In the T20-crazy world of today, I fear I am one of the few people against the format, and definitely a rarity amongst sixteen year olds today. I have to clarify that I am not trying to brag, after all, it’s not like I’m the sole survivor of an apocalypse, I’m just one of the few people who would like to watch a test match rather than a T20 match.
Other than myself, the only person I know who is as excited about a beautiful away swinging red ball is a friend of mine, Yazad. The two of us have a tough time trying to convince people of the evils that the shortest version of the game possess and why the longest form of the game is an amazing format of the game. We have not decided where we stand on 50-over matches.
The purpose of T20 matches eludes me. People say it is entertaining, I tell them that there is no purpose in watching bowlers bowl with the purpose of not giving runs more important than not taking wickets while batsman slog left right and centre which in turn causes the cheerleaders to dance. When Cricket was first given the name “The Gentleman’s Game” I am pretty sure women in skimpy outfits were not a part of that decision.
People say that T20 tournaments like the IPL have given exposure to young Indian players. This is one argument I feel has some weight behind it, but it still isn’t 100% accurate. Out of last season’s 10 highest run scorers, only two players, Murali Vijay and Paul Valthaty, were without cemented places in the Indian line-up and their good form in the IPL did not result in an assured spot in the national side as Valthaty is yet to play an international match and Vijay only played in the test series in West Indies, mustering a miserly 72 in 3 matches. So I feel it safe to say that neither of the players benefitted much from the IPL.
People say that it’s possible and easy to watch an entire match without having to sacrifice other things. I begrudgingly agree to this but still maintain that I would watch a back-foot defence rather than a slog over mid- wicket.
So that’s my opinion. In any of the three arguments, I shall always say test, not T20 and hopefully, I shall get some people to agree with me.
Test cricket tests the skill of the batsman more than his power and luck.