The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Championship is being played in South Africa. This newest version of the game has generated a lot of interest among the fans. As India get ready to play their first match of the tournament, CricketNext.com's Editor Rajshekhar Rao chats to viewers about the tournament and India's chances in it.
Somasekhar: Will Twenty20 cricket overshade the One-Day cricket?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think Twenty20 will surely make a place for itself and very soon. Yes, there is every chance that it will overshadow ODI cricket, but that may still be some time away. Am sure guys who like ODI cricket will like this offering too. For the traditionalists, Test cricket lives on.
Pupun: Which country will win 20-20 World Cup?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Pupun, this game can be anybody's because a single performance can turn things around. That is where the delight is.
Ganesh: Who do you think would be in the team: Ramesh Powar (due to his tight spells in England) or the rejuvenated Harbhajan Singh?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Powar is not part of the squad Ganesh. The spinning options are Yusuf Pathan, who bowls off spin and is also a left-handed batsman, and Piyush Chawla, apart from the 'turbanator'.
Kirupa: Do you think 20-20 will attract non-cricket playing nations?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Surely. Not everyone is prepared to follow a game for a full day, forget five days. T20 is a good option for them.
Nishim T.D: Going into an Innagural World Cup without 3 pillar's of Indian cricket ( Tendulkar, Ganguly & Dravid ), are we saying that they are out of age for this new format of game. They have made an excellent impression in the recently concluded ODI series in England. They should have been in the team. Do you justify Board's decision?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: It was not the Board's decision but their own decision. In fact, I think they should be concentrating on just one form of the game.
Ashu: Is the Indian team for this Twenty20 World Championship a well-balanced side?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Ashu, I think it is a balanced team. One has to wait and watch how the players respond to the challenges.
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M K Bajaj: Keeping in view the shorter duration of the game ,do you think the the advertisers will keep away?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think they will be looking for more opportunities and look to milk it.
Sadhan: Test cricket is like old traditional joint family's lunch; lots of different kinds of menu, enough time to take food and along with all family members. One day cricket is like modern nuclear family's lunch; don't have much time to take food, less menu due to shortage of preparation time and health consciousness.
The present Twenty20 cricket is like for single or both persons of family working and taking fast food in restaurants in most of the time due to no time for cooking. The fast food concept is become very popular in recent times. Twenty20 cricket is also going to be popular within a short period like fast food. What is your comment on these aspects?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: That's a nice example Sadhan! If people don't have time to cook food at home, do they have the time to watch Test cricket? Twenty20 is the only thing they can hope to watch. Get the burgers, grab a beer and get on to the couch.
Suresh Kumar R: From the recent One-Dayer (held in Lords stadium, London) - I strongly feel that India should have 100% team spirit. Hope that the youngsters who are selected for Twenty20 - follow the Team spirit lane - and get a chance to win Twenty20. What is your opinion?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: One loss doesn't imply a lack of team spirit. You could call it collective failure. The youngsters here have a good chance of gelling well and should look at it as a great opportunity.
Neeraj Bhatia: Do you think that 20-20 will benefit upcoming cricketers?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Not for learning the game Neeraj, certainly not. But in terms of opportunity, certainly. The ICL is an example.
Pramod: South Africa versus West Indies match yesterday was not a sellout. We could see some stands being empty. Is there some other distraction to the World Cup? Why is it that even if the home team plays, it is not housefull?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Hi Pramod, like I said earlier, the Rugby World Cup in Paris is a big distraction.
Shanmuharajan: In Test 600 plus is considered as good score, in One-Dayers 300-325 considered is a good score, Can you guess what is the Good score in Twenty20?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think 180-200 will be par for the course. I think we will have a clearer idea by the end of the tournament.
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Hunny: Is India a minnow or a favourite in this 20-20 World Cup?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think it is a middle-level team.
Shomu: How will the wickets in Durban and Cape Town behave? Will it be different from Johannesburg?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: It is more windy out here in Durban, can be good to bowl or bat, depending on how a bowler adjusts.
Kiran Surisetti: Cricket pundits keep saying that Twenty20 is the future of cricket. Do you look at it the similar way?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Yes, it definitely is. All games have become faster over the years, so why not cricket.
Bidhan: Who will be champion of Twenty20 World Cup? What are the reasons 3BBs (Big Batsmen - Sachin, Sourav and Rahul) not played this mega event ?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: The three had opted out themselves.
