India v South Africa
In the last few years, cricket came to a crossroads, took a turn to the right, and blew on through a few more intersections. So here we are, with Twenty20 cricket threatening to take everything in its way. Since we have taken ourselves down this path already, I thought I would chip in a few ideas that would help Twenty20 cricket appeal to an even wider commercial audience and maybe Test lovers like myself to watch it.
1. Cameras, Cameras, Cameras.
Nothing pleased my cricket friends like the sight of a camera hanging by literal threads as Australia took the field for its first T20 match against India. We were able to see angles never before captured on the cricket field.
At one point the camera was hovering directly above an injured Indian player as the team doctor tried in vain to tape his hand together. Normally the throng of players would have denied this view – but not with the spider cam hanging from his web in the air.
We should continue on that obvious winner. Each batsman would be forced to wear a camera on the brim of the helmet. Just picture being able to see from David Warner’s point of view as he switched his bat and grip from left to right, watched the ball onto his massive blade and followed its high arch into the 12th row. Fantastic footage!
2. Microphones.
For a while the odd miked-up batsman or fielder was exciting, but it’s boring now. We need every batsman miked up, and a minimum of the fielding captain and four others.
What is so much more interesting about that? Well, with digital TV, the options are endless.
My personal point of view is that Gem could be the adults-only cricket channel, when all mics on field are open at all times and turned up as the main source of commentary/game flow. There could be a single commentator, but anything more than that would be too much interference. The players (warts, sledges, f-bombs and all) and the crowd can carry the broadcast.
3. Bowling power-play
In 50-over cricket there is a bowling appointed power-play of an additional five overs of fielding restrictions, which is less like a power-play and more like a capitulation play.
In light of this, and the way the shorter games are slanted toward the batsmen, I’ve thought of a way to bring the bowlers back into T20 cricket.
Seeing as anything goes in T20’s these days, the fielding side’s power-play in T20 should be a selected period of four overs of tip and run!
Imagine the chaos: the torn hammys, the fielding team launching at the stumps from all over the place, the mix ups and stuff ups. And it would be riveting. The crowd would hold its collective breath for four overs; captains would visibly go grey and lose hair as we watched. What a spectacle.
I’ve finally realised that I’m swimming against the tide. Test cricket will continue to be seen as T20’s nerdy brother, the format that gram and grandpa love, but the one that the cool cousin despises. If the ICC in all its wisdom embraces these changes of mine, I’m sure I would watch more of it.
