2nd
T20 redeemed
In 2007 we pondered: how could an ill-advised swipe to short-fine leg be the difference between heroes and zeros? Silly. Even in 2009— how could a team so lacking in direction and will, so completely pathetic, win the whole fucking thing? Not only that, but beat teams of such organized professionalism (South Africa) and such scintillating talent (Sri Lanka) to do it? Silly. So when we jumped and cheered as Afridi ran a leg-by the other day, we wondered what we were doing. T20, we concluded, has its place. It certainly adds value to a fan’s experience of the cricket universe. The question is: how much?
Well, it keeps grandpa happy. To the extent that T20, unlike earlier architectural experiments—Double-Wicket, HK Sixes—preserves the basic structure of the game—a team of 11 players tries to score more than an opposing team of 11 players in which each player has one opportunity to bat—it does just enough to satisfy cricket purists who bemoan a bastardization of the game in the modern era.
It not only keeps Lalit Modi, but the ICC happy too. T20 is the holy grail for which cricket has searched ever since it realized that 50-over cricket was a financial graveyard. Sharjah, Toronto, Champions Trophy, Cable and Wireless Series, NatWest Series, hell, even the World Cup—all tried their luck with ODIs, only to realize it just wasn’t happening. Finally, here’s something that can make the game some money.
It keeps all you monkeys-who-otherwise-never-watch-cricket happy. Were I one of you monkeys, I would watch T20 cricket. And hence, the T20 can grow the game.
So why not SouLBW? Why don’t you just take off your shirt and jump in? The water in this pool of T20 is just perfect.
Well, the only question left is: does T20 hit the spot? Is it satisfying? Well being Pakistan supporters, we thought the best barometer of how much we enjoyed watching Pakistan win the final would be to compare it to other triumphant Pakistan victories in recent times. Our sample set was Asia Cup 2008, Karachi Test v India 2006, Bangalore Test v India 2005, Series victory over England 2005, Lahore Test v South Africa 2003, Manchester Test v England 2001.
The T20 World Cup victory was satisfying because a) the country’s eating shit b) the team was in the doldrums, and c) it was an international tournament. But it was also satisfying because of, d) the quality of cricket played and e) the cricketing narrative that unfolded. Pakistan evolved as a team during the tournament and, by the last two games, were playing excellent cricket. These are two essential components of a true cricketing masterpiece, and two elements we thought T20 was unable to offer.
After five days in the searing Bangalore sun, having been ripped to shreds in the last test in Kolkata, having to salvage a test series while 50 thousand Indians curse their every move, Pakistanis took 10 wickets on the last day to win the match and draw the series. That 2005 Test victory has its place in the hierarchy, but so does Lords 2009, a Twenty20 game.
