Archive for the ‘Twenty20’ Category
“Stand in any pub in England when our national team is playing during the football World Cup and you will quickly realise that every football supporter is an expert. These ‘experts’ have now been converted to cricket and they are always ready with sage advice to the batsman such as: ‘Welly it back over his head you prune!’” – Betfair’s Frank Gregan suggests that that with T20 comes a totally different – and much less stoic – philosophy of supporting cricket.
“This has changed my thoughts on where I am in the side. During the South Africa tour I thought I was becoming a key part of the team and now I don’t feel like that so much, certainly in the one-day team” – now Jimmy’s dangerously near to a case of the yips following the events of the summer so far. At least he can console himself with the fact that he doesn’t fall over very much.
“Everyone in Australia noticed last year that the 50-over game probably struggled a little bit in Australia with the popularity of 20-over cricket around the world, so I’m open to looking at ways to improve it” – Ricky Ponting on the decision of Cricket Australia to opt for a four-innings, 20-over style of one-day tournament, which could be the most significant development in cricket for a long time.
It’s said to the point of triteness that, when playing a side like Bangladesh, England cannot prosper – and nothing about the last four days’ play at Lord’s has troubled that adage even slightly.
“Shahid is coming. Rejoice. The summer just got better” – The Old Batsman welcomes that the news that we’ll be seeing Mr Afridi in person, as well as Michael Clarke.
“If you are a person of a cricketing background you would be forgiven for asking something along the lines of ‘Where is that in New Zealand?’” – Bradders of The Compulsive Hooker blog assesses cricket’s visit to Lauderhill, in Florida, USA.
“Not one ball. I don’t watch Twenty20. It is dumbing-down cricket. They should find another name for it” – West Indian great Michael Holding has not drunk the World Cup Kool-Aid any more than Geoff Boycott has.
“At last, we have left the club of never-won-anythings to join South Africa, India and New Zealand in the haven’t-won-muches” – it’s still all we’re talking about, including Mike Holman from the Different Strokes blog.
“We haven’t won anything yet” – Paul Collingwood demonstrates why he is among The Nurdler’s favourite cricketers.
So today, as you probably know already, England are set to play Australia in the final of the ICC World Twenty20. And, as you probably also know already, a victory would mean England’s first trophy in 35 years of ICC limited-over competitions.
