Line & Length
R Mohan
In many ways Warne is IPL's ambassador
April 24, 2008
Not even the peripatetic Lalit Modi could have ordered the fireworks on the field. Brendon McCullum did the match commissioner's creative child, the Indian Premier League, a huge favour by setting the cricket on fire. And then came the Michael Hussey century in just the second game in a record number of balls, which meant two batsmen had instilled excitement at the very beginning to get the event off and running as if it were a sprinter on steroids.
The IPL is here to stay. No doubt about that. It might be impossible to sustain such brilliance even within the narrow confines of Twenty20 cricket. What the cricket on show has done so far is to captivate an audience with the fantastic possibilities of the format in a set of matches each of which has brought out so many different aspects, from the ball-bashing, sixer-hitting galacticos to the cerebral twists and turns given to a cricket ball by the genius of Shane Warne, the ultimate spin doctor.
Those darkly predicting the death of spin bowling may have to revise their opinion if the oldest performer on the world stage can still tweak them and lure batsmen into self-destruction. In more ways than one, Warne is an ambassador for the IPL. Captain, coach and motivator of his Rajasthan Royals, Warne is busy bringing about the right attitude in his dressing room.
It is with some sagacity that the legendary leg spinner speaks of the importance of creating a window in the cricket calendar so that the best in the world may yet get to play in the league and make it a truly global competition. At present the English are being kept out by the typically obstructive policies of members of the old Establishment.
Imagine the levels to which the cricket in the league can be taken if say Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood, to name just three English cricketers with enormous limited-overs capabilities, are allowed to strut their wares in a specific six-week period in the calendar from which tests and ODIs can be eliminated.
It is not as if English cricketers are pining for the money. They are already well paid and are one of the few groups of cricketers who can thumb their nose at a million dollars. What the likes of KP will be missing is the opportunity to play the compressed form of the game into which a cricketer must distill all his skills to shine. Would KP not love to be in the same team as Warne, his Hampshire mate who may have helped shape his game to reach the heights?
Warne has spoken freely of how he has brought the cricket conversation back into fashion in all the teams he has played in, including his latest passion. Rajasthan Royals. The post-match analysis, the cricket chat and the camaraderie of a pint after play are the hottest habits in the Jaipur team's dressing room. This may lead to the revival of a true cricket culture in which the young will also thrive.
The Sheikh of Tweak trapping Yuvraj in front with a slider to beat the slog sweep was the moment of the match on Monday night. Art had prevailed as subtlety trumped brute power. Even diehard fans of Test cricket who swear by the episodic clash of most talented individuals in one-on-one contests in a drama within a drama may have been surprised that Twenty20 cricket could offer such moments.
To have Warne playing in all matches would be one of the highlights of the preliminary league. Many others will be leaving soon for international duty. Voices will also be raised to increase the number of foreign players allowed in the playing XI as much as strident ones will keep asking for the window that will make IPL a big stand-alone event.
Minor problems like dubious pitches and doubtful power sources may have bedeviled the start much to the detriment of Deccan Chargers who were the worst affected by both cropping up on the same night. Since corrective measures are already afoot, it is safe to assume that soon enough the Indian Premier League will be the most wanted cricket competition in world cricket. Surely the ICC must unite to smoothen its path because it would mean so much to the most talented cricketers.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
The IPL is here to stay. No doubt about that. It might be impossible to sustain such brilliance even within the narrow confines of Twenty20 cricket. What the cricket on show has done so far is to captivate an audience with the fantastic possibilities of the format in a set of matches each of which has brought out so many different aspects, from the ball-bashing, sixer-hitting galacticos to the cerebral twists and turns given to a cricket ball by the genius of Shane Warne, the ultimate spin doctor.
Those darkly predicting the death of spin bowling may have to revise their opinion if the oldest performer on the world stage can still tweak them and lure batsmen into self-destruction. In more ways than one, Warne is an ambassador for the IPL. Captain, coach and motivator of his Rajasthan Royals, Warne is busy bringing about the right attitude in his dressing room.
It is with some sagacity that the legendary leg spinner speaks of the importance of creating a window in the cricket calendar so that the best in the world may yet get to play in the league and make it a truly global competition. At present the English are being kept out by the typically obstructive policies of members of the old Establishment.
Imagine the levels to which the cricket in the league can be taken if say Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood, to name just three English cricketers with enormous limited-overs capabilities, are allowed to strut their wares in a specific six-week period in the calendar from which tests and ODIs can be eliminated.
It is not as if English cricketers are pining for the money. They are already well paid and are one of the few groups of cricketers who can thumb their nose at a million dollars. What the likes of KP will be missing is the opportunity to play the compressed form of the game into which a cricketer must distill all his skills to shine. Would KP not love to be in the same team as Warne, his Hampshire mate who may have helped shape his game to reach the heights?
Warne has spoken freely of how he has brought the cricket conversation back into fashion in all the teams he has played in, including his latest passion. Rajasthan Royals. The post-match analysis, the cricket chat and the camaraderie of a pint after play are the hottest habits in the Jaipur team's dressing room. This may lead to the revival of a true cricket culture in which the young will also thrive.
The Sheikh of Tweak trapping Yuvraj in front with a slider to beat the slog sweep was the moment of the match on Monday night. Art had prevailed as subtlety trumped brute power. Even diehard fans of Test cricket who swear by the episodic clash of most talented individuals in one-on-one contests in a drama within a drama may have been surprised that Twenty20 cricket could offer such moments.
To have Warne playing in all matches would be one of the highlights of the preliminary league. Many others will be leaving soon for international duty. Voices will also be raised to increase the number of foreign players allowed in the playing XI as much as strident ones will keep asking for the window that will make IPL a big stand-alone event.
Minor problems like dubious pitches and doubtful power sources may have bedeviled the start much to the detriment of Deccan Chargers who were the worst affected by both cropping up on the same night. Since corrective measures are already afoot, it is safe to assume that soon enough the Indian Premier League will be the most wanted cricket competition in world cricket. Surely the ICC must unite to smoothen its path because it would mean so much to the most talented cricketers.
Republished with permission from The Asian Age
