Essays

It can be rightly said, "Cricket is a synonym of popularity". It is not only popular in Europe and Australia but it is also popular in Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India Cricket is like a religion and some players related to it are being treated as gods.

Due to glamour and money, ICC has introduced new kind of cricket i.e., Twenty-20 cricket. The main purpose introducing this kind of cricket is to produce an extra amount of excitement amongst the spectators in a very limited time.

As the name suggests, each side has to bat fin 20 over’s only. It is a fast and furious type of game. The match lasts only for three hours consisting only 20-minutes break between innings.

To avoid time wasting the incoming batsman gets only a minute and 30 seconds to get ready to face the next ball.

Fielding restrictions apply for the first six over when only two fielders can be placed outside the 30-yard circle. For the remaining 14 over’s, not more than five fielders will be outside the circle.

In this type of cricket match a bowler can deliver maximum of four over’s each. There is uninteresting new coined term known as Free-hit. Under this term when the bowler delivers a no-ball, the very next delivery will be a free hit for the facing batsman.

The batsman cannot be dismissed off the free hit, until he is run out. No change in the field placement is allowed for the free-hit.

The umpire signals a free hit just after his no- ball signal by raising one arm and moving it over his head in a circular motion. Bowl out is also Introduced. It will be applied in any match.

Five bowlers are being nominated by each team who take turns to hit the wickets without the batsman facing the balls. The team which achieves the maximum strikes is the winner. Recently it was applicable in the T-20 Cricket World Cup-2007 between India and Pakistan. India won the match.

Cricket in the twenty-20 format has drawn the attention of the whole world. Due to this novelty it is decided that this kind of game will be introduced into the i6th Asian Games to be staged at Guangzhon, China in 2010 as announced by the Secretary General of the Olympic council of Asia (OCA), Mr. Randhir Singh.