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Articles 20/20 Cricket makes games shorter - not better
Thursday, 11 June, 2009
Don Carson
It's amazing that five day test cricket has evolved into the three hour carnival that is 20/20, without making the game any better. 20/20, despite its hoopla and unpredictable outcomes, is still wedded to the same long game formula and shares its faults.
The problem is that the only exciting games are the close ones. That makes it like car races. Nobody goes to the races to watch the crashes, but if there were no crashes, then nobody would go.
So, there is nothing more boring than a one day or 20/20 where the outcome is decided in the first half hour by a batting collapse. There is likewise nothing more frustrating than watching a No 11 batter, who is only in the team for their bowling, trying hopelessly to score the winning runs.
The first change then, is to let the whole squad, of say 14, play. Simple rule, bat any 11 players, and field any 11 at any time. So a great bowler, who is a useless bat, actually gets to bowl and is told to stay in the stands during the batting time. This lets a good batter go in at number 11 and be able to do a tight finish justice, rather than swing wildly and hope for the best. The trend in all sports is to use the talent on the bench. Cricket tried a super sub a few years ago, but it wasn't a bold enough move and lapsed.
Second change. Forget the one innings at a time. For 50 overs' games, play 25, then change, whatever the fall of wickets, to the other side. They have 25, and so on, until both sides have 50 overs worth, in 25 over bites. For 20/20, it would be two lots of ten overs each. This splitting evens out the weather and light conditions and maintains the tension of an uncertain outcome 'till later in a match - which is after all what the punters are after.
Third thing to fix. The big hits that 20/20 has brought into the game are being sold short by six being the maximum you can get from one hit. When the ropes are brought in especially, it's less of a big deal to get a six. But watch the highlights on tv. They are about the huge hits into the frenzied crowd way up in the stands. Still only worth six.
How about an eight then? If you can clear a line drawn in the stands, or even out of the ground, you get eight for it. Of course you can't get caught out by a fielder on the inside of the '8 boundary' and there are spectators on the inside of this second boundary line as well. But so what? Give the guy with the big hit their due reward and make them aim at the car park.
Don Carson can be contacted here.
