A tale of two World Cups
By Rayed Mamun – 25 September 20072007 will always be remembered as a year of two cricket World Cups. They would both however, be remembered for completely different reasons. While there may be sceptics of the new Twenty20 format out there, they have been all but silenced by the incredible tournament we have witnessed over the past few weeks. Even those cricketing purists who used to think that Twenty20 was not traditional, would now think instead, that the World Cup proper in the West Indies, earlier this year, it seems, was just not cricket.
The World Cup of football is a binding force on this world, like nothing on earth. While cricket may never get close to this sort of global exhilaration, this Twenty20 World Cup has captured the imagination of the world like no other cricketing tournament has.
The World Cup is supposed to be a happy time for all those cricket fanatics out there. Watching their team vying for the ultimate prize in cricket is the ultimate thrill for any cricket fan. I hardly remember feeling like that this March and April. The World Cup in the West Indies was endless. Over 50 games, 90% of which weren’t competitive at all, really turned the spectacle into a damp squib. There was no need for so many meaningless games. The crowds were awful, even the home side couldn’t muster a full house. That’s like half your closest friends not turning up for your wedding reception. India and Pakistan were eliminated early, which further diminished crowds, and the botched investigation of Bob Woolmer turned what was already a hollow carnival atmosphere, into an eerie, depressing mood for the rest of the tournament. The final was a complete farce. The umpires must have been from outer space, why else would they think it would be OK to play three needless overs in complete darkness?
If you ever want to show an eight year old kid what ‘the opposite’ means, buy them the World Cup 2007 DVD. Make them watch it, and immediately after, make them watch the ‘other’ Cricket World Cup 2007, the ‘cooler’ Twenty20 version. Rest assured, that child, would never forget what ‘the opposite’ is. This version of the World Cup, was played quickly and ended quickly. There were many hard fought, competitive games. We still don’t want this tournament to be over now, but we couldn’t wait for the West Indies World Cup to come to an end. The crowds were amazing. Supporters converged from around the world, flags flying everywhere, loud music, it was just an electric atmosphere. In the West Indies the crowd didn’t breathe, there simply was no atmosphere. The tournament brought the cricketing world to life, unlike the last World Cup, where Bob Woolmer died, and the bungled investigation made everyone depressed. The final of this World Cup was one to see. Everybody, not only Indians and Pakistanis were left in awe last night as two incredibly gifted teams of young players played one of the most thrilling finals ever seen. Quite ironic that India and Pakistan, the teams that faltered in the World Cup proper, were the best teams in this version and brought the tournament to life. The purists can no longer argue that Twenty20 purely a batsman’s game either. The final, played on a batsman’s paradise produced only 7.5 runs per over. Bowlers from both teams were absolutely outstanding, many of them newer, younger faces.
Twenty20, the one that was looked down upon initially, is now everybody’s friend. This inaugural World Cup has been a resounding success. No matter what the purists say, Twenty20 is here to stay.