DateLine: 9th September 2009

The great Australian bowler Shayne Warne has come out very strongly in favor of Twenty20 (T20) cricket versus the 50-over one-day version. The world could suggest that this is due to Warney’s severe bias towards his financial interest with IPL and one might find it difficult to completely deny this. However, we must put this to one side and examine with an open mind, a topic which must surely be on the minds of the ICC and the Cricket Boards.

As I have written before today the world has moved on to become a competitive and busy place. Spare time for bread earners is an increasingly reducing commodity and the same applies to students in schools colleges or universities. These two bodies of people make up the major market for any cricket match. Added to this is the reality that first class cricket has grown exponentially and it is obviously becoming difficult to find gaps in the international calendars for all the full member teams of ICC.

Cricketers are finding it difficult to take time out for their families and the competitiveness makes it difficult for them to opt out of tours in case they are replaced by a successful youngster. The much increased physical demands on their bodies especially the fast bowlers gives them very little time to overcome any physical ailments requiring them to carry some of their problems into successive tours. Being professionals who must earn from their careers, the fear of burning out too early and the need to maximize earnings is forcing some to choose the IPL route in preference to national duty. This must prove that the balance between not enough and too much cricket has been disturbed.

It is my concern that what all of us call the real game, Test Cricket, could be endangered if we do not correct the imbalance that has been created. The concerns towards this are already being voiced. There is talk of Day and Night Tests, as also of Four Day Tests. It is seen that only certain cricket grounds in certain countries draw what I would call cost effective crowds. In my view a big reason for this is the desire for the Asian crowds to see the entire match as against the occidental crowds who are content to watch one day and make it into a social occasion. In addition and this is not meant as a slur only some grounds are spectator friendly. In Pakistan, a day at some of the grounds is a test of stamina. We are looking at international calendars consisting of '3-Test Series' as opposed to 5, with exceptions, that could be considered preferential and may lead to resentment. It is my calculation that Test Matches alone based on a home and away series between the full member teams requires some 200 days in the year. Add to this the ODI's, the T20's, and other tournaments and one can see the problem of the ICC in making an equitable calendar that would keep financial reward, quality and requirement into the equation.

With television becoming the major revenue earner for all the Boards it cannot be advantageous that tours are over lapping and at times competing with each other for air time. Television wise, one ODI is worth the same as one Test Match. Is it any surprise that some countries are willing to reduce the number of Test Matches in a tour but not the ODI's? A T20 match takes up a total of some three hours as against an ODI which is spread over eight hours. One tour could have twice the number T20 games compared to the ODI's and have time to spare. TV wise the earnings are well over 50% for a T20 match as compared to an ODI which will also be a plus.

The need for speeding up the game to meet the call for excitement by the crowds has already been accepted. In all the commentaries that I have heard, the cricket greats and notable experts are of the view that any player with good technique will adapt to make a success of any form of the game. Thus the 'slam bam' of a T20 will not harm the technical quality of the game. The crowds that turn up at times that are convenient to the working person really do confirm that it is high time we accept that the T20 format must replace the ODI and the extra time that becomes available be the bonus for all the players to rest their weary bones.

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2009 Cdr. Malik Arshed Gilani)