The three faces of cricket – Test, One Day Internationals and T20 – Part 3
When T20 cricket was first introduced there were mixed feelings as what it meant for the world of cricket. The concept surfaced in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 in 2003 and before long made its way onto the International stage four years later in 2007, with the inaugural T20
World Championship.
The main concern was that the ‘fast food’ T20 version of the game would signal the death of the Test match. The popularity of the five day format of the game was already dwindling and T20 was deemed to be the final nail in the coffin.
While at the same time, others embraced the idea claiming that it made cricket more accessible and mainstream. The basic concept was to take all that had made the One Day Internationals so popular and amplify it.
Each side is only allotted 20 overs, encouraging heightened levels of aggression from the batsmen. The result was a game where bowlers would more often than not find themselves on the receiving end of thrashings from the batsmen. Any doubts people had of
the format fading away and dying out were put to rest in one of the all time best matches of cricket anyone could ever have witnessed.
In the first ever final of the T20 World Championship http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in a true cricketing spectacle. No team had the upper hand for long in the match as the cricketing world was on the edge of their seats.
Wickets fell regularly, balls rolled across the boundary and plenty flew over as well as India won the match by a margin of 3 runs in the last over of a truly exhilarating match. That match may very well be the reason T20 cricket is the phenomenon it is
today. Pakistan won the second T20 World Championship and the third one is just around the corner.
Yet, T20 cricket is not just a game of mindless aggression and nonstop hitting from the word go. There is a tactical element to the game that the best sides employ, but not many spectators realise. A good example would be how former Pakistan captain, Younis
Khan explained his side’s game plan in a post match interview after beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in the final.
The ex-skipper revealed the tactical element Pakistan employed while batting saying it was similar to how they play ODIs: starting steady, keeping wickets in hand, and going for the big hits later on in the innings.
The Indian Premier League, a tournament based on teams owned by celebrities who bid for players from around the world, gave T20 cricket celebrity status. Now, in its fourth edition, the IPL has become a mainstay in the world of cricket, with millions tuning
in to watch the tightly contested matches.
The T20 format is relatively new and whether it remains a fad or the future of cricket is still up for debate, for now all one can say is that it provides plenty of action and excitement for cricket fans without taking up too much time.
In the end, however, no version of cricket is better than the other. What they are instead are different from each other. Each style of play has its own unique charm that has endeared it to generations of fans and will continue to do so for many years to
come.
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