Players who would have OWNED T20, but retired before it began.

[War]

Ye younger Tendy & Lara would have been top T20 players - especially opening the batting.

 

[PokerAce]

Ye younger Tendy & Lara would have been top T20 players - especially opening the batting.

Well I would personally go for Anwar/Gilchrist and Tendulkar opening, and then Lara at 3. Epicness.

 

[blockerdave]

Eddo Brandes #you 'rewelcome

 

[aditya123]

On Lara, I don't think he or Tendulkar were T20 guys to be honest. While I rate Tendulkar over Lara, (we can go into the whys on another day), but nether I felt were made for T20. Or atleast the Tendulkar that would have taken to T20 like Duck to water was finished by early 00s. Tendulkar in most of 00s was an accumulator and not a destroyer. I suspect had Lara been around till the advent of T20, he too would have been past his destroyer self, and thus not exactly suited to T20.

One however could always wonder of what a young Tendulkar and Lara would have done in T20 early in their careers. However Tendulkar fans take some delight in whatever little T20 Tendulkar played, and I am sure Lara fans would have also loved to see him play his part.

I beg to differ. I have seen both Tendy and Lara flay attacks in the 90s, far better attacks than those that exist today. Even the accumulator version of Tendy managed to notch up ODI scores of 175, 163*, 200* in the end of his career! All those innings were at a strike rate of 150+ as well. At their prime, they would`ve been a real nightmare to bowl at.

 

[ethybubs]

Grimmett

I'm not sure how Grimmett would have gone in t20s to be honest. (firstly I would like to point out that I am Clarrie Grimmett's no.1 fan and this is not an attack, just an opinion) I am always skeptical of slow spinners in t20s because of the economy rates and I believe that their main strength is to come on if a batsman is destroying the fast bowling and try to get them out, so under those circumstances I wold definitely want Grimmett to be that spinner however I'm not sure if the specialist spinner is a good selection because of the number of games they wouldn't be required for, when he fast bowlers are bowling well, and I would rather go for a spinning all-rounder/part timer (O'Reilly on the other hand I think would be great because of the speed he put on his leggies).

 

[Markkkkk]

Sanath Jayasuriya? If he played today he would be a massive hit in BBL and IPL.

 

[cricket_icon]

I disagree with the thread starter on the world T20 2007 being the starting point of when T20 cricket became a real big event, it was the success of the T20 tournament in England which got the IPL backers in India interested and allowed the ICC to look at it as an international option.

That event in England, which started about 04 if I'm not mistaken attracted names such as Waqar Younis and was/is consistently played in front of packed crowds, even the Oval, the second biggest ground in England is packed for domestic T20 games all the time.

So I'd use that timeline as my cut off, I know I'm being a know it all lol

I'd love to see Waqar Younis play more T20s and play some international matches, he'd put all modern fast bowlers to shame with 90+mph yorkers with lethal swing.

Inzy is another prime example, Lara (oh boy!) and of course Jayasuriya, now add Gilchrist in, only wish he'd played more and you have possibly the most dangerous and explosive batting line up around.

 

[PokerAce]

Sanath Jayasuriya? If he played today he would be a massive hit in BBL and IPL.

Jayasurya had a few seasons in the IPL and hence was not considered for the post.

----------

I disagree with the thread starter on the world T20 2007 being the starting point of when T20 cricket became a real big event, it was the success of the T20 tournament in England which got the IPL backers in India interested and allowed the ICC to look at it as an international option.

That event in England, which started about 04 if I'm not mistaken attracted names such as Waqar Younis and was/is consistently played in front of packed crowds, even the Oval, the second biggest ground in England is packed for domestic T20 games all the time.

So I'd use that timeline as my cut off, I know I'm being a know it all lol

I'd love to see Waqar Younis play more T20s and play some international matches, he'd put all modern fast bowlers to shame with 90+mph yorkers with lethal swing.

Inzy is another prime example, Lara (oh boy!) and of course Jayasuriya, now add Gilchrist in, only wish he'd played more and you have possibly the most dangerous and explosive batting line up around.

I again beg to differ on anything other than the first world T20 as being 'THE' event that took T20 truly global.

I do agree with most of the players apart from INzi. He was a great batsman no doubt, but in the field he really had to be carried.

 

[cricket_icon]

Jayasurya had a few seasons in the IPL and hence was not considered for the post.

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I again beg to differ on anything other than the first world T20 as being 'THE' event that took T20 truly global.

I do agree with most of the players apart from INzi. He was a great batsman no doubt, but in the field he really had to be carried.

The t20 league in England gave other countries the courage to try out a similar format in their own domestic leagues. It was the English domestic scene which popularised the format, long before Modi and co. even imagined an IPL and the ICC had the balls to try an international tournament, not to mention it rejuvenated the pockets of the County treasurers and shone a new and much needed light on a dying domestic scene.