Hunny: Hello! Will India be able to defeat Scotland as in Scotland they have a good format of Twenty20 matches and they are very experience in that format?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Yes, they probably have more experience in this form with some of them also featuring on the county circuit, but India has more class.
Jeetu: Do you think now even One-Day cricket will be played at Twenty20's pace?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think One-Day cricket has already become faster. It may not be played at that pace but will definitely will become even pacier.
Khamaj: Raj, Given the performance of West Indies and South Africa last night, do you think our batters can hit the ball all around the park against some quality fast bowling of Pakistan?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: They are capable of doing it. I am expecting a cracker of a contest. Won't you like that?
Hunny: Do you think Indian team look like a minnow without the great Indian trio?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: They look younger. And that is how the ODI team too should look some time from now!
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Cric Fan: You said that the same was said about ODIs too. But it is not applicable here because One-Dayers never attempted to replace Test Cricket. They co-exist and co-exist well. But the problem we face here is that Twenty20 will try to force ODIs out which is not a good thing. I feel the media hype is a little too high for this and can only be detrimental to the game.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Why take it negatively. This is not replacing ODIs either. Why not just another dish on the buffet table? Take what you want. The media hype only matters as long as the public have not had a taste of it. The fans will decide whether it is a hit or not.
Khamaj: How about Irfan and Sehwag as the opening pair? And Agarkar as the pinch hitter? Robin can come down the order (to be on the safer side).
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think we have better options for a pinch hitter. Why not Yusuf? He can be the surprise element. But I think you should have your top batsmen at the top. You would not want a Dhoni or Yuvraj to bat just five overs, would you?
Sabarish S:> Hey hello Mr.Rao! Should India have a seperate squad for 20-20 cricket & ODI? If so who all will be your choice?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Yes, that is a necessity. Even after the likes of the trinity retire from ODIs, that is something the Indian Board has to look at. We have to give the present Twenty20 team a good chance before deciding to have a look at others. I think Irfan and Yusuf can be great assets in this game.
Mukesh Marwah: What is your analiysis of Pakistan and Scotland teams? Who will you vote for?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Mukesh ji, Pakistan's 'designs' are definitely to go further than the preliminary league performance that they had in the World Cup in the Caribbean islands. Scotland would not be scaring them for sure. I would much rather wait for the India-Pak match for entertainment in group 'D'.
Kshitij Ahuja: Twenty 20 is the same cricket format that ICL will be promoting. Do you see the scope of the game beyond a certain period? And how about ICL?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think everybody is focussing on this format because of its tremendous scope. Only time will tell whether the golden goose is killed or not but it will definitely catch everyone's fancy for sure.
Nathan: How can India improve their fielding?
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C. Rajshekhar Rao: They can improve it by hard work, but just that little bit. I am not very confident on this front because fielding can't be taught at this stage. It is something inculcated in the system from early on and coaches at the junior level need to tell players the importance of fielding. But for some players, most have to be forced to concentrate on fielding.
Have you every wondered what is common between some of the better fielders in the past - Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh, Gursharan Singh, Kirti Azad, etc.? A common National Stadium in the capital where coach Gurcharan Singh put everyone through the rigours. I was a part of that place once and know that players were often selected on the basis of their fielding, this in the mid and late 1980s. That tells a story, doesn't it?
Shanmuharajan: Don't you think a poor decision by umpire will affect the result drastically in T20 than in an One-Day match?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: A poor umpiring decision can change any game, even a Test. What if Laxman had got a poor decision in the 2001 Kolkata Test against the Aussies?
Santanu: Don't you think that realistically it will be too much to expect India to go beyond quarterfinals? It will take some time for us to adjust to the slam-bang format , isn't it ?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think quarterfinals are a reasonable expectation. A semifinal berth would be a big plus and if that happens, anything is possible. Don't forget, a Dhoni or a Yuvraj or a Sehwag or even an Uthappa is capable of matching the best in terms of run-rate. Hope they hit form. Santanu, don't forget, everyone is just about adjusting to this game.
Srikrishnan: Can the young Indian team lift the T20 World Cup with the absence of experienced players?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: This is a young players' game. Why not treat it as the first ten and last ten overs of an ODI. The middle overs not being there, you need lesser steadying factors.
