Game's future is in focus with new Twenty20 vision

Source: Rampant Lion     Date: June 29, 2003

Cricket: Rahul Dravid believes cricket's new crash, bang, wallop format is a winner. 

The Twenty20 Cup has been a tremendous hit this summer and I'm convinced it can only help spread cricket's popularity beyond traditional boundaries. But I'm not sure if I would have been comfortable with being wired for sound and interviewed while performing out in the middle.  

Believe me, there are a lot of things passing through your mind when the likes of Glenn McGrath is sprinting up to the wicket but they don't include having an impromptu chat with Sky TV or Channel Four's answer to Michael Parkinson. During a match last week I watched Warwickshire's Nick Knight being asked, ÒHow do you fancy your chances?Ó as he was trying to organise his fielders in the middle of a run spree by the opposition. I was amazed at how calm he remained. Fortunately, Knight is a polite lad but I suspect one or two other characters might have been tempted to throw away their microphones and concentrate on the game.  

I know some reservations have been expressed about the format and the fact Twenty20 is unashamedly crash, bang, wallop, but what's wrong with sexing up Ð to use a current catchphrase Ð the sport and trying to attract a wider audience? 

Personally, I'm hooked on the competition and the likes of Knight, Gloucester's Ian Harvey and Kent's Matthew Symonds have all demonstrated quality players don't have to become sloggers in a 75-minute innings. And I'm pretty certain my compatriots, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, would also thrive in the tournament. Twenty20 demands skill, spontaneity, flexibility and aggression É all the hallmarks of proper cricket, with added razzmatazz, the positive factor of having a result and a winner in less than three hours. No wonder county treasurers have been rubbing their hands in glee as normally empty grounds are packed to capacity with loads of new fans being converted to the cause.  

Granted, it would be a worry for Test match devotees if the ECB switched focus from the five-day game to a constant diet of limited-overs contests but I don't think there's any serious danger of that happening. Instead, officials are growing to realise they need to cater for people with different tastes and, let's face it, how many parents can afford to tell their employers on a Thursday: ÒI'm going to the Test with my kids. See you next Tuesday.  

In the past there was a choice of Tests, county fixtures and one-day internationals and that was it: cricket required a lot of time from fans and the number of families at the matches was invariably pretty paltry as a consequence.  Nowadays, with Twenty20, there's the opportunity to transform this venture into a full-blown piece of entertainment, rather like going to a rock concert or catching up with the new Harry Potter movie. If US baseball can command huge audiences then what is there to prevent the ICC tapping into this new concept and selling it to Europe and the world?  

Nothing. The foundations have been laid with a vengeance and I can definitely see this version being introduced at a higher level. Just think: you could have two or three contests on the same day and the crowd could either pay to watch one or stay for them all. There would be scope to organise mini-Test tournaments over the space of a week. No hanging around, no stalemate situations, no end to lashings of excitement, drama and colour. I hear Scotland could even be involved next season, if the Saltires' players manage to arrange more holidays with their employers, so I expect spectators in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the north to be as thrilled at that prospect as their counterparts in England.  

Leading players are going to become household names, inevitably leading to more attention. I don't mind that as long as the coverage doesn't become as intrusive as it has done in football. In India the fans are absolutely passionate about cricket Ð if you win, they are clamouring for your autograph; if you lose, the more extreme supporters are burning your effigies Ð but although there are a few idiots in every crowd, the vast majority are decent people who care deeply about their team, love their country and display their emotions only because it matters.  

To be honest, I don't know how David Beckham copes with being mobbed and hounded wherever he travels Ð all those photographers whenever he goes shopping must be wearing Ð and one of the best aspects of coming to Scotland has been the fact I can walk down Princes Street or head to Leith for a curry and nobody gives me a second look.

Contrast that experience with the coverage some footballers receive in Scotland Ð it's almost like they're not allowed to have a private life and the tabloids occasionally appear to forget they are dealing with real human beings, not cardboard cut-outs. You can probably understand why I am perfectly happy to stick to cricket if the alternative scenario is being forced to hire security guards and minders.  

Tomorrow sees the launch of my masterclasses and I'm looking forward to coaching hundreds of youngsters at venues across the country.  Obviously, there is only so much you can achieve in a single session but what with the NCL, Twenty20 , ICC plans to create a two-tier structure, which would feature the Scots on a global stage, and the talk of matches between Craig Wright's men and a high-profile Rest of the World squad next summer, there is a clear sense positive strides are being taken and we're all on a fantastic journey. Like Twenty20, it's fast, it's furious and there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about its future.