Credit where credits due, I'm often the first to complain about the ECBs rigid and 19th century pursuit of cricket but here they really did something impressive.

 

[PokerAce]

The t20 league in England gave other countries the courage to try out a similar format in their own domestic leagues. It was the English domestic scene which popularised the format, long before Modi and co. even imagined an IPL and the ICC had the balls to try an international tournament, not to mention it rejuvenated the pockets of the County treasurers and shone a new and much needed light on a dying domestic scene.

Credit where credits due, I'm often the first to complain about the ECBs rigid and 19th century pursuit of cricket but here they really did something impressive.

Look no one is saying the ECB didn't come up with T20, or that for the first few years ECB were central to spreading the format. However till the world T20, T20 cricket was seen as a 'picnic' event and not serious cricket. It was seen as an opportunity to goof around for the players, have some semi-serious games. I remember all kinds of stuff was tried in those days Aussie teams used to play with Nicknames on their shirts, and it generally had a feel of 'fun' rather than serious sport.

However it was only after the first world T20 that T20 started to be looked at seriously around the world as a genuine 3rd format for sports and after they just like there are test and odi specialists, there came into being T20 leagues and T20 specialists.

No one is saying that IPL was the start of T20, hell no one is even saying that IPL was what took T20 global. Sure ECB came up with the idea and negotiated the initial steps, but T20 was not looked upon seriously as a 3rd format till the first world T20 in SA.

 

[Aalay]

However till the world T20, T20 cricket was seen as a 'picnic' event and not serious cricket.

I still don't think it is any different, for me at least.

 

[hawkeye]

Sir Viv Would Dominate IPL

Is there any doubt that if Sir Viv was now in his prime he would have dominated the IPL?

Vivs was a Twenty20 innings long before the genre was invented. His strike rate of 169.4, nothing to scoff at today, was unreal in 1983. Three years later, when he dismembered an England attack in his homeland, Antigua, he was even more brutal, hitting a century off just 56 deliveries, a record that stands to this day. If Sir Viv could wreak such havoc in his time, imagine how much more devastating he would have been with todays turbocharged bats and shorter boundaries.

Sir Viv: The Original Master Blaster

 

[cricket_icon]

Look no one is saying the ECB didn't come up with T20, or that for the first few years ECB were central to spreading the format. However till the world T20, T20 cricket was seen as a 'picnic' event and not serious cricket. It was seen as an opportunity to goof around for the players, have some semi-serious games. I remember all kinds of stuff was tried in those days Aussie teams used to play with Nicknames on their shirts, and it generally had a feel of 'fun' rather than serious sport.

However it was only after the first world T20 that T20 started to be looked at seriously around the world as a genuine 3rd format for sports and after they just like there are test and odi specialists, there came into being T20 leagues and T20 specialists.

No one is saying that IPL was the start of T20, hell no one is even saying that IPL was what took T20 global. Sure ECB came up with the idea and negotiated the initial steps, but T20 was not looked upon seriously as a 3rd format till the first world T20 in SA.

You just agreed with my point, I never once spoke about the seriousness of the sport and in all honesty, not even the 07 WC was enough to make it a "serious" format. It was the big money on offer in the years to come that changed that perception and the 09 world cup in England which garnered huge ratings on SkySports. And of course Indias embrace of the format.

But the T20 world cup was not the start of anything, it was just the next step.

The two most influential moments in the history of t20 cricket is the start of the league in England and the embrace by india with the IPL. it was domestic competitions which made the format and in all honesty, still do.

As an international event, t20 cricket is still a "throwaway", normally tacked on for 1-2 matches at the end of a series, seen as a bit of a carnival.

 

[blockerdave]

India winning the world T20 was what really kicked it off into the hyper lucrative global franchise-based league beast it is today, but obviously it must have been global already for there to have been a world T20 to start with.

No question though the world T20 and India winning it sparked an explosion in the volume, intensity and value (in money terms and sporting recognition) of T20

 

[SWITCHHIT]

India winning the world T20 was what really kicked it off into the hyper lucrative global franchise-based league beast it is today, but obviously it must have been global already for there to have been a world T20 to start with.

No question though the world T20 and India winning it sparked an explosion in the volume, intensity and value (in money terms and sporting recognition) of T20

Yeah ofcourse this is what made IPL and ipl is famous because of some more reason too.It was a BCCI event who is undoubtly very powerful and arguably most powerful in the world.The economy of this nation also helped it in some terms.The budget of IPL and BCCI are even bigger than many of nation's whole economy.A large fan base helped it too.This megaevent is broadcasted in 40+ nations.The marketing strategy was promising and first of a kind in this game which is stimulated to few nations only unlike BPL.And it is growing with a great pace.We know BCCI is not a honest body but they are still the best.Few years or better said few decades ago BCCI meant nothing and ECB ruled this game but its past now and BCCI turned the table.We can't forget team india's good performance too which helped BCCI grow and prosper.