Hello cricket… how I missed you
Posted on Jun 15, 2008 by Scorpicity |Work has caught up to me… now that I have none of the comforts offered by a salaried job and have to work my way through for a living, it’s been apparent that cricket just got thrown out of my life for the last couple of weeks… not a single match was watched by me and the only sporting action which I had managed to catch was some glimpses on the amazing football euro championship tournament.
So the realization that has hit me is why it is extremely crucial for the twenty-20 format to take a much more significant and prominent role in world cricket today. There is endless amount of pessimism among cricket journalists and former players (mostly unknowns) on the state of cricket today and where it is heading towards. Almost everyone is signaling the death of test cricket due to twenty-20. And it sounds ridiculous, no different from the time when ODIs were introduced in the break away league several decades ago. But cricket proved them wrong and it will again.
Test cricket will remain. There is no question of that getting knocked out of the equation as it is the highest pinnacle which every fan and player loves about. However one thing is apparent that an overhaul is needed and improvements have to be introduced to address the concerns of dwindling audiences.
One day internationals just have to go and replaced with the more efficient, exciting and spectator friendly format, Twenty-20. At the end of the day, it is also time for the administrators to realize that in today’s fast frantic lifestyles that people lead, there is little time one can spend on recreational pastimes which would last for a whole day. Coupled with that is the amount of cricket being played, it is logical and sensible for the truncated format to replace ODIs.
Cricket around the world:
A cricketer, Yuvraj Singh will present the man of the match award at the Euro 2008 match between Switzerland and Portugal. WTF?
The most comical episode ever in the history of world cricket was the sight of Stanford landing his helicopter at Lords (The home of cricket) with his so-called cricket classical greats (read cronies), typical ‘men in black’ style. A blatant show of a cabinet filled with money was childish and was in such bad taste. The English media all of a sudden starts talking about how it helps impoverished cricketers. One can only let out a wicked smile. What this person in question wants in return is something none wants to address. Either way cricket needs a Stanford… definitely for comic relief.
Shoaib Akhtar’s ban got reduced to a couple of months. The PCB continues to be a totally clueless organisation. The only wish is to cut the drama each and every time and create such a big scene.
A PCB cricket administrator sends threatening emails to the team on performance. Goonda-raj alright. While there might be popular support for him on this episode, at the end of the day somebody should remind him what his job is and what has he done to his cup of tea before sipping someone else’s.
England are having fun thrashing the New Zealanders while Australia faces uncomfortable questions against West Indies but continues to win.
Andrew Symonds misses his team bus by ten minutes and is fined an undisclosed amount by Ricky, Clarke and co. A good way to recover all those unpaid beer bills.
And to finally spread the cheer, here is Merv hughes in an interview with cricinfo. Some of his simple views are amazing and still continue to draw out some chuckles. This guy rocks!
by Ottayan, on June 15 2008 @ 3:28 pm
Glad to know you are busy. Eh! I just read Merv Highes interview. Like most Australians he has a cut and dry approach to life.
Cheers.
by vmminerva, on June 15 2008 @ 5:41 pm
Nice to see you back blogging. Hope you find some time for cricket, though I do understand that it is harder to find time when you’re on your own as opposed to a salaried job. As for T20, we got a bit of an overdose with the IPL. Although I think it needs to be a part of cricket, it needs to play a small role. T20 is something that will spice things up if taken in small doses and can give you a bad hangover on overdose.
by UTP, on June 15 2008 @ 10:32 pm
Yuvraj…?? Euro…2008? hehehe….disgrace to the game…both of em cricket & football…
by scorpicity, on June 16 2008 @ 9:42 am
Yeah Otts… simple and straight… his retort on acting kind of shows what kind of person he is… and also he has no qualms about sledging and doesn’t try to shield or give bull shit explanations… straight as an arrow.
by scorpicity, on June 16 2008 @ 9:43 am
VM… the IPL was one big hangover honestly…. overdone and roasted
by scorpicity, on June 16 2008 @ 9:43 am
Yeah UTP… I cannot figure out the logic at all… just can’t.
by Straight Point, on June 17 2008 @ 6:41 pm
hey scorpy…the mr ndia of blogworld!!
the logic of inviting yuvraj is simple they want more viewer ship (hence more money) from india by creating interest thru inviting cricket stars…
by Wasim, on June 17 2008 @ 9:40 pm
Whats wrong with Yuvraj getting honored? I didn’t get it,he is the vc of Indian cricket team, come on guys be positive.
by cdak, on June 19 2008 @ 7:30 pm
Hey, good point re: the place of 20/20 in modern life. As a student with ahem, plenty of free time, the advantage of being able to watch an entire game in a couple hours is largely lost on me. As it seems to be on many hacks. Administrators just need to make sure they don’t slaughter the golden goose with overexposure…
by scorpicity, on June 20 2008 @ 2:10 pm
Sp… me mr ndia… no way… that’s got to me be you or otts or SB… am just your trusty sidekick… a johnny walker.
On yuvi part… yes that’s makes some logical sense as the FIFA president Blatter was here last year and was pissed out that no-one recognised him
by scorpicity, on June 20 2008 @ 2:14 pm
Wasim… it is no honour or anything like that… he was not bestowed anything… SP’s explanation rang a bell with regard to the FIFA’s top rank official coming down here.
The logic here in question is Yuvi’s presence is a bit to help football enter into asian market to a stronger extent than what is currently… but then, football is the most popular sport in the world and cricket’s aim is to be as popular as that… so in hindsight it has to be the other way around… a ronaldo or a ballack give out a man of the match award for a cricket match to generate some interest in the european market.
by scorpicity, on June 20 2008 @ 2:15 pm
Welcome cdak to cricketfizz… the fact is the slaughter has already started :)… cheers hope to see more of you and hopefully I would visit your site more often that I currently do.
by Straight Point, on June 20 2008 @ 6:47 pm
scorpy i meand ‘mr india’ in the sense of your now-visible-now-not act that you have perfected…
by D.S. Henry, on June 20 2008 @ 7:52 pm
(Likewise on just discovering your site. Nice work, btw.)
I’m glad someone else noticed the ridiculousness of the scene at Stanford’s briefcase-full-of-cash drop-off.
Fun times we’re up for in cricket, believe me…
by kp, on June 20 2008 @ 10:39 pm
good update!
PCD is goonda-raj…lol totaly unprofessional people. standford has made IPL look like pocket change…lol
by scorpicity, on June 21 2008 @ 11:58 am
Ah SP… in that case I accept the honour :)… I will have to do a PC sorcar routine among the cricket bloggers for all the disappearing act.
by scorpicity, on June 21 2008 @ 11:59 am
Welcome Henry to cricketfizz… fun times indeed… chaos AD
by scorpicity, on June 21 2008 @ 12:00 pm
Pocket change indeed KP that has got Modi fuming… but the standford thing looks a bit ridiculous anyway good for the cricketers.
by Naked Cricket, on June 22 2008 @ 2:08 am
hello scorpi!
by commonfan, on June 27 2008 @ 8:44 pm
Dude good that you are back.
But you havent missed much man or have actually depending on what you are looking for - quality or quantity.
by scorpicity, on June 28 2008 @ 4:42 pm
Haloa NC… you too doing a P.C. Sorcar act?
by scorpicity, on June 28 2008 @ 4:43 pm
hi Avnish… ow r u…. long time… am clueless now in terms of what is happening around the cricketing world… gonna be missing the asia cup too.. drat