Circus over, now it’s ‘50-overs’ SL-Brits duel

Richard DWIGHT

CRICKET: It has been cricket! Cricket, and more cricket all the year round Maddening as it is, but who cares as long as the unhealthy root of all evil. Money! money and more money is what seems to matter most.

Undoubtedly it’s an exercise resorted to not so much to improve the ethics of the game, out there in the middle - but rather to keep bolstering the ever increasing funds at the headquarters abroad, that of the players and, as well providing an avenue for a good many to make a fast buck on the side.

As we see it, the world is speeding on and with the advancement rightly or wrongly made in all directions - nations have been brought close together, too close in fact for comfort. So much so, that there is no time to stop and stare and we have little or no option but to go along with the herd.

“Instant Fixes’ has become the order of the day in any walk of life and is equally true with this game, which we have come to love. The emphasis, detrimental though it be in the long run, is on quick results in the shortest possible time, with the greed for money flowing in. Hence the coming to be of the Twenty20 game, which is an addition to the tolerable ‘50 over’ limited game.

We do not deny that these instant ‘fixes’ in the game are entertaining to be popular, as was seen in the now concluded Twenty20. The main aim of the powers that be appear to ensure that the shekels keep accruing at the expense of the players (though remunerated) and not so much in the promotion of wholesome healthy cricket. The success achieved, who knows, may lead to there being future competitions in the Ten10, the ‘cricket sixes’ and yet others.

This recent innovation is a batting game, where the slogan from the word go is hit out or get out. They bat in quick fire, come or go Chicago style, in all forms and manner to appear ever so clumsy to be inelegant.

Embarrassing as it is, quite a few bowlers have suffered humiliation, whilst some have been lucky to be among the wickets - reminiscent of the bull pitted against the matador in the ring, where large crowds pay money to witness.

We have deliberately referred to these Twenty20 encounters as games and not cricket for fear of desecrating the time honoured term cricket, which connotes many things that are far deeper and worthwhile. At the most Twenty20 could be spoken of as willow baseball, willow elle or willow rounders, call it what you may, but it isn’t certainly cricket.

It is significant to note, that a good many reputed senior batsmen, said stepped this form of contest, whilst Pakistan and India fielded young players, who excelled beyond measure.

The highly established form of Test cricket, is with purpose long drawn out, in order that lasting virtues of life could be experienced by players to make them their own. Such thinking in the contemporary times we live in, could be dismissed as conservative, old fashioned and out of date, with little or no relevance.

Notwithstanding the ‘50 over’ limited game, Test cricket despite pressure has kept abreast to enjoy continuity. But with the advent of Twenty20, one wonders whether the participating players around the world, along with the powers that be, have begun to dig the grave to bury Test cricket. we do hope it wouldn’t be so, for the good of this great game cricket.

As we dwell on our nonchalant players in coloured clothing at the Twenty20 circus in South Africa; we do feel for our Master Blaster, who was out for 3 ducks in a row and conceded as much as 64 runs with the ball against Pakistan.

Our openers getting out early thrust tremendous pressure on one drop Sangakkara. As batsmen both Jayawardene and Sangakkara appeared to be caught up in two minds, as to whether their approach be orthodox or unorthodox and without much success were striving hard to grapple with mixing caution and aggression.

Our two middle order all-rounders appeared to be jaded to make little or no impact, which begged the question as to when did they last make a decent century or take 3 to 4 wickets. There is no point making runs or taking wickets against less fancied weak teams. The newcomer did not know whether he was coming or going to be of little or no consequence.

The team will now do well to undo the harm done to their batting in South Africa and be so geared to take on the English side, in a bit more longer version that the Twenty20.