From ‘fun cricket’ to the hit format

But to succeed in T20s now, the mere ability to play strokes is not enough. Even in this quickfire format, batters need to have temperament, strike the balance between playing shots and hold onto one's wicket. They also need to have the ability to think on their feet, play according to the conditions. They need street smarts and also mental fortitude.

I In 2007 as the inaugural edition was about to start, Twenty20s were still widely viewed as the 'fun' version of cricket. Its reputation as the 'fun' version, prompted the 'serious' cricketers to distance themselves from it. Perhaps seeing something like a 'bowl out' decide the fate of tied matches inclined them to stay away from such frivolity.

In the inaugural edition, several heavyweight Indian cricketers stayed back as they sent a team of mostly fresh faces led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Soon after they returned home as champions, the old guards were thrown over and that new team became India's main team in white-ball cricket.

Most of the other teams also followed suit as the established names stepped aside, making way for the young guns to take the lead in this new format.

Before that edition, the expectation was that the 20-over format will reduce the gap between big and small teams. Zimbabwe upsetting Australia and Bangladesh defeating the West Indies were some early signs in support of this notion but as time wore on, those early signs proved to be more of an aberration than the start of a new era.

T20 expanded cricket's market and it took very little time for the 'fun' version to turn into serious business. Very soon, the perennial giants sat atop of the newest format as well. Moreover, experienced cricketers, not the youngsters, began ruling T20s with more veteran cricketers playing T20s than in any other formats.

Players like Mahmudullah Riyad and David Warner have retired from Tests but are still carrying on in T20s. The financial allure of franchise cricket has a role in this trend but the opportunity of continuing to play while putting less strain on the body owing to the shortness of the format is perhaps playing an even bigger role. Using this opportunity, a player like Shoaib Malik who began his career before the 2000s, is still active and often seen plying his trade somewhere or the other.

All-rounder Alok Kapali, a member of Bangladesh's 2007 T20 World Cup squad, spoke about the thinking at that time and the current reality, "The way we had begun, we should've become one of the top five teams in these 16-17 years. Many felt that the T20 format will suit our style of play. We always had more stroke players in the team."

But to succeed in T20s now, the mere ability to play strokes is not enough. Even in this quickfire format, batters need to have temperament, strike the balance between playing shots and hold onto one's wicket. They also need to have the ability to think on their feet, play according to the conditions. They need street smarts and also mental fortitude.

After experiencing the atmosphere of the inaugural edition in South Africa, Kapali could sense that this format will rule cricket in the future, "That World Cup had a great vibe. Everyone was curious about the new format. I felt then that this will become the leading format in the coming days."

The established teams could read the pulse as well and quickly created a domestic structure that would allow them to get a strong grip on T20s while the smaller team lagged behind.

Kapali remembers how they were dreaming of standing up to the big boys in this format during the first T20 World Cup, "We took part in army training in Sylhet to improve our fitness ahead of that World Cup. Everyone thought we had potential of doing well in the shortest format, we were very serious about it.

"We beat the West Indies in our very first game, in the first over I took the catch of Chris Gayle at point. Then Ashraful and Aftab played two great innings. All of us were determined. But we couldn't carry on."

It's difficult to compete against the traditional powers in Tests. But T20 was a new format for all, every team more or less started from ground zero. But since the inaugural edition, the difference in domestic cricket structure has created a huge gulf. Kapali's example makes it clear that the organisers are responsible for Bangladesh failing to hold onto their early promise in T20s.

"We could've done it if we had a planned approach. India and Pakistan hold T20 tournaments other than the IPL and PSL respectively where only their local players take part. Here, if there was another T20 tournament with BCL or NCL players, then many cricketers could've emerged from there. In BPL, the chances of new cricketers getting discovered are slim."

Big teams like Australia, India, England will top the list of favourites for this year's tournament, followed by Pakistan, South Africa, the West Indies and New Zealand. Even Sri Lanka, a team that has been in turmoil for some time, will be way above Bangladesh in this list.

A common statement from Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and many of his teammates is, "There are no big or small teams in T20s. Any team can beat anyone." This statement, however, is only half-true. In the World Cup, a small team can upset an established side on their day. However, that doesn't mean every team has a chance of winning the World Cup. There are debates about which out of the four-five favourite teams can win the trophy, however, there are no discussions about who are not going to win it.

Even though there is a gulf of difference in terms of standard, T20 has reduced disparity in at least one aspect. Only 12 teams can play Tests, out of which some sides rarely get a chance to play red-ball cricket. The same 12 teams have a permanent ODI status, meaning most 50-over matches between associate teams are not even considered international affairs.

But ICC has banished this disparity in the shortest format by giving all 108 of its members T20 status. Meaning, in T20s, a Rwanda-Uganda match has the same status as an Australia-England game.

ICC has also moved away from selecting participants in mega events on the basis of Test status. For instance, Zimbabwe, a Test team, don't have a spot in this T20 World Cup. While 10 teams qualified on the basis of rankings, the West Indies and the USA got in as the hosts, the remaining spots were filled up through regional qualifiers. In the African qualifiers, Uganda stunned Zimbabwe and captured a spot.

The format that began in international cricket as mere fun 19 years ago, which held its maiden World Cup 17 years back, an event most thought won't last for too long, is set to begin its ninth edition. Caribbean legend Michael Holding has never commentated in any franchise T20 leagues as he doesn't consider T20 to be real cricket. But now, one would be hard-pressed to find highbrowed cricket purists like him. The T20 boom has expanded cricket's horizons but the stars that shine the brightest in this grander cricketing skies are still the same handful.