Dânesh Zaki

20:20 or Twenty20 has been the latest form of Cricket that has been devised. After the Test and One-Day matches, various forms of Cricket surfaced - Double Wicket, Super Max etc but this is the one that seems to have generated and sustained some interest. Initially, I was wary of the 20:20 format but after watching the International 20:20 Club Championship, I have changed my opinion.

It seems, by and large, to be an abbreviated form of One-day matches with not too many fancy rules unlike the silly Double Wicket or the confusing Super Max. It has all the elements of One-day Cricket and with a total playing time of around 3 hours (including the innings break) it seems all set to compete in popularity against Soccer and Hockey. Each innings lasts an hour and 15 minutes with a 15 minute interval in between. If scheduled for a 6 PM start, the 20:20 would allow spectators to enjoy the game on weekdays without bunking work.

Players like Afridi, Sehwag, Gilchrist and Flintoff would have a ball in this format. An official international championship is all is needed for 20:20 to announce its arrival