Twenty Twenty - a True test of skill?

Cricket has got a facelift. Not necessarily permanent, but due to anxious crowds expecting mind blowing entertainment every second of the fixture, Cricket as we know it had to go under the knife. For those of you non cricket fans out there who haven't a foggiest of what I'm on about, allow me to break it down for you. Test Matches Often referred to as the purest form of the game, this is clearly the oldest and perhaps most documented form of the game. This game is basically split into 4 innings (i.e. 2 innings per team) in which the batting team have an unlimited number of overs to set a total. The bowling team are given a new ball every 80 overs, depending on the condition of the ball prior to the 80 0ver mark, the team captain may request another ball. Ideally the total being set by the batting team should not take longer that 1.5 days. Initially, in WG Grace's day, totals were set after long periods due to the game being 6-8 days long. Currently, or rather fortunately a typical test match is no longer than 5 days long. The nature of the pitch could determine the outcome of the game. A harder wicket is more conducive for runs, whereas a greener wicket is more suitable for bowlers. The greatest test teams in the world are ones who are able to set a score of 400 plus runs on the opening day. This is both demoralising as well as difficult for the opposition to counter. Australia, India and South Africa have been known to do this on a regular basis. Close contenders for test matches are Sri Lanka, New Zealand and England (Ironically the home of Cricket). West Indies are currently the fallen giants of the past. The once unstoppable team has now been resorted to a few points ahead of emerging teams like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe e.t.c. The Windies as they are often referred to seem to be better suited for the shorter variety of the game, which will be emphasised later in this post. ODI - One Day Internationals Also known as the emergence of the "Pyjama cricketers". Well the first one day international was played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Since then, the popularity grew considerably so much so that a World cup was created. 1975 saw the inaugural world cup come to fruition with the fallen giants from the Caribbean coming out on top. Clive Lloyd, West Indian Captain known for his geeky glasses lifted the cup for what would be the first of two occasions. That particular tournament consisted of 2 innings of 60 overs each. The game is remarkably different now as teams are now playing 50 overs an innings. The current champs at the moment are Australia, led by hard nosed often controversial captain Ricky Ponting. Team Australia have been stalwarts of most versions of the game, lifting the World Cup in the 50 over format three times in 8 years. Ironically the facelift of the game was not introduced by the Aussies, but rather by the sub continentals. Sri Lanka won the 1996 world cup by scoring as many runs as possible in the opening 15 overs. Needless to say, those efforts not only won them the 1996 world cup but rather opened a whole new avenue in the Game of One day cricket. The demand for an action packed game grew and in an intense manner. The 50 over game was becoming rather predictable and the sense of adventure has been lost. In other words, we have a contender competing against Australia, the most likely world cup finalist. The need to create a game which lacked prediction and intensity from every single ball that is bowled. Enter the realm of Twenty Twenty cricket. Twenty 20- The Fireworks begin There is a lot of speculation as to the origins of Twenty Twenty Cricket. Some say Duckworth and Lewis may have something to do with it others claim it was a South African who suggested the concept in an English pub. The idea of a shortened format of the game at a professional level was discussed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as early as 1998. However the game came into fruition since the cancellation of the Benson and Hedges cup in 2002. The following year a new era was born. The rockstars of Cricket finally emerged from the darkness and entertain the masses. The initiative was a huge success, pulling more crowds than in their illustrious 45 over and 4 day tournaments. The ICC took note of this and decided it was finally time to introduce it at an international level. On 17 February 2005 Australia defeated New Zealand in the first men's full international Twenty20 match, played at Eden Park in Auckland. The uniforms introduced were fairly bizarre as the Kiwis were sporting a relic uniform from the 70's (one in which Ian Smith could easily fit into at the time). This was also the advent of nicknames or first names as opposed to surnames on the back of the player's jerseys. The first Twenty 20 world cup was first introduced in 2007 in a tournament hosted in South Africa. Thus far, in the 3 tournaments the historic rivals in the form of India (2007) and Pakistan (2009) have won it. This year seems to be somewhat of a free for all as the Super 8s have proven to be something far from predictable. Personally, I think the Aussies are going to take this one (not my favourite comment, but its a certainty). So, if you are new to this form of the game these are the things you as a viewer need to watch out for: Free Hit - Yes, the batsman get a free hit. Its kind of like teaching your 7 your old cousin how to bat for the first time, not fun, not fun at all!! In essence, if you step over the crease line as a bowler ("a no ball") the result is a free hit. This means that the batsman could hit the ball anywhere, get bowled and nothing will happen to him... unless he/ she is run out. Strategic Timeout (Only in IPL) - Basically, at any point in the game the batting side is allowed to call a strategic time out. This basically transpires after a troublesome situation has occurred such as a mini collapse in the batting order or your fellow opener is doing jack :) 4 Overs max per bowler - Fairly obvious Game typically over after 3.5 hours - Inner circle only for 5 overs - 9 of the 11 players are restricted in the inner circle for 5 overs max. So is Twenty 20 a test of skill in comparison to its predecessor formats? Yes it is. It takes a unique batsman to continue on the aggressive path to play an accumulating innings. It also takes a special type of bowler to avoid bowling the conventional and be creative in the way the ball is executed i.e. Slower deliveries, unsuspecting offies and dibbly dobblers are most welcome. However, the test match inspires patience, the ODI on the other hand inspires limited creativity and percentage cricket. Twenty 20 as a whole inspires creativity from all participants. Twenty 20 no longer comprises of Cricketers, it comprises of Artists who are simply expressing their true nature.