Is T20 a disadvantage to cricket?

Is T20 a disadvantage to cricket?

Introduction:

T20 cricket matches of premier leagues have caught the interests of worldwide players and that is what triggers the debate whether this format of cricket is a disadvantage to the traditional form. Some are of view that T20 is like fast-food cricket, enjoyable and easy but unhealthy with lots of disadvantages. When India lost to Australia in the semi-finals of ICC world cup XI and several accusations and reasons were being dogged out, I read somewhere that it is all because of IPL T20 that the Australians had become acquainted with the strategies of Indian players that helped them defeat their moves. This was a mean accusation to T20 indeed or but surely the critics have some reasonable ones up their sleeves.

Advantages:

1. Immense success of T20 premier leagues across the world is a proof that the shorter format of cricket is enjoyed by people everywhere. While earlier it was conceived that majority of cricket viewers were male, the ratio became equalized to a great extent with the advent of T20. Women and children have become more interested in watching cricket since shorter formats are not boring and monotonous.

2. Cricket in India is a religion. It is clear that fan frenzy in India is never going to get enough of cricket. T20 is a huge source of entertainment for cricket fans who travel around India to watch their favourite players play. The enthusiasm with which cricket fans support this format is enough of a reason to keep it going and improving, no matter what critics say.

3. IPL T20 has been providing employment opportunities to many and been giving a good impression to the West about our growing economy for the game has ever been incessantly advancing each year in India. Thousands are being employed for the posts of thousands are being employed for event managing, organizing, conducting the games, pitch curators, advertising people, sports writers, columnists, commentators, umpires, referees, statisticians, scorers, peddlers, small business people and advertisement makers. The airlines that provide services to cricketers for travelling around the country also benefits immensely. Live telecast rights to television channels and sale of stadium tickets are other advantages where millions or revenues are collected.

4. Retired cricketers from around the globe get an opportunity to earn millions from the sport that they once played with the greatest dedication. Former cricketers like Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid from India, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne from Australia, Stephen Fleming from New Zealand, Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes from South Africa are doing a good job and earning good bucks.

5. One of the good things I like about T20 is its diversity, regardless of country boundaries, race and other difference, players from around the world mix and merge into teams and get to play with each other while all their lives they had played against each other. It has a friendly notion to it and the spirit of sports is not lost when selection is purely on current form of a player.

Disadvantages:

1. One of the major drawbacks of the T20 series is that it completely overshadow the other sports of India that need primary spotlight too. Hockey and kabaddi are some games that do not get the importance from people that it rightly deserves. Pro Kabaddi league is soon to start and there has been good promotion of the sport this time but with IPL sharing the spot, the other games are bound to receive lesser support.

2. IPL's selection procedure is questioned from time to time. Though it says that the selection is to be based on the current form of players, yet retired cricketers are taken in teams which raised doubts on it's policies. Corrupt practices are involves in this format of game. IPL organizer Lalit Modi, who was charged of fraudulence of millions is now declared insolvent. Evil practices of betting saw huge inclination in the country after IPL was introduced.

3. IPL was supposed to boost performance of players in international ODI and tests but quite the opposite seems to have happened. Critics are of the view that players put in a lot of energy into T20 and are hence unable to perform well at longer formats of cricket. When MS Dhoni retired from captaincy of test matches, the reason was the pressure that got the better of him in all the three formats. In order to perform well at shorter formats, captain Cool gave up test captaincy which is unjust to cricket for we all know what the man is capable of.

Conclusion:

T20 happened to cricket when it was being believed that cricketers draw a lot of money from advertisements and promotions and hence lack concentration at ground. Now it is being claimed that they earn enough at T20 hence take the other formats lightly. The fact is that haters might do all the hating but the game is going to prosper for there has been a great zeal of fans of this format. We truly can never have enough of cricket.