Cricket in its prime used to be a game played over 5 days where a player’s as well as the team’s character was tested. During those days of yore there were no helmets and arm guards to protect one from the ‘explosives’ hurdled by bowlers at more than 90 miles per hour. Sir Donald Bradman became a legend not just because he pilled those colossal runs but because he piled them braving the ‘onslaught after onslaught of bowlers like Larwood and their infamous bodyline tactics. He was hit several timers but he did not budge from his crease till he gave the bowlers run for their money and the spectators value for their money. Even our own little master Sunil Gavaskar scored tons and tons of runs against the fast and furious West Indies of the 60s and the 70`s when they were at the peak.
But then times have changed. It was first the limited overs format that heralded a change in the ultimate message of what cricket stood for. Cricket is no baseball or rugby that will begin and end in the wink of an eye. It requires skill, discipline, diligence, patience and a passion to go on and at the crease. All that went for a toss once limited overs cricket made its entry.
However, the popularity of this format of cricket made its advent justified. A jet age generation has little time to assimilate the finesse of the longer version. After all it is a day’s affair, 100 overs is all you need to watch. As for the game it has become fast paced like hockey. The message is enjoy your over coke or coffee and have real fun for nothing!
Even this version of 50 overs a side was not very palatable to many. From limited overs then wanted more overs to be reduced. Make it 20-20 or T20 as it is fashionable to call it. The connoisseurs of the game are unhappy and rightly so. For it seems like mockery of what the game stood for. Almost any one can come and have a blast at it and on their day even the minnows of the game can humble the giants and it has happened more often than not T20. The glorious uncertainties of the game become uncertainty amplified.
But here also we find this version getting popular with the masses. People have even lesser patience for a hundred over match. And times are not far away perhaps, when we might have instant cricket of say 5 overs aside. Imagine the plight of the bowlers then! The question remains--- what is cricket per se ? If cricket becomes a baseball version of the game, will it have its pristine glory intact. Or is it that there is no time for cricket any more!
But then times have changed. It was first the limited overs format that heralded a change in the ultimate message of what cricket stood for. Cricket is no baseball or rugby that will begin and end in the wink of an eye. It requires skill, discipline, diligence, patience and a passion to go on and at the crease. All that went for a toss once limited overs cricket made its entry.
However, the popularity of this format of cricket made its advent justified. A jet age generation has little time to assimilate the finesse of the longer version. After all it is a day’s affair, 100 overs is all you need to watch. As for the game it has become fast paced like hockey. The message is enjoy your over coke or coffee and have real fun for nothing!
Even this version of 50 overs a side was not very palatable to many. From limited overs then wanted more overs to be reduced. Make it 20-20 or T20 as it is fashionable to call it. The connoisseurs of the game are unhappy and rightly so. For it seems like mockery of what the game stood for. Almost any one can come and have a blast at it and on their day even the minnows of the game can humble the giants and it has happened more often than not T20. The glorious uncertainties of the game become uncertainty amplified.
But here also we find this version getting popular with the masses. People have even lesser patience for a hundred over match. And times are not far away perhaps, when we might have instant cricket of say 5 overs aside. Imagine the plight of the bowlers then! The question remains--- what is cricket per se ? If cricket becomes a baseball version of the game, will it have its pristine glory intact. Or is it that there is no time for cricket any more!
