Bowling skill suffers because of 20-20

[Beny]

Bowling skill is out in cricket's new slogfest

By Darren Berry
Former Victorian captain
October 31, 2004






Cricket Australia announced during the week that Australia A would take on Pakistan early in January in the new version of our great game called 20-20 cricket, a concept that has been successful in the Old Dart and South Africa. Will it take off here in Australia?

Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: it will not unearth any new bowling talent. In fact, we might as well replace the bowler with a ball machine and just play 11 batsmen. The team with the best sloggers shall be declared the winner.

The concept was masterminded by the English to revamp the game in their country. The idea was to increase spectator interest and entice sponsors' dollars. The commercial viability of the game of cricket will undoubtedly benefit.

The 20-20 game is action-packed and completed in three hours, which makes it an attractive package. However, traditionalists consider it a Mickey Mouse version or only a snapshot of the game.

One-day cricket has already eroded the skills of some players who have lost touch with the traditional version of the game. The art of constructing an innings is lost on many modern-day players and an inability to cope with the variance of Test match conditions has closed the curtain on a few careers.


The one-day "Picasso", Michael Bevan, is the best example of recent times. He is possibly the best one-day player ever but he never reached such status in the Test arena. Bevan has been a fine player of the longer version of the game at domestic level, but he was sorted out by the short ball at Test level and consequently was labelled a one-day specialist.

The main concern is for the art of spin bowling. How can a young tweaker expect to ply his craft in this new 20-over slogathon? What will it do to the confidence of a developing spinner to have the batsman swinging lustily at every ball he delivers? It will force the spinner to bowl flat darts, which ultimately makes him a waste of time. The 50-over game has already crucified the art of spin bowling, with only the absolute best surviving. The limited-overs game is all about minimising the damage on the scoreboard and 20-20 cricket will be no different.

It may well be the way to introduce our game to a worldwide market.

Nathan Hauritz, the young off spinner from Queensland who is in India with the Test squad, is a prime example of someone who has been adversely affected by the limited-overs game. When he started his career, he tossed the ball in the air and invited the batsman to drive at his slow-paced, looping off spin.

Over the past few years he hasn't played much four-day cricket, but is a regular in the Queensland one-day team. He has done a job for them blocking up one end while their quick men - Andy Bichel, Michael Kasprowicz, Ashley Noffke, Joe Dawes and co - strut their stuff at the other. His bowling has changed and he now bowls under-cutters from a round-arm action that has affected his wicket-taking ability in the longer version of the game.

Stuart MacGill, on the other hand, has been brave enough to stick to his guns and not let the pyjama game alter his style. He has been a potent weapon in the NSW one-day outfit for some time, due to his wicket-taking ability. He recently became the leading wicket-taker in domestic one-day cricket but has had very limited opportunities in the green-and-gold uniform.

The simple reason for this is his economy rate. Although his strike rate is excellent, he regularly goes for plenty and consequently the selectors have been reluctant to pick him. MacGill is strong in character and refuses to be intimidated by charging batsmen in coloured clothing. It is what he thrives on. I'm not so sure the new boys on the block in the 20-20 game will have the same courage.

Bowlers in the 20-20 game are allowed a maximum of four overs and if a front-foot no-ball is delivered the batsman is entitled to a free hit next ball. The bouncer law is the same as it is for one-day games, so shock value is minimised.

Batsman will be lining up for a piece of the action. Let's hope some of the habits that are formed in this version of the game do not impact on the skill set required to play the longer version. It's like asking Kieren Perkins to swim the 50-metre shortcourse sprint or Steve Moneghetti to run in the Stawell Gift.

Interestingly, Victorian Premier clubs will also trial the 20-20 game in a Tuesday twilight competition in the new year. So strap your seat belts on as 20-20 cricket will be coming to a ground near you - well, at least to those grounds that still allow the ball to be hit over the fence.

It is clear that the game's administrators are keen for it to get off the ground in this country. It will be exciting to watch and more than likely will be a success. Sponsorship and marketing will be crucial to its survival in our country. Let's hope it lasts longer than the super-8s concept did a few years back.

It may well be the way to introduce our game to a worldwide market as an entree before the more sumptuous main course is delivered.

[Rachael]

The lambasting of the influence of the ODI game in this piece are well made... and one only has to look at the development of Giles' bowling.. or the batting of a host of stars, from Jayasuria and Gayle through to Sehwag and Vaughan to see exactly what is being talked about.

The 20-20 game? Far less concerned. In this country at least it has been treated (by the players) as a joke. It's a bit of midless fun that no-one worries about very much. It's also played so little as to be inconsequential.

The answer? First, follow the lead of the Indian authorities and stop young players playing ODI cricket: let them learn their trades in the longer game and then adapt later. Im not sure quite what age the INdian Authorities set for playing the One Day game... but I'd suggest something like 26 would be eminently sensible.

No loss to the One Day game, really: the spectators for that game should be seeing the established stars at play ina lighter form of the game.. not observing the development on little known callow youths who may never actually make it.