A year on from Pakistan winning their first major ICC trophy since 1992, the T20 World Cup has hit our TV screens in a style that’s true to fashion- quickly and compactly. With competitions like these normally every 4 years, who’s complaining? (Although old school 50 over test cricket makes us nostalgic).
This is the time of the year that Asians can finally rejoice in the fact that they are actually quite good at a major sport (hockey or kabadi are not major sports before you go there). As expected the Asian contingent were out in force with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all considered pre tournament favourites – not forgetting the improving Bangladeshi side and debutants Afghanistan. Naturally with this comes strong Asian interest, and with that comes great rivalry or, a reason to beat up that freshy who tried feeling your girlfriend up on the dance floor. We all proudly display our colourful shirts of our respective nations, as we debate if Sachin Tendulkar is a midget or just ‘average height’.
This year the West Indies hosted the tournament with its scorching temperatures and bikini clad women. Cricket has never really been considered a ‘sexy’ sport, how can it be when spectators are often stereotyped as coffin dodgers? Yet since the inception of T20, cricket’s powers that be have realised that sex does indeed sell. This bite size version of cricket has grown to become immensely popular around the world with its swashbuckling style, and more seriously the cheerleaders who dance on cue for every boundary scored.
Which is great for us, out on the town with our boys discussing which cheerleader you’d like to ‘give one’ to. Not so good when we’re with our parents and a randy cameraman focuses on the cheerleaders backside for way longer than he should; leaving both your parents and commentator Michael Atherton speechless and you with a raging besharam knocking on your good boy door.
Back to the cricket though; despite their endeavours none of the Asian nations made it to the final. Pakistan somehow managed to lose to Australia in the semi-finals despite posting a great total of 191-6, and in typical never say die Aussie attitude (the bastards) Michael Hussey slogged an amazing 60 off 24 balls to help the Aussies to victory. So we all rested our hopes on England to win the competition as some form of booby prize.
Sri Lanka were comprehensively beaten by England by 7 wickets in the other semi-final after a major top order collapse. Sri Lanka had beaten India in the super eight stage to advance to the semi-final in a tense match. As it fell, old foes England and Australia participated in the final and it was the chance for us to quietly support England and for the England cricket team to finally end their losing streak in World Cup finals.
England managed to grab early wickets to cause Australia problems, at one point struggling on 8-3. Australia valiantly finished on 147-6 and quickly put pressure on England by taking the early wicket of Michael Lumb; yet a partnership of 111 by Craig Keiswetter and Kevin Pietersen rallied England to victory.
Ensured that one England national team has been successful, we now brace ourselves for the inevitable quarter final penalty shoot out defeat for the English football team at the World Cup.
