Ongama Gcwabe
AT THE core of the shortest format of the game is entertainment, and mostly, the entertainment factor comes in the form of boundaries and not so much wickets. That is what has become of T20 cricket.
In the past few years, the leagues around the world, and pitch curators who work for them, have pushed the limits and set the format to favour batters almost exclusively.
In its early days, T20 cricket had room for bowlers, be it through hard pitches that set fast bowlers’ eyes alight or turners that saw spinners display their skills to the fullest. In today’s world, the format has evolved so much that bowlers have almost zero say on the result of the games.
The ongoing 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League is a prime example of how the format has become a ‘batriachy’.
This season alone, there have been 29 200-plus totals in the first 46 matches, whereas in the 2023 edition, a total of 37 200-plus totals were scored, and that is after a total of 74 matches played.
One of the major reasons behind the notable and mostly unreasonable increase in big totals scored this year is the batter-friendly wickets that have been consistently dished out in India. Also, India has smaller stadiums, which makes it a lot easier for the batters to clear the ropes.
Additionally, the IPL has introduced the impact sub rule, a rule which allows teams to use an extra player in one discipline, be it batting or bowling. This rule has also played a role in the mammoth totals at this year’s IPL as teams can play an extra explosive batter to help them put on bigger scores.
The only concern about all of this is that it takes away a lot from the game. Batters these days need not to be the most skilful. All they need to have is a bit of power and guts to swing at almost everything that comes their way.
The impact of this goes beyond the T20 format. It also claws its way into the purest format of the game – Test cricket – as more players tend to not have the patience, skills and temperament needed to be successful in that format.
The young boys and girls watching on TV at home also get a miscued idea of what the game is about. At its purest, the game is about both bat and ball, with both disciplines equally exciting and important.
Yes, there is no denying that the current product is appealing to the public and helps the game generate income through broadcasting, which then helps promote the game.
However, at what cost is this being allowed to happen?