Twenty20 cricket is about being able to be comfortable under pressure and to be able to execute your best ball at the best time.
It’s a basic thing you have to do – spending countless amounts of hours in the nets practising the balls you deliver best, to make sure you can execute when you are under the pump from a batsmen who’s going well down the other end.
You’ve got to like bowling under pressure.
Right before our eyes, a dramatic shift in the way Twenty20 cricket is played is occurring. Fast bowlers and spinners are back in demand.
There is no wild slogging now, as in earlier years. There is a technical side to it now. Twenty20 cricket has developed over the years and therefore a modern-day batsman needs to be technically equipped in order to prevail in the game’s shortest format.
When Twenty20 first came, batsmen slogged across the line, over the midwicket fence, and they got out by hitting cross-batted strokes over midwicket.
Now there are different methods where batsmen look to hit sixes in different areas – going inside-out over extra cover or just presenting a straight bat.
Yes, you still need to have quaint flicks and from time-to-time, you will be needed to clear the boundary, but even the likes of the Gayles and Warners are taking an over or two to get themselves ‘in’.
It might not seem much, but that’s 10 percent of the innings in game where every ball counts.
The partnership of Perth Scorchers batsmen Shaun Marsh and Herschelle Gibbs recently against the Adelaide Strikers was a fine example of this.
Gibbs came out all guns blazing and only lasted a few overs, whereas Marsh was more watchful in his approach and managed to post a respectable half century. Taking those few extra deliveries to get set enabled Marsh to post a score.
Like with all aspects of civilisation, adversity has forced bowlers to become more inventive.
Does the batsman have a high back lift or does a particular batsman play with hard hands and in front of their body?
Bowlers who can only land the ball at the base of leg stump are getting paddle-swept. Those that show their hand too early are getting reverse-swept.
If they don’t turn the ball, they are being hit through the line, if you don’t beat the batsman in the air the ball is getting smashed to all parts of the ground.
Twenty20 is forcing bowlers to acquire many variations and as a result, it is now batsmen who have a challenge on their hands.
For teams to become a force in Twenty20, they need to produce many more skilled, thinking cricketers (rather than those who only have one gear) than it does now.
It means coaching has to adapt and evolve.
This may happen or it may not, but the message is loud and clear. Twenty20 is a game that demands adaptable, thinking, athletic cricketers who know how to do more than simply bat or bowl.
It’s about being aware of what to do in specific situations and about finding solutions when under pressure – which is what good cricketers in Test cricket have always had – and continue to do.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
India have announced their 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad which is set to be played in the USA and Caribbean. The 15-man…
The Aussie's dismissal summed up Lucknow's night, losing to Kolkata Knight Riders by 98 runs.
As wife Alyssa Healy watches on, Mitchell Starc was back in form, taking three wickets in an over including the dangerous Tim David, to…
Joe Root was showing some brotherly love, giving his younger sibling Billy a chance in their county match.
Australia have reclaimed top spot in the ICC's Test rankings, replacing India. Despite not playing since winning 2-0 in New Zealand in March, Pat…
Yashasvi Jaiswal was looking comfortable at 67 off 40, until this moment when he hit the ball into his own stumps!