Pady: I think Twenty20 will be good cricket export to US? What do you say?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Certainly. They will see some elements of baseball in this.
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Partha: Yesterday, I saw the match between SA & WI and it was really enjoyable cricket. But do not you think the format needs to be changed as I feel in 20 overs you cannot have 10 wickets in hand. It should be 5 wicket games so that the batsmen can also have some sort of cautious approach while going all out. Cricket as all say is a batsman game and in T20, I do not see any role by bowler unless giving a dot ball.
C. Rajshekhar Rao Five wickets might be too less. But this is an evolving game and there are sure to be a lot many rules changes in the coming years. Partha, you might just give some good suggestions to the ICC. Do write to them.
Shanmuharajan: Test match is dominated by batsmen, T20 is Dominated by bowlers, So I think One-Day match will win this Triangular Contest !!! What do you think Rajshekhar Rao?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: It might have a little bit for both batsmen and bowlers, but tell me, how many ODIs are keenly contested ones? If no one wants to see a drawn Test, not many would be wanting to see a predictable One-Dayer either. Believe me, T20 is a damn good option.
Levi: I feel cricket is no more a gentlemans game. Please comment?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Cricket is a toughly contested sport nowadays so it is not easy to be a gentleman in the field, is it? There have been instances of bad conduct down the years and a little word here or there is not too bad.
Shanmuharajan: Do you think India can perform will with this poor bowling and poor fielding?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: I think they are the points of concern. The batting too is new look. It will be tough for the Indian team but you never know when they will peak. Let's pray for their success!
Cric Fan: Hi! Don't you feel the initial excitement of T20 will wear off soon? Too much of something is not always a good thing. For eg. if you keep hitting every other ball for a 6 or 4, it will mean that it is the norm and not something exceptional. Also, the joy of watching the bowler beating the batsmen, decieving him will not be there in T20 (at least not much). There's also no display of strategy from a batsman's point of view as there is hardly any time for that. I feel this form of cricket will encourage sloggers more than ones with good technique. Not sure if this really removes the sheen from ODI cricket. What's your take?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: The same was said about ODIs too. You are right in a sense because there will be some subtle features of the game that will be missed. But if you see the masses, what do you think they want to see? A deft flick that is executed in silky fashion but gets you just a couple of runs or a smashed six to long on or mid wicket?
Sathish: Hi Raj! I am Sathish from Bangalore. Have you ever wondered why the term 'Yorker' is not there in the dictionary of current Indian bowlers?
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C. Rajshekhar Rao: Sathish, yes the yorker is becoming more and more important, but it is very easy to expect someone to produce the dreaded delivery but difficult to do so. If it could be produced at will, everyone would be hurling them down at regular intervals. It is said that it takes double the effort to bowl a yorker. Not for nothing was Waqar such a great bowler! As for our bowlers, well, they have a long way to go still.
Jeetu: Is this an ideal stage for Pathan and Bhajji to make a comeback? They will get butchered and the selectors will say, thanks, you need not play anymore.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Jeetu, this is a very pertinent question and I asked it to Irfan during an interview yesterday night, which you will see on IBN Live and Cricketnext by tomorrow. I too think it is difficult for any bowler, or for that matter even for a batsman to come back in this form of the game as the format gives you no chance to fight back in the match and you can be cloberred with ease. But Irfan was very positive and said that he was taking it as an everything to gain situation. Hope Bhajji too is taking things the same way.
Prashant: Hi! Do you think after 20-20 cricket viewer will expect same hard hiting in One-Day cricket (50 over) and there is no place for classic player like Dravid or Laxman because they cannot perform the way Chris Gayle and Herschelle Gibbs did yesterday.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Prashant, it is a misconception that any form is not favourable for a particular type of batsman. Chris Harris was New Zealand's best player in this form in domestic cricket and Mark Ramprakash in England. I think most batsmen are capable of scoring at a brisk rate, even Dravid, who did so very recently in England It depends on how batsmen take it. They might have to improvise like an Uthappa or play the same old shots at more regularity. Any way, there is Test cricket for those who can't catch up with the times.
M K Bajaj: The 20-20 will bring down the standards of the game. What is your take?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Yes, you are right. If players are encouraged to play this game at an early age, there is likely to be a decline in solidity of players. But I am hoping the ICC will manage it.
