Twenty20: Past, Present and Future
The history of Twenty20 cricket has its roots in England. The England and Wales Cricket Board originally introduced it in 2003 as a professional inter-county tournament. The winners that year were the Surrey Lions who defeated the Warwickshire Bears to clinch the first ever Twenty20 Cup, which was a huge success with the crowds. Since then the Twenty20 format has been tried in almost all cricket playing nations and the results have been on the whole positive. On January 12th, 2005, Australia’s first ever Twenty20 match was played at the WACA between the Western Warriors and the Victoria Bushrangers. It drew a sellout crowd of 20,700 people. The first ever Twenty20 international was played between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on 17th February, 2005. Although Australia won that game the people remembered the match more for its fresh approach to the game of cricket and its carnival like atmosphere. Starting July 11th, 2006, 19 West Indian regional teams competed in the Stanford 20/20 tournament. The event was on the whole was a success but some West Indian legends of the game, such as Micheal Holding, criticized it for being total ‘rubbish’. The format of Twenty20 closely resembles a form of the game that has been popular in English amateur cricket since 1960. However, it can be best described as an amalgamation of various unorthodox cricketing rules that every child in the cricketing world must be familiar with. The match consists of twenty overs a piece and has to be finished within 3hrs. This gives each side exactly 75mins to get through their twenty overs with. Failing to bowl the requisite number of overs within the given time limit could result in penalty as per the umpire’s discretion. The penalty could be in the form of extra runs being awarded to the batting side if the bowling side is found guilty or it could be in the form of extra time being rewarded to the bowling side if it is the former that is guilty of time wasting. Twenty20 matches are usually action packed as the batsmen have to go after the bowlers right from the word go. As an extra incentive for the batsmen to slog it out, the boundaries in a Twenty20 game are usually shorter.
The England and Wales Cricket Board had initially introduced Twenty20 cricket as a way to get the crowds back in domestic cricket. The first Twenty20 Cup in 2003 was marketed with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it” and it was aimed especially at the youth rather than the cricket connoisseur. It was meant to be a game that would bring the entire family together for an evening of fun and carnival like atmosphere. The finals of the 2003 Twenty20 Cup saw performances by pop stars and rock bands and the party like atmosphere made it an evening to remember. It was a huge success as the crowds were pleasantly taken by surprise. More than the cricket on field the idea was to have fun; cricket just provided the means. This was the ‘fast food’ of cricket and the people just loved every single bite. Since then Twenty20 has slowly risen in popularity and with the upcoming first ever Twenty20 World Championships in September, Twenty20 cricket is all set to take it to the next level.
However, the arrival of Twenty20 on the cricketing scene has surely divided the cricketing fraternity. Some believe that it is nothing but a travesty and should not be encouraged at any cost. They argue that since Twenty20 encourages far-from-technical cricket youngsters wanting to pick up the game will be misguided into believing that cricket is all about trying to hit 6’s and 4’s no matter how you do it. Also it will create the misconception that cricket is a batsman’s game and that there is very little incentive in bowling since it is the bowlers that are usually the ones at the receiving end. In such a scenario very few youngsters might take up bowling or bother learning the finer points of the craft. Plus there is always the argument that Twenty20 cricket will wean away interest from the traditional formats of the game, especially Test cricket.
All these concerns have had cricketing boards such as the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) treat Twenty20 cricket with a cold shoulder. However, in a meeting of the ICC (International Cricket Council) last year the proposal to formally accept Twenty20 cricket as a recognized format of the game was put to vote and the BCCI was outvoted 10 to 1. Since then the BCCI has agreed to the format and has also hosted a domestic Twenty20 tournament last April/May.
However, opinion regarding Twenty20 cricket still remains divided as its promoters insist that it will not replace any of the traditional formats but on the contrary will increase interest in them by pulling more people towards cricket as a whole. They also argue that the Twenty20 format is a great way of introducing cricket to the non-cricketing world which is used to fast games such as football.
With the Twenty20 World Championships just around the corner the format has reached a crossroads. A lot will depend on the Championships as to whether it will survive or simply run out of air. The question is not whether it is popular but whether this surge in popularity can be sustained.
