T20 popularity won’t diminish image of 50-over game: Michael Bevan

Aussie one-day great Michael Bevan bats for 50-over version, says it's still popular among players and masses despite t20

T20 popularity won't diminish image of 50-over game: Michael Bevan

Aussie one-day great Michael Bevan bats for 50-over version, says it's still popular among players and masses despite t20

Auatralia one-day great Michael Bevan admitted that Twenty20 cricket is immensely popular among the masses and players, but is not yet convinced that the 50-over version of the game is in danger of losing out on this blockbuster brand.

"True, Twenty20 is well supported and is an exciting format and has grown very rapidly, but we haven't seen the drop-off in 50-over cricket," Bevan told MiD DAY on the sidelines of unveiling of the 2011 World Cup logo on Tuesday.

"So, we are just speculating. It may or may not happen but at this point in time we have not really seen it.

One-day cricket is still popular in terms of people going to see it and people watching it on TV. So it is hard to stay at this stage," Bevan, arguably the best finisher in one-day cricket during the mid-nineties and early 2000s, added.

The middle order batsman, who averaged 53.58 in 232 ODIs, played multiple roles, including that of saviour and finisher for skippers Steve Waugh and later Ricky Ponting.

Unlike today's Sehwags, Gayles and Afridis, Bevan's brand of batting was not particularly slam-bang. He relied on finesse. Nudging the balls in gaps and with incredible agility between wickets, he converted ones into twos and the twos into threes.

Bevan categorically said that his brand of batting is not suited for T20 cricket. "I don't see that (his) role existing in Twenty20 cricket... definitely," Bevan said.

"Having said though, I think there is still scope for scoring singles with the number of scoring shots you have in an innings. So it is not only about hitting fours and sixes, it is about scoring off as many balls as possible. It doesn't matter if the runs come in ones, twos, threes, fours or sixes."

According to the Aussie, who was part of Australia's World Cup-winning squad twice, teams look to score at over eight runs an over in Twenty20 cricket.

"So, the role of a No 6 batsman in one-day cricket is to bat till the end, especially if the team loses a few early wickets. The time factor in Twenty20 cricket negates such a scenario," Bevan said.

Bevan, who has had a stint with the Chennai team in the rebel Indian Cricket League, has moved on in life and is now negotiating with the teams in the Indian Premier League for a coach's position.

"I have spoken with a couple of IPL teams about a coaching position. At this stage, the talks are at a pretty formative stage so I am not too sure what will happen. Certainly, I have not been given any offers at this stage," Bevan signed off.