It feels like a decade since I last posted on this blog. However, I have a topic now in the form of the Twenty 20 World Cup that is taking plaec in England.
Sandwiched between the IPL and the Ashes, the timing of the World Cup seems right. It is not particularly hot or cold at this point of time though the mood and interest have been a little bit timid as compared to the IPL. This is because, of late – thanks to the IPL – all of us have consumed an overdose of 20-20.
The format is interesting and is at its best when countries play the event rather than cooked up teams as in the case of IPL. Also, the shorter schedule/duration makes it more interesting. For example, in a matter of five or six days a few teams have already been eliminated unlike the IPL where the fans need to wait for a whole month even to figure out which is a good team.
A couple of facts about the Twenty 20 World cup and the twenty 20 game in general:
- Teams like Australia are yet to figure out what Twenty 20 is all about
- Teams that are bad at longer plans but can perform in quick bursts are doing great here e.g. West Indies
- The teams that have maximum number of ‘generalists’ than ‘specialists’ are likely to do better
- The formats can be made more exciting with more rules like ‘free hit’
I am looking forward to the super eight league. I personally feel that either West Indies, India or Sri Lanka will the second World Cup Twenty 20. England may not be at its best and New Zealand & South Africa are good at goofing it up towards the end of any series. The days ahead are interesting!
Hopefully, Lalit Modi may take a look at the scheduling of this event and make IPL a shorter event next time.