Twenty20: The Good, the Bad and The Ugly
Ever since it was introduced Twenty20 cricket has definitely thrown up a lot of questions, within the cricketing fraternity as well as among the fans. There is no doubt that Twenty20 cricket is something unique and different. But the debate has essentially been about whether it is ‘cricket’ at all. For some (within and outside the cricketing fraternity) Twenty20 cricket is nothing but a travesty. It is a mockery of the game in a sense that it seeks not to glorify the skills that the game of cricket has traditionally been associated with.For example, in a Twenty20 format the batsmen don’t exactly have to be technically correct, they just have to be able to hit the ball hard and score as fast as possible given that they have just 20 overs to do the scoring in. So what this format does is it reduces the gap between the good and the ordinary batsmen. The definition of a good batsman has come down to be as someone who is skilled and well versed in the proper orthodox techniques of batting. Someone who can play every shot in the book. But in a Twenty20 game that might not be true. In Twenty20 a good batsman is someone who scores runs quickly, plain and simple. And you really don’t need to be technically correct to do that. The crux of the matter is that in a Twenty20 game if you get out playing a technically incorrect shot no one will blame you. The maximum they’ll say is, “well at least he went down swinging”. This is the biggest problem that the critics of Twenty20 have with the game. Traditionally the saying goes that there is no excuse for playing a bad shot. Well in Twenty20 there is always one.
This brings us to the next argument that the opponents of Twenty20 level against the game. Influence on youngsters. If there is always an excuse for playing a bad shot in Twenty20 then how do you expect the youngsters watching to learn the finer points of the game? If their Twenty20 heroes do it then can we turn around and tell them that this is all rubbish and technically incorrect? And this is where we actually enter the red zone for the very next question that will be shot back at you is “ is it really necessary to be technically correct?” Let’s face it; cricket has always differentiated between the ‘great’ technically sound players and the exciting, effective and not-so-technically sound ones. Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Sunil Gavaskar, Sir Donald Bradman, Alan Border etc will always be clubbed together in a different elite category as compared to Mahinder Singh Dhoni, Shahid Afridi or Lance Klusner, even though on occasions they were the ones to get your heart racing. There will always be the classy masters of the game and the unconventional but exciting entertainers.
But what Twenty20 does is in one sweep it wipes out the difference completely. In a Twenty20 match someone like Mahinder Singh Dhoni can be as good if not better than a Sachin Tendulkar or a Brian Lara or maybe even Sir Donald Bradman if he were alive and playing the game in his prime. And this is what irks the opponents of Twenty20 the most. How can you compare the great Sir Donald Bradman with Mahinder Singh Dhoni?
However, let’s look at the opposite viewpoint. Those in favour of Twenty20 do not shy away from the fact that it is nothing but pure entertainment. But then again what’s wrong with entertainment? Isn’t cricket supposed to be entertaining? So what if there is loud music and pretty little cheering girls and rock bands and what not. The crowds seem to enjoy it. So what if the cricket being played out in the middle isn’t technically correct? It doesn’t seem to bother the crowds anyway. Besides bigger crowds mean bigger money and now that all the cricketing boards have agreed to the format, theirs and the ICC’s pockets are going to be that much heavier. And at the end of the day that money will go into promoting cricket as a whole; well at least it is supposed to.
Another strong argument in favour of Twenty20 cricket is that it is good format to introduce cricket to the non-cricketing world, which is used to more compact and fast moving games such as soccer. They argue that once they get hooked onto Twenty20 their curiosity in other cricketing formats such as ODI’s and Test cricket will increase. As ex Australian all rounder, Tim May, described it, “ It is like tasting a new beer. If you like the taste you will buy another can. And if you still like it you might even buy an entire crate.”
Promoters of Twenty20 say that the format is not trying to compete with the other established formats of the game; rather it is trying to create a separate niche for itself. Besides they say that the entire argument that it demeans the skills involved in the game
is completely not true. It’s just that in Twenty20 a player needs different sort of skills; he needs to hit big, field well and get quick wickets. Plus they argue that the truly great players of the game will always look good no matter what format of cricket they are playing. It’s the cricketing mind that is important, skills come later.
