A minnow's tryst with cricket

If you know the story of David versus Goliath, you probably have the most effective piece of wisdom in your life; the true winner of the Brain versus Brawn debate. A story that makes you believe in miracles and gives you hope of how the teeny tiny can triumph over the high and mighty.

David’s feelings after defeating Goliath are best reproduced when you see minor cricketing nations defeating the obvious champions. If you are in love with cricket like me, you probably enjoy watching all formats of the game and quite obviously, “all” the games too. If you truly appreciate cricket, a India-Afghanistan game should be as exciting for you as an India-England one. By now, you already know, that in the on-going T20 world cup India barely managed to scrape through whereas England were merciless against the Afghans.

By now you know, Bangladesh is not exactly a weak team and if you have grown up watching cricket in the 1990s’, you know Zimbabwe isn’t the same as what it used to be. The sheer brilliance of players like Andy Flower, Grant Flower, Heath Streak, Alistair Campbell, Andy Whittall, Guy Whittall has now transformed into a mere shadow today with rare glimpses of talent that could only be seen by a keen eye now.

As far as Bangladesh is concerned, a team that has been playing cricket for over 25 years now and still unable to establish a strong foothold in the cricketing world, one wonders if they rightfully belong among the giants. In recent times though, they have proved their mettle against strong teams & aren’t a team to be taken lightly of. And we all know how they have won against major cricketing teams, even repeatedly, by perseverance & talent and not just mere fluke. However, what was supposed to be the Group of D(eath) in the on-going T20 world cup has been now reduced to being a repeat of what is happening in the other three groups. Brendon McCullum‘s fiery assault has doused the hopes of Bangladesh making it to the super 8s. But then, that does not mean Pakistan has nothing to be afraid of. We all have learned through experience that Bangladesh can bounce back.

And after all, each major cricketing tournament deserves an unprecedented upset to make it more exciting.

How can anyone forget, Sri Lanka’s rise from a minnow cricket team to a world champion. After winning the World Cup in 1996, they have hardly looked back and went on to become one of the most formidable team in cricketing history today. Current players like Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardane, Kumara Sangakkara inspire the kind of fear that only few teams can. Sri Lanka are the current favorites to win this T20 cup and have come a long way since those yesteryears when they were a nobody.

So, do we need minnows to complete our cricketing circuit?

In the 2015 World Cup that will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand, 10 teams will play, not including the minor cricket nations. This decision has sparked debate across the cricketing community whether minor teams deserve their chance in competitive tournaments.

While you have to agree that you do feel bad when some major cricket team ruthlessly tramples a minnow to win by 10 wickets or post a massive run total, you definitely argue that such teams should not be allowed to participate in major championships, simply because it is so humiliating for them. However, once in a blue moon when a mega cricketing upset happens, that brings about a chain of juicy gossip as well as accusations of match-fixing for all.

But, it cannot be denied that such tournaments can offer a great platform for small teams to improve and learn and mingle with their cricketing heroes who probably inspired them to play. Not to forget the money it offers. After all, Sri Lanka did prove it and maybe Bangladesh will too, a few years down the line.

And what about these so-called major teams? Although New Zealand have been playing convincingly well in the T20 format, we all know they have been unable to make any impression in the Tests or even ODIs for that matter. Their recent dismal performance against India in the Tests has raised concern over their overall mentality towards the game.

We also know that England went through a rough patch in the early 2000s before coming to life in the later part of the last decade to become the number one side in ODIs and Tests, a position recently usurped by the South Africans. The same thing can be said against Pakistan who, when riddled with controversies that threatened the very existence of their entire playing population, have now emerged as a strong contender. Or West Indies, who have gone through rough and good patches intermittently.

What cricket needs today is all that is put up for offer. A platform to grow and equal opportunities for all it’s followers. We need those big fishes in small ponds and small fishes in big seas. We need both the big and small fishes together competing in vast oceans to raise cricket to newer heights. T20 perhaps, is our best bet to do so. A mini format, small enough to catch interest of newly initiated cricketing fans but long enough to provide entertainment and awareness regarding it.

A beginning to reach towards that coveted “Test” status for small teams and an opportunity for big teams to groom their youngsters on an international level.

A beginning to help cricket grow to heights we only ever imagined. A beginning to spread this cricketing spirit in every nook & corner of the world.