Ashish: Don't you think that Twenty20, will become very monotonous (very single dimensional, only attack by batsmen), and moreover it is very unjust to the bowlers. Somehow I was not excited watching yesterday's encounter.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Ashish, you will see that bowling efforts will also change the complexion of the game very often. For example, a pace bowler bowling yorkers may be able to do it more often because he just has to deliver 24 balls in a match. If he is able to bowl even four in a match, he could well rule the roost.
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Padmakar: What will be the spate of Test cricket after the introduction of T20 cricket?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Dear Padmakar, I think ODIs will take a bigger hit than Tests. The competition will be between the two overs limited forms of the game. Test cricket might remain where it is because the ICC intends to back it to the fullest.
Ashu: I reckon that the type of format that 20-20 is will help it further globalise. It has potential of getting into Olympics and maybe in 2020 China winning the gold?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: You are very right Ashu. That is one of the objectives of the ICC. But China winning the gold? That is far-fetched though not impossible!
Panthi: Is there any chance that Rohit Sharma will get to play? Should he be playing?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Hi Panthi, I guess you are feeling sorry for him. So am I, being around and not getting to play is pretty bad. He might get a chance but I don't think he will be an automatic choice. The likes of Uthappa, Gambhir and Kartik are higher in the pecking order and there are also all-rounders Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan. Where will you fit him in?
Varun Krishna: Sir, I am Varun Krishna from Bangalore. Will the Twenty20 form of the game kill the people's interest in watching the longer version - say a 50-over match as its more time consuming.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Dear Varun, Yes, Twenty20 definitely is the biggest challenge that ODI faces. But remember, it is people like you who will decide which version stays. The spectators will ultimately decide which format becomes most popular.
Padmakar: Hello sir! Don't you think 20-20 cricket is a bowlers nightmare. And the cricket governing body has made cricket a more batsman's game neglecting the bowlers.
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Padmakar, yes that is true but then remember, the bowler can also turn it around. A couple of early blows can still put the batsman on the defensive.
Sanju: Why did Sarwan leave the fine leg unmanned? He allowed so many boundaries in that region? What were the seniors in the West Indies team doing? Couldn't somebody have given the captain a piece of his mind?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Sanju, Twenty20 does not give you time to think. Whether you are batsman, bowler or captain, the pressure do things fast is always on you. One has to take decesions at the spur of the moment, sometimes they go right, sometimes they don't.
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Parijat Mahajan: How is the atmosphere there? Is it a look forward to the event?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: It is being looked forward to in South Africa in certain sections, especially the Indian and Pakistani diaspora. But the rugby World Cup is on in Paris, that is a bigger game here and people tend to be following that more. The atmosphere at the ground is great and as the tourney rolls out, everyone will realise why this game has the potential to stay. The dancers, the music and the big hitting all make it a heady mix. You have to be at the ground to enjoy it.
Ashu: Hello! Didn't yesterday's match between SA vs WI show that 20-20 World Cup can be won by any of the seven teams and there are no favorites?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Hi, Yes, it shows that the match can turn around any time. But Ashu, I thought South Africa were the favourites going into the match against the Windies. They are definitely one of the better teams in the fray.
Mansoor Rizvi: Hi Mr Rao! My name is Mansoor Rizvi. The contest is open and teams are ideally prepared for this even shorter version of cricket. Do you still fancy the Aussies can win this one or are there chances of surprises being sprung up?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Hi Mansoor, the fact that we talk about Australia so often shows their capability. They remain the ones to beat, but I would think it will be easier to do so in this format because it doesn't need so sustained an effort.
Nitesh: I just want to know about the chances for India and South Africa in this inaugral edition of 20-20 WC. Moreover is Dhoni good enough to lead the side with some senior players like Sehwag,Yuvraj and Bhajji?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Hi, I think South Africa are among the better teams and India close behind. They have a capable captain in Dhoni but the pressure will be a lot on him. Let's hope this tournament excites everyone enough. It is time to sign off for the day. I am at the Kingsmead ground here and can see the Scottish players move out to the ground after electing to field. Bye for now, will see you another day. Cheers, Raj.
Annu: Do you think Test cricket will lose its popularity to Twenty20 in the near future with fans flocking the stadium in South Africa?
C. Rajshekhar Rao: Annu, Twenty20 is the future. It has been wonderful chatting with all of you. Do join us for more such sessions on IBN Live and Cricketnext. Bye!
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