GOD at last answered Yuvraj's prayer. Yuvraj Sing of India on September 19 entered history of Twenty-20 as the first player to hit six sixes in one over, a feat he achieved in the penultimate over finishing 58 off 16 balls against England, racing the fastest half century in international history -- off only 12 balls. Six balls delivered by England's Stuart Broad had a return journey from Sing's bat dancing first as a long on, second a flick to square leg, third over long-off, the fourth over point, fifth a miss-hit over mid-wicket and the sixth was again long on. Stuart Broad with an apologetic face has to spend the rest of his life remembering his place in the grey page of history as the first bowler to be hit for six sixes in T20.
In Twenty-20, every ball delivered, hit or missed tells a tale and every player and each viewer -- on the pitch or on the retractable or fixed chair on the terrace or bleacher of stadiums and on the divans or easy chairs in living rooms or bedrooms -- register more vividly the flitting moments in their mental journals. Moments of euphoria and despair of this sprint cricket will stay locked in our memory shelves never to be erased. This new breed of Twenty-20 with its inherent cricket DNA intact is poised to phase out ODI and overshadow Test cricket in a matter of time.
The world would not have a chance to witness many stunning wonders like this onslaught of a sixer had the England and Wales Cricket Board not introduced Twenty-20 at the county level in 2003 and the first full men's T-20 not taken place in 2005 between New Zealand and Australia.
In the present age when life is blessed with creature comforts all in miniature for ease and economy and information is stored and processed in the minuscule world hidden in the chemical compound of a silicon for speed and precision cricket cannot afford to retain its luster in a giant frame of five days or a full day. Each innings of Twenty-20 now capsulated in 80-minute frame has afforded the players to exhibit their prowess in all the facets of the game under the vigil of the world waked with wide eyes for the full tenure of the game.
T20 has to shine with bowling accuracy at a McGrath level, vivacious scores against the line of ball, attempts of hitting wickets from farther distances, running at higher run-rates, replacement of fatter players with sleeker ones, specialisation in fewer formats and players scorching in the burners of mental pressures -- and umpires dependent more on replay of the video than on their trained eye sights. May Twenty-20 live long!
Maswood Alam Khan
General Manager
Bangladesh Krishi Bank
Six sixes in one over
FE Team | Published: September 21, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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