Instant Gratification or Real Cricket ?

10 November 2009 - 12:41
By Trevor Cramer

Call me old-fashioned...BUT...I am a traditionalist in every sense of the word when it comes to the game of cricket...Where do you stand ?

Hi there my friends...

Call me old-fashioned...BUT...I am a traditionalist in every sense of the word when it comes to the game of cricket...

I entered sports journalism at a very exciting time in our country's history, when our sporting teams were gradually being re-admited to the international sporting family and had the privilege of covering cricket at a leading daily newspaper for 10 years before moving across to radio journalism.

So, you can probably forgive me for being a defender of the traditional form of the game (Test cricket) and the subsequent 50-over format which was introduced to spectators during the Kerry Packer revolution of the late 70's..

Then we were introduced to what I like to call "Kits Krieket" in Afrikaans or "Pyjama Cricket", with it's 45 over day-night format and the fams really took a liking to that too...And now more recently...the Twenty-20 revolution...

Locally..the MTN Domestic competition got an overhaul and is now known as the MTN40...The cricket brains trust realised that they needed a way of trying to loosen the vice grip that the money-spinning Twenty-20 format has taken on the game with the reduction of the domestic competition to a 40-over-a-side competition.

Granted, the start of the new-look series did clash with the biggie on the domestic rugby calendar, the Currie Cup Final and many other attractions, but the impact it has had on the fans has been negligible...The sad sight of near-empty stadia in the first three weeks has been a regular feature...That depite some impressive batting and some very challenging scores...All the ingredients are there for great cricket, but the fans are just not biting...

I am all for innovation my friends and a fresh approach to the game, but the first rule is NEVER to tamper with the basic playing conditions and rules associated with cricket...I mean come on...a 12th man being able to bat, bowl and field ?

But...even with the advent of the high adrenalin, power-packed Pro-20 form of the game which has engulfed us (call it instant gratification...3 hours in and out...bat-bowl...and home we go) as opposed to spending an entire day in the baking sun watching Test cricket or an 11pm or later finish in the 40-over format, give me Test cricket...

As always, what I think is un-important...It's what YOU think that matters my friends...

ARE YOU HOOKED ON 20-20 CRICKET OR A TRADITIONALIST LIKE ME, WHO BELIEVES THE BASIC PLAYING CONDITIONS OF THE GAME SHOULD NOT BE TAMPEREED WITH...OR DO YOU THINK THE GAME JUST HAS TO KEEP PACE WITH 21ST CENTURY LIVING ?

Groete

"Oom" Trev

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ARE YOU HOOKED ON 20-20 CRICKET OR A TRADITIONALIST LIKE ME ?

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