Himanshu ShekharThe biggest carnival of the game of cricket has reached to its birth place in England. As the world holds its breath in anticipation of what can be an interesting journey of the very game, the game itself symbolizes the changing times. You can call T20 a silly game, with silly shots, but there’s no denying that it is the most sought after format. In the time of economic recession and budgetary limitations, when even classical music is moving out from concert halls to open and night programmes, T20 offers a commercial viability which even one of the most conservative of societies like Britain cannot ignore.
The 16-day sporting extravaganza is all set to begin with a hope that it would set new standards and arrest the sagging interest of British fans in cricket. As India moves on to defend its crown, Zeecric.com takes a quick look on the five things which cricket fans might be inquisitive about and what the World Cup promises to change:
Short & CrispToo much of hoopla surrounding the opening and closing ceremonies has taken its toll on players. A never ending opening ceremony has often irritated fans, who come to watch cricket for its sheer joy and fun. The hopes of getting it done and over with are raised after the news that Steve Elworthy, the tournament director for the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, would lead the proceedings and people won’t have to face the embarrassment of Lalit Modi’s ill orchestrated speech.
Will sanity be restored?How many of you bothered to take a note of the fact when a sixer turned into a DLF-er?
The T20 World Cup broadcasters must restore the sanity of cricket commentary. The gala event provides an opportunity to bring some common sense back into the commentary box after the Indian Premiere League robbed it of its past charm. The least one will anticipate is a commentator refraining from shouting at the audience in the name of excitement and falsely generated hype.
England has a great cricketing history and a truly pristine legacy. The T20 audience across the globe would love to get a glimpse of traditional cricket and some information about the origin and journey of cricket in the country. Somehow, one may also wait to get a peek inside the dressing room if a fake player blog comes up again. Keep your fingers crossed guys.
Welcome back - the worthy PakistanIt has been ages since one saw Pakistan cricket players in action at the world stage. I don’t recognise the matches played in Abu Dhabi against Australia, as hardly any one noticed it. The bilateral tournament fell in the rain shadow region after it got struck with the IPL Mountain in South Africa. No side is awaiting some cricketing action as badly as Pakistan. They were the tournament’s runners-up on the last occasion and have players, who just don’t stop charming fans all across the globe. And add to it a history of throwing super-stars from oblivion and you have a side that must not be ignored.
Don’t miss the glam quotientIf you thought that only the scantily clad cheerleaders can bring some glam quotient to cricket, then think twice. Amidst all the attention bestowed upon the male fraternity, the real cricket fans should not miss the fact that the ICC Women T20 World Cup would also be played alongside the men’s tournament. Charlotte Edwards, Mithali Raj, Suzie Bates, Haidee Tiffen are stars in their own right and it would be interesting to see how many fans turn up to support and participate in what will be their first T20 World Cup. London has the distinction of being the first city to allow equal prize money for Men and Women champions at Wimbledon, and there is no reason that it can’t happen in cricket.
From contenders-to pretenders-to dark horsesDefending champions India are definitely one of the hot contenders for the crown, but the road to summit will not be easy at all. Dhoni and Co. have played a lot of cricket in the recent past and more than half of the side is facing some fitness problem or the other. To start with, skipper Dhoni’s backache might turn out to be India’s biggest headache and no replacement wicket-keeper in the side means that the fans will have to put in some extra minutes in their morning prayers.
Leave Dhoni alone, India’s most lethal weapon, Zaheer Khan is far from being fully fit and any technical snag in his body might prevent his successful launch. Anyways, with so many match winners in the side, India remains to be the most deserving contenders.
The question which remains is about who can be termed as the pretenders? If given a chance to pick one, my vote will go to hosts England, who still have to win a major international tournament with more than four teams participating. And with a lot at stake for cricket in England, fans hope that their team will somehow do well and change things for the better. But hope just can’t keep pace with reality when expectations are too high.
Coming to the business end of the tournament, one might be pleasantly surprised if a Gayle inspired West Indies or Afridi-powered Pakistan end many hopes and breaks millions of hearts in India or Down Under.
The game of cricket might have changed a lot from Tests to T20, but one thing has remained constant in cricket- The Unpredictability. It is this element that brings unparalleled excitement to the sport and hopefully we will get all of this and much more with the T20 World Cup 2009.
