It is a balmy Sunday afternoon at the park and I see a seven-year old batting with a bat that is at least two sizes too big for him. His middle-aged father is keeping wickets. His really, really old grandfather is the umpire. While one of his siblings runs in to bowl, I begin to muse about the game of cricket in general ...
To think of Test cricket means thinking of a grand old man of over a hundred stroking his W.G. Grace-like beard and overseeing proceedings on a village green between breaks for tea and scones and the customary end-of-the-day pint. You would think Test cricket would be a philosopher or a painter - one of those who believe in simple living and high thinking. They might be judged themselves, yet they never judge. They do what they do because they love it and there is nothing more to it. They have the ability to produce an opus that is both sublime, but almost never appreciated in it's time. Society grants them many of the highest honors but there are many that question the benefits of their existence. Just like any centenarian, there are questions being asked about how long Test cricket is going to survive. Some think it is immortal whereas there are others who are more pragmatic and propose medications in the form of Test cricket championships. Test cricket, however, has lasted through two World Wars and will probably continue to stand tall and proud on the basis of it's sheer quality alone.
One day cricket used to be the wild-child of the 70's. It was once part of a golden generation that saw the moon being tamed while the Beatles and The Rolling Stones were playing in the background. White flannels gave way to colorful and wacky clothing and even wackier hairdos. There were those that resisted it's coming, yet it captured the imagination of many. ODI cricket is, in many ways, similar to the white-collar middle-class that emerged as a result of the last three decades. They wanted results. They did not have all day (or 5 days, as it were) for that result to emerge either. ODI cricket was the form of expression that this middle class identified with more than Test cricket. Lofted cover drives as early as the 5th over were not met with scorn as before. The bits-and-pieces, street smart jack-of-all-trades had a place in this format. In many ways, this is the form of cricket that made cricket more accessible to the public. ThatWorld Cup semi-final between Australia and South Africa in 1999 was one of it's greatest moments. It started to dwindle later. It tried many forms of plastic surgery including field restrictions, power plays, free hits and the now forgotten super-sub. Yet it was undeniable that this form of the game had now reached middle-age and with it, the inevitable mid-life crisis. There are now those that are more concerned about this format of the game more than it's older and wiser predecessor and not without reason. Without any context, meaning and relevance, ODI is just meandering along and unless something drastic is done to stem this tide, it could very well suffer a cardiac arrest.
Amid footage of a bunch of players who call themselves the Chennai Super Kings (and probably will not do so ever again) winning the Champions League, it is hard to believe that T20 - that precocious man-child of cricket is but, a mere seven years old. If ODI cricket was a product of it's generation, T20 is even more so. What twitter is to blogging, T20 cricket is to ODI cricket. In many ways, T20 cricket resembles the investment banker. They are in the profession to make money and they are not apologetic about the fact. They are immaculately dressed and are generally seen typing at the speed of a million words a minute on their blackberries. They are feared and hated in equal measure. And during a recession, the masses rub their collective palms in glee and come out on the street, blaming it all on them. Yet, they have their uses - it is they who help raise vast sums of capital that are the lifeblood of all businesses. Like investment bankers, T20's are highly misunderstood. T20 cricket is thought of as being synonymous to the IPL, which is a shame. The IPL suffered because Lalit Modi defined it as an image of himself: crass, in-your-face and generally unlikeable. However, in the larger schemes of things, T20 has attracted a new type of audience - one with a shorter attention span and a certain insensitivity to some of the game's delicacies. However, cricket must find a place for them because it can ill-afford to shun away a paying customer. Also, just like Usain Bolt is not unfairly compared to a champion marathoner, so too, specialist T20 cricketers should not be compared to their other counterparts and each skill set should be celebrated for what it is.
Like everything else, cricket too has evolved and it is now an ecosystem in itself. It needs to find some common ground for it's three generations to co-exist. But there is hope yet. The seven year-old sees a juice half volley on leg-stump and manages to bring the heavy bat down in time. He does not bother to keep the ball along the ground. His father really enjoys the shot. His grandfather exclaims at the sheer impetuousness of the shot off the very first ball he's faced. Then he smiles benignly and signals a boundary. On the young man's face, there is sheer, unadulterated joy. Yes, cricket will surely find a way ...
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