So now what do you prefer? ODI's vs 2020s

[SJS]

That piece in its humour encapsulates all my griefs about the way Cricket is going...

EXACTLY.

Thats why it is such a great piece of writing. It is a serious piece because it makes you cringe even as you are enjoying his sarcasm.

 

[honestbharani]

They can't, very often, though. Mostly that sort of stuff gets smashed or at least milked.

If you want to bowl well in the middle overs of a ODI, you need good accurate seam-bowlers, not part-time spinners, and 5 or even 6 men inside the circle, not 4.

not really... You can see that by the success some guys like Badrinath have in ODs here in India.. He simply tosses the ball up and with batsmen less inclined to take chances and the flighted slow ball being difficult to maneouvre if it lands at the right area, he often goes for 4-5 an over and ends up with decentish figures a number of times.

 

[honestbharani]

well something worthwhile had to be said!!!

I can't believe someone hasn't sigged it yet........






Seriously..........

 

[Laurrz]

There is a fabulous tongue in cheek piece about the direction in which cricket is going in today's Hindustan Times. My only regret on readin the piece was that I hadn't written it myself.

here it is in its entirety.

2020: Enter the Dragon
Vikramdeep Johal : HT 23rd April'08​

Date: April 1, 2020.
Venue: Beijing.
Event: Five5 World Cup final.

China wrote a glorious chapter in cricket history today by becoming the world champions in cricket’s shortest version. The hosts beat the United States in the five-overs-a-side final that passed off peacefully barring a pitch invasion by pro-Tibet streakers.

Traditional cricket-playing nations skipped this inaugural event, not due to a political boycott but because their players were on duty in various Indian leagues (IDL, IEL, IFL, to name just a few). Minutes after lifting the trophy, Chinese captain Yin Yang (pictured below in 2008) was signed up by IGL (Indian Gargantuan League) for a record sum of $1 billion, much to the chagrin of Indian as well as foreign stars.

“It’s our Greatest Leap Forward,” declared Yang in Mandarin. All praise for the latest format, he called it the future of cricket. “In these hyper-fast times, Twenty20 is painfully slow and boring. Even Fifteen15 and Ten10 are not rapid enough. Five5 is the name of the game.” What about Tests and one-dayers, the endangered species that are no longer televised? “Our cash-rich board will press the ICC to finish off these monstrosities,” the all-rounder said ominously. Asked to comment on the long-standing Tibetan demand for autonomy, Yang said red-haughtily, “They must realise that only one thing can save them from the Dragon’s fury — and that’s the Dragon itself.”

Well, like it or not, the Chinese are calling the shots. It would be perilous to take them lightly, feels Sachin Tendulkar, who’s pushing 47 but is still far from retired. “Their notorious aggression makes the Aussies look like well-behaved schoolboys,” he quipped, adding that he would love to score a hundred against ‘the Sinosaurs’. The irrepressible Kapil Dev, who recently launched the unofficial Indian Senior Citizens League, is overjoyed at the turn of events. “BCCI bullies have finally met their match,” remarked the 61-year-old with a devilish glint in his eyes.​

bahahaha

seriously though, i do get excited thinking about Chinese playing cricket... its like a completely different type of culture into the game, very exciting... hope they do get into it...

 

[SJS]

Trust me every evening since IPL started, I sit down in my theater to watch the cricket, the spectacle is great on the big projector and I do enjoy all the noise that makes me feel as if I am bang in the middle of the arena and able to see the players life size which I wouldn't have been able to on the ground. Its a fantastic sight.

But, except the days when there were two games in the evening, I havent ben able to stay awake through a single match. My wife keeps coming to give me my pills, to ask me whether I will eat my dinner here (I say yes) and finally to put the blanket over me. I keep struggling to open my eyes and every time I do, I find I have missed 5-7 overs through dozing off.

Trust me, I love my cricket. I will stand on the roadside and watch urchins play cricket and I have never gone to sleep in an important test match involving India in South Africa or England and will get up at unearthly hours, take a cold shower and watch the games in Australia. But inspite of the big hitting and the roaring crowds, and the swinging 'babes', I just cant keep awake.

I have seen Venugopal make a complete ass of himself trying to pull short pitched deliveries, pull goodlength deliveries, pull half volleys and pull yorkers and then try to reverse sweep a ball that bounced over his head ! Seeing McGrath in the Delhi colours Venugopal thought he was himself Superman in disguise.

I have seen Harbhajan, India's most favoured limited over bowler, "**** in his pants" at the prospect of bowling more than two of his four overs although his side badly needed it and he was the skipper.

Its not as if some of these games did not have exciting finishes (though not as many of them as the 'ground-jockeys' screaming on the public address system try to convince you. But I wish I could stay awak and catch someof them.

Trust me for the last one week, I have cancelled all my social engagements, not watched a single movie in the evening, not had a single meal on the dining table... and yet....

Maybe one of these days I will stay awake through the game...maybe...

