More »
2007. Two proud cricketing nations, steeped in historical rivalry on and off the field, crash out of a prestigious World Cup. Heads roll. Tears are shed. More importantly, the suits face a drop in popularity of the game, and thence, a drop in TRP’s, and hence, drop in revenues. Out comes a T20 WC; the cash cow, hitherto not conscious of its potential, and snobbishly behind the ODI milch cow, realizes that this is the chance to restore the status of the game in its most profitable territory. Things happen. And it’s , miraculously, the final that would have exactly suited the ICC and its member boards – the very final that will resuscitate the game where it needs it most.
2009. Two proud (well, at least one of them; the other is more arrogant than proud) nations, stepped in historical rivalry on the field, face the prospect of crashing out of a World Cup, which is not so prestigious yet, or at least the two nations pretend so, maybe because they haven’t won it yet, but nevertheless, is clearly the future of the game. Both lose their first games. Articles abound laughing out loud at them. Newspapers talk about the potential drop in television ratings . Hosts crashing out in 2 days? The proud but falling champions of World Cricket crashing out in the first round? Miraculously, then, the first of these pound a volatile but a strong Pakistani side, which, one suspects, is capable of much better. Would Australia shrug off their defeat to WI and bounce back today?
Will there be an Ashes T20 final, thus conveniently generating hype for the upcoming Ashes series in host land, and also ensuring that the T20 WC is taken seriously by the snobbish Old Blighty? Will Ricky Ponting finally admit that T20 is a game of skills after all? ( I mean after/if his team wins it). After all, grapes that you can actually eat aren’t sour, are they?
by Raj
The Ashes T20 Final
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Good one Raj!
Though i don't think the Ashes needs the hype.. its one contest every Englishman and Australian look forward to always..
Younis has now done a Ponting by syaing T20 is not serious cricket.. so I guess Ponting will not do a Younis and say they will win the title!
I think the Aussies are going out tonight.
Q, of course, Ashes doesnt need hype. But T20 will get a fillip if the finals is Eng-Aus.
1. No longer will the English pretend that T20 is not Cricket
2. English young players and school boys will take more interest in T20, if they havent already, and possibly, it will lead to interest in IPL, and it will be a circle of IPL-InternationalT20-IPL fuelling interest in each other
3. MCC suits will be shut up for good.
4. Australia will stop pretending that T20 is not worth winning. To knock them out after they admit T20 is skill, now, that would be fun :-)
"To knock them out after they admit T20 is skill, now, that would be fun :-)"
Haha.. yeah it would be.
About the other 3 points, I don't get it what the English still don't accept and adapt to the T20 version.. after all they brought it to the world..
oh wait.. they brought the ODIs and Tests as well!
Besides, Q, We want the Aussies getting to the next round, continuing to believe that their system and processes are fine, and that their selection procedures are good. We dont want them to get a kick in the backside, and start overhauling their processes and becoming an invincible machine again in another 6 years.
Post a Comment