Cricket has undergone many changes, some good and some bad. In early 1970 who would have thought that from the womb of test cricket, shorter versions of this game like fifty-fifty and 20-twenty would be born. Cricket wasn’t played after sunset once. When fifty-fifty was being introduced, its votaries said that test cricket has become boring and cricket fans have stopped coming to the playground to watch cricket matches, therefore, it is necessary to experiment with the shorter version of the game in order to attract to the cricket grounds the dwindling cricket crowds. This reason , however , doesn’t hold much water as test matches have also been yielding results.
The greatest damage which the shorter version of the game has caused to the cricket is match fixing and spot fixing which has brought into disrepute this game which once used to be called the gentleman’s game.
Off and on cricket has been producing extra ordinary bowlers and batsmen. Though batsman like Bradman or bowler like Lindwall or Miller are born once in a blue moon but our generation has been lucky to see cricket producing batsmen like Dennis Compton, Tom Graveney, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Hanif Mohammad, Vivan Richards, Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, bowlers like Frank Tyson, Fazal Mahmood, Jim Laker, Murlidharan, Shane Watson, Waseem Akthar, Imran Khan and Prassana, to mention a few.
Ben Stokes of England is the latest addition to the galaxy of batsmen who has made his mark as elegant stroke player. He will go places if he continues to bat with the same passion which he has shown this year.
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