide disparity. With the introduction of T20 cricket, this gap has been filled to a great extent. This shorter version of the game loaded with hard-hitting action, drama, high-octane emotions, is a complete entertainer. No wonder, T20 has caught the fancy of even the wives and grandmas in the house!

The achievement of parity has been a success mainly because of the short span of time in T20 matches. The skill necessary for this form of cricket is at par with its longer versions. But here, a player gets very little time to make skill adjustments. With a blink of an eye, you are a hero or a loser in T20 matches. This indeed is a bonus for affiliate playing nations who do not have the adequate skills to battle the Test-playing nations for a long period of time. The concept has been hatched from the English Premier League, a popular soccer league in the UK. Here, even minnows can dream of beating the league toppers.

Moreover, a T20 tournament encourages and enhances the game of non-playing countries. This is insured by ICC with the inclusion of international players in such teams. No wonder today the “Champions League” has become the talk of the town, in every town, all over the world! The winners of IPL, ICL etc. are all making their way to this tournament to showcase their cricketing skills. So, a player who earlier had not much hold in international cricket, has a handful of commercials, media packages and a fat bank balance under his belt.

Truly, irrespective of what the purists say, T20 has become a blessing in disguise. Now the Gen -next spectators too can enjoy the adrenalin rush as much as the Romans did watching gladiators battle in the Colosseum. Thanks to T20!