T20? If you are an emotional person, you will have so many issues with this piece, especially if you are a fan of a particular star player of any country, and not the game of cricket. And if you aren’t an emotional person, this article will keep you alert and awake.
In sports, it’s alright if you are an emotional person for a player. Many of the country are-specially in Cricket, whether for Sachin Tendulkar or MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli, or someone else, but the moment you tend to lose your weight and become blind and become kind over-emotional, problems start to occur.
Life and Cricket- Vibes and crystal-clear decisions
The current world is based on two pillars, one is the flowing vibe, and the other one, and most probably the vital one, is about taking a crystal-clear decision. While you’re crossing the road, you have to be attentive, but most importantly, you have to stick to a decision. Once you are committed, go with the decision and never back out at the last moment.
The game of cricket too gets followed with decisions and vibes or excitements. And those who are able to keep themselves away from these things, end up following the right template and get the best result.
Breaking the T20 code- The most crazy but complicated format
One uses all the holy adjective words to define Test cricket, yeah it’s the purest and the nicest and the most beautiful format of the game, and still ends up attracting the most least spectators of all. Oh yes, it’s actually in a fight with ODI cricket to define who would attract the least fans.
But what’s T20? We all say yeah it’s attracting, and engaging, and pulling up a huge number of crowd. All these are statements, where are supporting reasons behind these?
I am tired of hearing that T20 cricket attracts people only because it’s the shortest format in the modern life of the current generation; it can be one of those reasons, but surely can’t be the foremost pillar. It’s exciting and what T20 cricket in my understanding does is making someone updated, and force them to innovate their skills and different dimensions of the game. I love Test Cricket the most, but various parts of the longest format has been recreated because of the shortest format.
It’s a crazy format, but in my eyes, it’s the most complicated one. If you are a young lad and love your red ball, and go to a T20 game with your dad, and witness a team chasing 230 in less than 19 overs, you straightaway think it’s nothing but circus.
It’s a circus, it’s a cartoon, and the fact is everyone changes their mood following the cartoon, no matter how old they get. But what people ignores nowadays is, T20 cricket like its babies- The T10s, or the Hundred or the Sixty ball format (Not the T10 mind you if you have already started to calculate), always asks you to be practical.
Be crystal clear with planning and preparations in T20s specially
People are emotional, not nowadays, but always. T20 cricket tells you to be pragmatic. Once you delve into a decision, stay with it.
I was actually following the first T20I between New Zealand and Pakistan at the Eden Park, Auckland. The size of the ground always questions me about the health of the bowlers, it’s not even 50 seemingly in the squares. Now you will think how can it run according to the ICC rules? But various sources have confirmed that because the ground got the ICC status before this dimension rule, it can go with the size. Nevertheless, that wasn’t my point.
The point it that going into the series, the whole talk and buildup was around how Pakistan would divide both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam from the opening stand, only to erase their slow start. That was a great idea given how Babar could tackle the middle order issues. However, just on the fifteenth ball of their innings with the bat, Babar joined Rizwan, in spite of having a regular opener Fakhar Zaman waiting in the dressing room. I can’t help believe it.
Saim Ayub has been an excellent find for Pakistan. There will be days when the youngster will get out early in an aim to go for a fancy shot, but can’t then always allow Rizwan and Babar to come together if anyway your planning was to keep them away, especially in the powerplay.
Stay away from vibes and too much excitement
It’s always vital to stay away from emotions, and also vibes. It’s a absolutely foolish job in these era to make mistakes in three different formats because of flowing in the vibes trend. Pakistan is a great side with so much resources and talent in the country when it comes to T20 cricket. But they are actually putting the gun at their head by getting too much excited and emotional.
Aamer Jamal was excellent for them in the red ball games in the Australia tour, but that doesn’t mean they would still carry him for the T20s, where he goes for 10 runs per over in this format. They are actually putting away Zaman Khan from the side, or someone like Mohammad Wasim Jr. who could come with an additional batting option too.
The fact is that they are swimming in the vibes ocean, and bottles up different formats with people. Yes, you want to give chances to the youngsters, who do well in tours, but not in a World Cup year, or when you have got far better options in that format.
It goes same with the young India lad, Mukhesh Kumar, who was rewarded T20I cap based on his Test cap. He was brilliant through his Ranji Trophy seasons, and suddenly got a call in the 20-over side because of his Test records. Not much pace, or the extraordinary T20 skill could be found in him at the moment.
That’s the exact way England used to reward their Test players a place in the One Day side. And it’s really known to say what used to happen with them before that year.
Hold your emotions in selecting the playing eleven
Another part of selection is staying away from your emotions. The moment you allow your emotions to take over, you should expect some funky selections in the team.
They say T20 is different, oh yes, I admit it too. In T20, 0 of 1 ball is better than a 45-ball 50, unless you do a Rahul Tewatia, which comes once in a blue moon, just like Virat Kohli did at the MCG in 2022. But what’s the guarantee of them repeating the same, day in day out! They can’t actually.
So, for instance, if I score 50 in 42 balls, and just think of bashing the bowling in the third gear and get out, I am actually putting the pressure not only on my team but on the upcoming batters too, who won’t have much time for them to settle.
At the end of the day, it’s all about selection bridge, and it’s about selecting players who play with sheer momentum.
So, what did we learn from here? Nothing but the point that T20 cricket is highly suspicious. It’s a bit ahead in time in the race. They call it the modern-day cricket- too much crazy and excited but complicated, if you use the right power of your glasses!
Author: That mAd wrIter
Someone who loves how Steve Smith from being Australia's future Shane Warne has become present Don Bradman, gets inspired by Anderson's longevity, gets awed with Kohli's drive and Southee's bowling action. Never gets excited with stats and records, and believes in instincts, and always questions spinners bowling with the new ball.