 

[honestbharani]

Trust me every evening since IPL started, I sit down in my theater to watch the cricket, the spectacle is great on the big projector and I do enjoy all the noise that makes me feel as if I am bang in the middle of the arena and able to see the players life size which I wouldn't have been able to on the ground. Its a fantastic sight.

But, except the days when there were two games in the evening, I havent ben able to stay awake through a single match. My wife keeps coming to give me my pills, to ask me whether I will eat my dinner here (I say yes) and finally to put the blanket over me. I keep struggling to open my eyes and every time I do, I find I have missed 5-7 overs through dozing off.

Trust me, I love my cricket. I will stand on the roadside and watch urchins play cricket and I have never gone to sleep in an important test match involving India in South Africa or England and will get up at unearthly hours, take a cold shower and watch the games in Australia. But inspite of the big hitting and the roaring crowds, and the swinging 'babes', I just cant keep awake.

I have seen Venugopal make a complete ass of himself trying to pull short pitched deliveries, pull goodlength deliveries, pull half volleys and pull yorkers and then try to reverse sweep a ball that bounced over his head ! Seeing McGrath in the Delhi colours Venugopal thought he was himself Superman in disguise.

I have seen Harbhajan, India's most favoured limited over bowler, "**** in his pants" at the prospect of bowling more than two of his four overs although his side badly needed it and he was the skipper.

Its not as if some of these games did not have exciting finishes (though not as many of them as the 'ground-jockeys' screaming on the public address system try to convince you. But I wish I could stay awak and catch someof them.

Trust me for the last one week, I have cancelled all my social engagements, not watched a single movie in the evening, not had a single meal on the dining table... and yet....

Maybe one of these days I will stay awake through the game...maybe...

to be honest, even I have noticed that the crowd tends to die down a little bit at some stage or the other of these IPL games, but then again, it happens in ODIs too and it happens for a longer duration than a T20... That is the whole point.


I still think there is enough space for all 3 to co-exist but the admins have got to be smart about it. Get more bowler friendly wickets in for ODIs, make sure bilateral series only last for 3 games, get in 3 T20s every tour as well, but make sure boundaries are kept to their normal size and that wickets are prepared with at least something in it for the bowlers. At the end of the day, cricket is only interesting when it is a contest between bat and ball and in any format of the game, if you want to really see good close games which remain close throughout its length, you need to give pitches that does something for the bowlers (seamers or spinners, it doesn't matter whom it favors)... Otherwise, cricket in any format turns into a slogfest, and in that case, it is much better if it is only for 20 overs than 50 overs......

 

[Perm]

One of the things I enjoy about ODI cricket is the middle overs, where the game can be won or lost. How often have we seen sides lose two or three quick wickets in the middle of an innings that completely halts their progress and then is one of the factors in them losing? People label it monotonous and boring, which at times, I admit, it can be, but on the whole I think it is a little like a Test match. The game does ebb and flow, although admittedly not on the same scale as a Test, and it allows for partnerships to be formed between batsman and bowlers alike.

If I want fun, I'd watch Twenty20. If I wanted something to think about and enjoy over a longer period of time, I'd watch an ODI. On the whole I prefer ODIs though.

 

[honestbharani]

One of the things I enjoy about ODI cricket is the middle overs, where the game can be won or lost. How often have we seen sides lose two or three quick wickets in the middle of an innings that completely halts their progress and then is one of the factors in them losing? People label it monotonous and boring, which at times, I admit, it can be, but on the whole I think it is a little like a Test match. The game does ebb and flow, although admittedly not on the same scale as a Test, and it allows for partnerships to be formed between batsman and bowlers alike.

If I want fun, I'd watch Twenty20. If I wanted something to think about and enjoy over a longer period of time, I'd watch an ODI. On the whole I prefer ODIs though.

The thing abt those middle overs is.... the field restrictions and the fact that everyone is more than happy to have men out... It takes innovative and bold captains to try anything different in the middle overs and while most guys do take that risk in the odd game too many games do become monotonous... Have a look at Harbhajan's figures.. the best example of middle overs er of 4 and the odd wicket, IMHO..

 

[slugger]

thats pretty rare losing clumps of wicket in the middle overs.. it may have occured more often through out the early period of teams coming to grips with how to play an odi innings..

if aust. lost a bulk of wicket early players like micheal bevan and a lower order player would noodle it around and right the rocking ship..

ex. 2003 wc against nz.. shane bond ripped through the top order.. but bevan and that seldom picked bowler cant remember who was steady the inn. and put together a good partnership.. they played safe and boring.. hitting 3 or 4 runs an over... yawwwnnn...

 

[Perm]

With the 2003 Bevan example, the thing that would have excited me is the knowledge of one more wicket falling and then NZ would likely have won. And for Bevan, he basically won that game for his side, through his ability in the middle overs. Personally just don't think it's as boring as people make it out to be.