All in all the case of Twenty20 cricket is exactly that of a new boy trying to join an already established group in school. However, that is not to say that it does not have any potential. There is no reason why all the three formats of the game can’t exist simultaneously. For the educated cricket fan Test cricket will always remain the classic form of the game and will forever set the benchmark in cricket. One-Day cricket will always be the perfect match of skill and luck and nothing can ever replace that. Whereas Twenty20 cricket can be the more fun loving version of the game, which will be great advertising for cricket in general. The reason there has been some opposition is because people haven’t really seen it happening. Well come September Twenty20 cricket will have its chance as the world will witness the first ever Twenty20 World Championship. I guess till then we will all have to wait and see.
History of Twenty20
Overview
Twenty20 cricket, often referred to as the “short game” involves each team only playing a single innings, batting each for a maximum of 20 overs. The timespan of a typical Twenty20 game is just under 3 hours, each innings therefore lasting 75 mins, and this brings the game more in line with other popular sports such as football or rugby.The game was conceived by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with the aim of creating a faster and more exciting version of cricket. The board stressed, however, that Twenty20 was not created to replace the traditional “long game”, but rather to complement it, with a view to attracting more interest in the game as a whole.
Since its humble beginnings in 2003, Twenty20 has spread around the world, all major cricketing nations now also fielding a short game team. Now most test playing teams also have a domestic competition of Twenty20. In the UK all the county teams now play Twenty20, sporting colourful team kits, similar to those of football.
The inaugural World Twenty20 Cup was held in 2007 in South Africa, in which India defeated Pakistan. The competition is organised by the sport’s governing body the ICC (International Cricket Council), and is to take place every two years. In 2009 the competition will be hosted by England, owing to the fact that it was one of the first two teams (alongside South Africa) to adopt the new style of the sport.
Brief History
As previously mentioned, Twenty20 cricket began in 2003 in the English domestic game, the idea being conceived by the England and Wales Cricket Board. When the Benson and Hedges Cup finished in 2002, the board needed to replace it with a new competition.It was also hoped that it would attract more youngsters to the game, and after 4 years, it appears to have been successful in this respect. Soon after, South Africa also incorporated Twenty20 cricket into their domestic game.
On the domestic scene, the first Twenty20 game to be held at Lords was between Middlesex and Surrey on July 15th 2004. The game attracted a staggering 26,500 spectators, the largest crowd for any one-day county cricket game, since 1953.
The first men's full international Twenty20 game played was between Australia and New Zealand in February 2005. The game was, however, taken in an extremely light-hearted manner, with both teams sporting 80s retro-style wear, including fake moustaches and beards.
Australia won the game resoundingly, though it was noted that not even the umpires really took the game too seriously during the last few overs. At one point Glenn McGrath jokingly restaged the infamous Trevor Chappell underarm bowling incident from a 1981 One Day International between the two sides, and umpire Billy Bowden produced a mock red card (red cards are not normally used in cricket) in response. The carnival atmosphere of this game provided a truly bizarre start for Twenty20 cricket on the international scene.
Rules
To contextualise the account of the modern game of Twenty20 cricket, it would be useful to outline briefly the new laws that apply to the game, in comparison with traditional cricket. In Twenty20 cricket the same laws apply as in the traditional game apart from a few exceptions:- Bowlers may only bowl a maximum of 4 overs per innings.
- Umpires can award 5-run penalty runs at their discretion if they believe either team is wasting time.
- The fielding team must start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes. If not, the batting side is credited an extra 6 runs for every whole over bowled after the 75 minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this, if he considers the batting team is wasting time.
- No more than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time.
- During the first 6 overs, a maximum of two fielders only can be outside the 30-yard circle.
- After the first 6 overs, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.
With the addition of a few radical new rules and restrictions, Twenty20 makes for an extremely exciting (and for the players, nerve-racking) addition to the modern cricket game.
Great Matches
In England, the first Twenty20 match was played between England and Australia at the Hampshire Rose Bowl on the 13th June 2005. In this momentous match England broke the record for winning by the largest margin in a game of Twenty20, claiming a victory by 100 runs.Another hugely memorable match was between Australia and South Africa in January 2006, with the match pulling a crowd of 38,894 people at the The Gabba stadium in Australia. The Ozzies resoundingly won the match with ‘Man of the Match’ winner Damien Martyn scoring 96 runs.
One of the most exciting Twenty20 international games of all time was New Zealand vs. West Indies in February 2006, a game in which the teams tied on runs, 126 a piece, the New Zealanders stealing the game 3-0 in the tie-break bowl out.
