Player satisfaction a casualty in limited-over format overkill
all eleven players and at it’s best, the game provided ample entertainment. As the entertainment quotient of Test matches dipped to unacceptable levels, the Oneday format appeared and this appeased all parties. There was still enough cricket to involve all eleven players adequately and the entertainment quotient enthused the fans.
A combination of Tests and ODIS provided the ideal balance; the latter produced the funds required to run the game and the former allowed the players to hone their all-round skills. After a concerted period of success the complaints commenced about the middle period in the fifty-over game. The cry went up; “You might as well just watch the first fifteen and the last ten overs.”
In response to this perception the T20 game was invented, which prompted the obvious question; “What’s the next step if fans become disillusioned with the T20 format?” Judging by the latest incarnations, the answer seems to lie somewhere between 60 and 100-ball innings. Those formats may be good for impatient fans and broadcasters but what about the players?
The fifty over game works out an average of thirty balls per wicket. When reduced to 20 overs, it’s an average of only 12 balls per wicket, which doesn’t seem adequate for the player satisfaction quotient. Once the format requires less than 50 overs, it greatly favours opening batsmen and for much of the rest of the lineup it’s a matter of too many sacrificed rather than satisfying innings.
To be good at fielding it needs to be enjoyed but it’s more enjoyable when complemented by a few decent stints at the crease. The common complaint from bowlers is “cricket’s a batsman’s game” but a maximum of four overs compared to an average of two for the willow wielders seems to negate that argument.
The recent drastic reduction in the number of overs that constitute a game has tilted the balance way too much in favour of entertainment over the sport. Fifty overs provided the ideal balance between the two aims; the players’ needs and the fans’ entertainment value. These are delicate times in the evolution of the game and there’s a need for more consultation between players and administrators on the appearance of that future. It’s crucial to come to an agreement on the ideal number of versions for cricket and the length of those formats. Once that is agreed upon, it’s then up to the players to perform skilfully and entertain the public.