 

[slugger]

yeah no doubt... he played well and did it many times.

i think this best way to appreciate t20 is i think its been designed to put every body under pressure.. sure as in an odi you can lose a clump of wickets.. but unlike an odi you dont have the option of going into your shell and re -group or bide your time.. you have to keep your foot on the pedal... sure you gonna get a bit of luck but thats involved in all sports not just cricket.. but isnt it interesting how after only the second round of the IPL most of the batsmen we class as good ODI players have all put an innings of substance together.

MCCullum...........158* KKR
M Hussy..............116 CSK
KC Sangakkara..... 54 KXI
Yuvraj Singh...........57 KXI
SR Watson............70 RR
V Sehwag..............94* DDD
ML Hayden............ 81 CSK

If those players were in an international and had played 2 of 5 game series im pretty sure they would have scored something like that as above if not better or slightly worse but the varibles would be small.

the only obivous difference from an ODI over T20 is likely to be the strike rate..

 

[Langeveldt]

I find it annoying how people slate the middle overs of an ODI.. To be honest, thats the most skillful bit, milking the singles, playing the ball around, the odd big shot.. Oh, but if there aren't 4z, 6z and wiketz lolz it's a waste of time? Great...

 

[steds]

ODIs are still gay.

 

[silentstriker]

I find it annoying how people slate the middle overs of an ODI.. To be honest, thats the most skillful bit, milking the singles, playing the ball around, the odd big shot.. Oh, but if there aren't 4z, 6z and wiketz lolz it's a waste of time? Great...

It's the least skillfull part. If I want to watch a true Test of skill, I'll watch a Test because in Tests, bowlers are allowed to attack. In the middle overs of the ODI, the bowlers are defensive, the batsman is defensive and the field is defensive. If you want to call me unsophisticated because I hate that crap, then so be it. It sucks, as far as I'm concerned.

In Tests, one or the other is usually attacking. Even in the middle innings, one side is either looking for a wicket or if they're defensive, the other side is looking to get a move on.

 

[chaminda_00]

I find it annoying how people slate the middle overs of an ODI.. To be honest, thats the most skillful bit, milking the singles, playing the ball around, the odd big shot.. Oh, but if there aren't 4z, 6z and wiketz lolz it's a waste of time? Great...

Lack of wickets during that period is probably the major downfall, not the lack of fours and sixes. At least at the start of the innings the bowl might be swing around and there is a battle between bat and bowl. At the end of an innings if a bowler bowls smart or has deadly yorker e.g Tait and Malinga they can take wickets. The middle orders of ODI probably have the lowest level of battle between bat and bowl. As batsmen bat within themselves and bowlers just look to contain as much as possible. Boring cricket if you ask me.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I find it annoying how people slate the middle overs of an ODI.. To be honest, thats the most skillful bit, milking the singles, playing the ball around, the odd big shot.. Oh, but if there aren't 4z, 6z and wiketz lolz it's a waste of time? Great...

The thing that annoys me about middle overs is you don't get full value for shots, unless you've got someone quick bowling you have to really smash the ball to score a boundary. Virtually every bowler goes for 4-5 an over in most circumstances and the pitch won't allow them to bowl people out. The only way you go for worse is if you bowl real long-hops or you've got someone quicker bowling who gives some of the pace needed to split the field. It homogenises bowling.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

ODI's by a mile.

 

[Goughy]

The middle overs of an ODI are too often tedious.

The batting team are trying to ration wickets and the bowling team are trying to prevent runs.

Both teams are defending something the opposition are not even attacking. Its not like the batting team is preserving wickets whilst the bowling team is being aggressive.

Both teams have different aims that actually dovetail to allow both to be successful (batting keeps wickets, bowling keeps runs down) and leads to some very dull cricket and God damn terrible bowling allowed to go unpunished.

Too often the game meanders and nothing of consequence happens.

 

[Laurrz]

I find it annoying how people slate the middle overs of an ODI.. To be honest, thats the most skillful bit, milking the singles, playing the ball around, the odd big shot.. Oh, but if there aren't 4z, 6z and wiketz lolz it's a waste of time? Great...

hitting the ball to deep mid off all the time is a bit tedious though as someone has mentioned im sure

 

[silentstriker]

It's the least skillfull part. If I want to watch a true Test of skill, I'll watch a Test because in Tests, bowlers are allowed to attack. In the middle overs of the ODI, the bowlers are defensive, the batsman is defensive and the field is defensive. If you want to call me unsophisticated because I hate that crap, then so be it. It sucks, as far as I'm concerned.

In Tests, one or the other is usually attacking. Even in the middle innings, one side is either looking for a wicket or if they're defensive, the other side is looking to get a move on.

The middle overs of an ODI are too often tedious.

The batting team are trying to ration wickets and the bowling team are trying to prevent runs.

Both teams are defending something the opposition are not even attacking. Its not like the batting team is preserving wickets whilst the bowling team is being aggressive.

Both teams have different aims that actually dovetail to allow both to be successful (batting keeps wickets, bowling keeps runs down) and leads to some very dull cricket and God damn terrible bowling allowed to go unpunished.

Too often the game meanders and nothing of consequence happens.