Monday, September 03, 2007

The ICC World Twenty20

Now here's a tournament that I'm really looking forward to. Even though I am somewhat a purist when it comes to cricket, especially since I prefer Tests to ODIs, I have to admit that I love the shortest version of the game. It is a lot of entertainment. And although it is very hard on the bowlers, I don't feel so bad because it is good for the crowds, which is what you want, and also because I no longer belong to the category of bowlers, since it is quite a while since I last bowled my Shane Warne-ish leg spin. (The comparison is made purely on the basis of the action and nothing else. Though I do not deny the presence of a few zooters in my repertoire)
But coming back to Twenty20, I first fell in love with the game when it was first introduced in England as a domestic championship. I remember watching a lot of matches at that time and I found it very refreshing since the matches lasted only as long as a bollywood movie and had a much better plot. The plethora of big hitting, the non-stop action and the inevitable close endings made me a big supporter of this new format. I hoped that there would soon be more Twenty20 matches in the future as I was already pretty bored with the 50 over format. And now that dream is finally coming true. The location for the event seems proper as hard pitches will be aplenty. Also the idea of having a tournament with the inauguartion and the final only 13 days apart is very appealing, especially to one who has suffered the pains of an excruciatingly long world cup. And then again there is the added attraction of an Indo-Pak encounter, which thankfully is on the night when my exam gets over. I really thank my college for its thoughtful consideration while planning the exams.
However, I do have a small complaint against it. It's the name. It is called the ICC World Twenty20. That's it. No championship, no series, no cup nothing. Come on ICC, is that what you name the event which might change cricket forever?

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