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Has 20:20 killed the spirit of the Gentlemans' Game?

The Indian Premier League has completed 10 glorious years this season. 10 years of cheerleaders gyrating on the sidelines, 10 years of watching "Six hitting machines", 10 years of flat, lifeless pitches, 10 years of the bat dominating the ball and not the best 10 years in the history of cricket if you ask me.
       Sure, the sport is popular like never before. Cricket is more accessible now, there is an endless supply of talent coming through from all the corners of the country. There has been more cash in the sport in the last 10 years than the previous 100 years. The question I would like to ask is, has the spirit of the game really changed over these last few years?
       Name 5 bowlers from the last decade who have made an indelible mark on your minds. Do you remember any fast bowlers who instilled fear in the hearts and minds of the batsmen? Or any spinners who rattled the cages of the batsmen facing them? Well, your might argue that Ashwin is a world class spinner. I agree, he is an exception. But by and large, the bowlers are merely there to complete the proceedings in a match.
      The rules are in favour of batsmen. More power plays, free hits, decision reviews. Everything is happening so that more runs can be scored. But is that what cricket is all about? I fear not. There has to be a balance in everything in the universe. If the balance is upset, the entire system goes for a toss.
This is true in all cases, no exceptions. Taking the game away from bowlers is doing exactly that. Upsetting the balance of the game that is called cricket.
      Its time someone should realize what is going on here. It may already be too late for that, but corrective measures must and have to be taken. Else, in another 10 years, there will be bowling machines taking over. I am glad I grew up when both the bat and the ball were equal. The Tendulkars and Bradmans will always dominate. But, I am glad the Donalds, and the Akhtars and the Warnes of the world played an equal part.
    Does anyone reading this post agree with me? Or is my opinion singular? You are welcome to post your opinions in the comments section.
Although I have spoken about mostly about cricket in the Indian context, this holds true elsewhere in the world also.

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