The World Twenty 20 Tournament has come to an end, with England winning their first major trophy in the 20 and 50 over format. But I have a beef with the way it unfolded. And I’m not talking about a beefy Botham.
The semi-final between Australia and Pakistan should have been the final: it had the drama, the improbability, the hero, the villian, and the nail-biting suspense.
In the final, Australia let England run the game from the toss, and were unable to muster the same energy and determination to overhaul the momentum.
There was no fluctuations, improbabilty, and drama.
I never felt at any stage like the result would not go England’s way. This does not make a final.
A final of a major tournament needs a game like the one against Pakistan – it needs suspense. It needs to appeal to neutral fans who do not care about who the winner is, but the manner in which the victory was achieved.
A one-sided game does not reflect the excitement that Twenty20 cricket is marketed to supply.
Of course, teams must be ruthless, and England were right to never let Australia into the game. But in a format that statistically gives the victory to the team that won the toss, how can we expect to ensure that every match goes down to the wire?
Because when you get to the final stages of the tournament, the big name players have the ability to turn the tide.
We shouldn’t be afraid to drop out of form players. As there is no time to “find your form,” you should be subbed by those who have performed. Maybe an interchange system is a discussion that needs to be raised off the back of such a boring final.
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