The Perfect Script

The Twenty 20 World Cup that concluded in South Africa yesterday was perhaps the most popular and successful cricketing event since Ashes 2005, the 2007 World Cup in the Carribbean being an obvious mismanaged flop.

This tournament had everything packaged such a way that it culminated in a terrific success with a marquee final

• Brilliant management
• Great organization
• Cheaper ticket prices
• Zero torture in the name of security
• Cheering dancers lined up in the stadia for the games and several other intangibles.

Adding to this were various happenings on-field that spiced up the proceedings the most notable ones being the following

• 'Ga(y)le' storm kicked off the tournament with such brutality that it woke up people to make note of some sensational action that was about to follow.


• Australian attitude - Its so typical. If they win, its because of practice and the training camps. If they lose, its because they just had fun. Lackadaisical attitude cost them dearly in the initial stages while youthful exuberance knocked them out of the championship


• Minnow Bashing - Courtesy Sri Lanka


• All tied up - The spectacular tie at Durban followed by the un-spectacular bowl-out to decide the result


• English Special - The inventors of the newest format of the game were the vanquished yet again. Deja vu


• Violence - India rubbed salt on England's already sore wounds as Yuvraj and Co. went berserk at the Kingsmead. Off the field, Durban - 600028 made waves over the internet


• "Choke" de South Africa - The number games proved elusive yet again as the hosts digged themselves into an ignominious exit


• Stop 'em - Australia sent tumbling out of the contest in the semi-finals by India


• The showpiece of 'em all - a nerve wracking "India - Pakistan" final, India taking home the first ever T20 championship. No one can ask for a better script to a final

Everybody opined that the tournament was going to be a bowler's graveyard but its the bowlers who won the games for the teams barring the opener. This factor has contributed to the terrific success of the tournament.

Now, T20 is being talked about (yeah its just the media, no one else really) as the future of the game. But yes, this format of the game will spread like fire in Cricket's biggest market. Take out the cliched terms - purists, classic etc. If you think from a public perspective. what do they love - belligerent hitting, delirious fun all inside 3 1/2 hours, half the duration of a 50-over game. Right? But what happens to the game?!?

The ICC for once has been prudent enough here allowing just 7 T20 games per year for a team sandwiched between Tests and ODIs - yeah yeah, the classical form and the instant form of the game. That number is a bit high but a definite stranglehold on traditional swindlers like the BCCI. Pat Pat Pat.

Too much of anything is bad. So toast the success of T20. Enjoy Test Cricket.