Durban – The lure of the unknown always makes for a fascinating story. Man’s instinctive attraction to the unknown finds new expression in the ICC World Twenty20 tournament. None of the teams is admitting to feeling like some explorer venturing into unchartered domain but there is no doubt that they are all excited at being part of a new chapter in cricket history.
Consider this: There have been just 19 Twenty20 internationals played so far since the inaugural game between Australia and New Zealand. England has the most experience in Twenty20 internationals with six games under its belt while Australia and South Africa have played five matches each. Pakistan has figured in four matches while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies have played in three matches each. Kenya featured in two games at home recently while India and Zimbabwe have played but one match each.
Teams have used the practice games scheduled in the lead up to the ICC World Twenty20 to learn more about the format and its demands. New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori believes the frenetic pace at which these games are played is a lot like the final 10 overs of a one-day international. “Anyone who can react quickly to situations will be an asset,” he says.
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, coming off a warm up series in Kenya and a couple of practice games here, smiles when he says that if a bowler concedes five runs an over in Twenty20 game it must be considered being equal to a maiden over.
Given the fact that teams do not have much experience behind them, they have banked a lot of what may be called native intelligence. And the ICC’s Souvenir has helped in this direction too by delving into the minds of five South African cricketers – Justin Ontong, Paul Adams, Neil McKenzie, Loots Botsman and Dale Steyn.
“You don’t realise how much time you have,” Ontong says. “Twenty20 cricket is like any other form of the game in that you need to settle in before you can start hitting out. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of that time but even if you can in to bat with 10 overs left, that’s still 60 balls. It’s a lot of time.”
Steyn speaks from a bowler’s perspective when he says it is okay if a batting side is scoring at six an over. “The best thing to do is to cut out the boundary balls. If they hit a single, you don’t need to worry. And if they get two, then that’s fine as well, Just as long as they are not hitting boundaries.”
From the fan’s viewpoint, it may be entertainment unlimited. “You don’t have time to catch up. If a bowler is off his game and goes for 30 runs off an over, suddenly your run rate goes way up,” says Steyn. “But if you are batting, chasing eight or nine runs an over, and he bowls a good over, suddenly that rate goes up to 11, 12 runs an over.”
A number of batsmen could be padded up and waiting in the team bunker just outside the boundary line. And every player who can bowl will have to be warmed up and ready to called up to the bowling crease at any time. We do not quite know what to expect but what started off as fun event to draw crowds to cricket grounds in England has quickly grown into intense business.
