The purists might still yearn for test cricket, but one thing is for sure - 20-20 cricket is here to stay. And why shouldn't it? I remember tennis ball cricket matches we played back home in Ahmedabad. They were all of 20 overs a side and played with great passion and commitment and we had a result in less than 4 hours. Then again, there is place for test cricket too - the real test where you have a bit for everyone - batsmen, bowlers - seamers and spinners.
But this post is not about which format is better - after all both have their merits and they can co-exist.
This post is about how 20-20 cricket can help ICC take the game of cricket to the rest of the world - especially big markets like the US, Europe and China. Whenever I talk to my Chinese friends about cricket they baulk at the very prospect of players playing a match over 5 days after which a game could still not have a result! So they stay away from it - they don't even want to try and understand the game.
20-20 on the other hand has everything the game has to offer and also guarantees a result in 3 hours. It is more comprehensible for people totally new to the game - 3 hours is all they have to invest. Then again 20-20 promises much more - there are the dancers and singers and acrobats who make the game of 20-20 an interesting outing. My Chinese friends will not mind joining me for a game of 20-20 cricket.
There is this story about comedian Groucho Marx who was once taken to a game of test cricket at Lords in England. The players had been playing for a couple of hours when Groucho turned to his host and asked, "So when does the game start?"
Groucho would have appreciated the 20-20 version.
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