In recent years it certainly appears that Twenty20 cricket is gaining in popularity and growing a considerable fan base, and consequently, excitement surrounding the game is growing. First, in 2004, there was the famous game between Middlesex and Surrey, in which 26,500 cricket fans turned up.
Then, in Jan 2005, the first domestic Twenty20 game in Australia attracted a sellout crowd of 20,700. In Jan 2007, in staggering circumstances, a crowd of 11,000 was expected for the game between the Queensland Bulls and New South Wales Blues. On the day, however, an additional 16,000 turned up to the gate, and overwhelmed, the ground authorities let in thousands free of charge to the game, leaving the final attendance at 27,653.
Records were broken in 2007 in Twenty20 International cricket when Sri Lanka trounced Kenya on the 14th September. They gained the highest team score in the 20 overs, racking up 260/6, and also the highest win by margin of runs (172 runs).
In bowling terms, one of the greatest, most recent games in Twenty20 cricket was the tie between Australia and Sri Lanka in September 2007, in which Australia won by 10 wickets.
Twenty20 Legends
In its short history, Twenty20 has noted the emergence of some real talent: players who thrive on the short game. A player who has really flourished and shown his worth in Twenty20 cricket has been Chris Gayle of the West Indies.Gayle has broken various records over his few years playing Twenty20 cricket; Highest Individual Score in an innings (117) and Highest Scoring Partnership (146 with Devon Smith), both recorded in the West Indies and South Africa match in September 2007.
In this same century score, he also managed to gain the record for the Fastest Century Scored in Twenty20 cricket and the Highest number of sixes recorded in an individual innings (14).
For India, Yuvraj Singh has also emerged as a top Twenty20 player, scoring the fastest half century by any player, in 12 balls, and also, the highest number of runs scored off one over, 36 (6 sixes)!
India and Twenty20 World Cup
However, the BCCI had to swallow a bitter pill when it was forced to endorse the Twenty20 format last year. Earlier the board was adamant about staying away from the format at all cost. But in a high-powered ICC (International Cricket Council) meeting held last summer to decide the fate of Twenty20 cricket, the BCCI was outvoted 10-1 by the rest of the test playing nations. This left the BCCI with very little choice but to grudgingly recognize Twenty20 and even play in the first ever Twenty20 World Cup, something that the board had said earlier that they would no do so no matter what.
So why was the BCCI so reluctant in endorsing Twenty20, the new rage that was taking the cricketing world by storm everywhere else? Partly to blame was the thinking of the board and the cricketing fraternity that viewed Twenty20 as nothing but ‘gulli cricket’. Twenty20 was hence viewed in bad taste, something that maligned the very essence of cricket itself. Some ex Test players openly came out and called it a ‘total sham’ and nothing but ‘pure entertainment’. However, after the ICC vote the board had to soften its stance and subsequently decided to hold a domestic Twenty20 tournament to introduce the game here.
The tournament came and went in April with Tamil Nadu clinching the first ever Domestic Twenty20 Cup. The tournament was supposed to be a platform to introduce the format in India but no one became wiser even after it had concluded. The reason being it was extremely poorly organized and there was virtually no advertising whatsoever. The cricketers were greeted by empty stands as if to mock them. If anyone had any doubt that the BCCI had put the least effort in organizing the tournament then consider the fact that they never even sold the television rights for the event and therefore one could not even see the matches on T.V. When quizzed about the same the BCCI was expectedly evasive and said that it was all a last minute job and that there was no time to discuss telecast rights with anyone.
It seems that the BCCI was determined to scuttle the tournament. Perhaps it was determined to prove to the rest of the world that Twenty20 cannot survive in India. Therefore one won’t be entirely wrong to suggest that the BCCI did this on purpose to gather added ammunition for the next big ICC meet to revisit this issue.
However, whatever might be the future of Twenty20 cricket in India one thing is for certain and that is India will definitely be playing in the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in September. One could be optimistic and hope that maybe India’s performance in the tournament might garner interest in the format at home. Maybe then the BCCI will take the format seriously. It will be a great loss to Indian cricket if we lag behind in this new and exciting format. As mentioned earlier Twenty20 is fast gaining in popularity all over the world and the BCCI would be daft to miss out on the opportunity.
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