The Quick 30s: Changing Course of T20 Cricket

We know change is the only constant in the world. In the sporting ecosystem, this statement holds even greater weight owing to new rules, new fitness level and new ways to bring glory to your respective teams. T20 cricket has been nothing less than a revolution in the world of cricket. It has changed the way batters bat, bowlers bowl and even enhanced the level of fielding on the cricket field. On top of it, it has allowed aspiring cricketers to dream big and look at cricket as a profession where they can make a living while pursuing their passion. Irrespective of the changes and evolution of the game, the core fundamentals across sports remains the same for a player to succeed.

In terms of cricket fundamentals, the batter must always get adjusted to the pitch and the bowlers and look to build an innings to build up a good score. Their success is measured by the average number of runs they score in a match. Similarly, a bowler’s success is measured by the number of wickets they take. This was always at the core of T20 cricket as well as it went on to revolutionize the world of cricket. In fact, the best T20 cricketer of our generation, Chris Gayle would always look to settle down for 10–15 balls before launching an attack to score big. This was the traditional approach which was working well while keeping the fundamentals of batsmanship and cricket intact. However, things have changed as we enter into the latter half of 2002, 100 days away from the 2022 T20 World Cup. A new concept of quick 30s has come into the picture which is now being embraced by a lot of teams around the world including the harbingers of all cricket fandom, India.

Quick 30s is a new age T20 batting where batters don’t need to score in excess of 50 runs to create an impact. All the batters need to do is start smashing the ball from the moment they enter the crease and score around 30 runs in under 20 balls. If the top 6 batters score at least 30 runs in under 20 balls, every team would end up scoring in the range of 180–200 runs in 20 overs, which is generally a winning total. There is no doubt that the same can be scored via the traditional approach of innings building, but the evolution of bowling and bowlers becoming smarter by the day has resulted in a lot of teams adopting the strategy of going hard against the opposition from ball 1. There will always be a debate on whether this approach is the right way forward for the development of cricket or not, but teams are on the constant lookout to establish their dominance in the shortest format of cricket. Quick 30s is the way to go with certain caveats which have to be considered.

1. Distinction between a specialist and an all-format player: The concept of quick 30s allows the coaching staff to really distinguish between a potential all format player and a specialist. An all-format player will face a lot of struggles to adapt to quick 30 barring a few exceptions. This will ensure that the right skillset and players are being selected for the respective t20 teams and test teams. At the same time, the players will also have clarity in their mind in terms of the direction they want to take in cricket.

2. Instilling fearless mindset: Bowlers are expected to be menacing to instill fear in the minds of the batter with swing, pace, and spin. With quick 30s, the batters have nothing to lose and get a free license to attack even good balls and receive appreciation instead of being rebuked. This builds a fearless mindset among the players allowing them to succeed at every level in cricket.

3. Positive effect on other formats of cricket: With the recent success of the English test team, it is evident that giving a batsman free license to attack only results in a positive effect on the other formats of the game, i.e., ODIs and Tests. It makes a player realize that they do not need to stick to the traditional approach of blocking every ball but unsettle the bowler by attacking them in a controlled manner in Test Matches and One Day international matches.

Now, no single approach is fool proof. The quick 30s is also prone to failures in the event of exceptional bowling or even bowler friendly conditions. However, the concept only brings an element of fearlessness which will allow more challenges to the teams and also make cricket powerhouses like India and Australia to change their methods of approaching t20 cricket. Ultimately, cricket is a sport which captures the imagination of over a billion people and quick 30s is what would keep them hooked. Avoiding such a concept will lead to a similar situation as ODIs and Tests where the viewership is on constant decline. The upcoming 2022 T20 world cup in Australia will be a good litmus test for this new concept and the team that embraces quick 30s with a tinge of fundamentals will definitely go a long way in holding the much sought-after trophy.