Dear Sir,

Millions of Indian cricket fans, both at home and around the world celebrated as India became the first team to win the Twenty20 World Cup defeating Pakistan by five runs in a thrilling encounter at the New Wanderers stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on Monday.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said after his side's victory, "It's something I will treasure for the rest of my life."

India's 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev declared the team had become part of history and that "the love and affection that await them (in India) would make them realise the magnitude of the achievement".

He turned out to be absolutely right, upon their return to Mumbai huge hysterical crowds turned out to greet them. It took nearly five hours for them to drive from Sahar Airport to the jam-packed Wankhede Stadium where each player was rewarded with a cheque worth $200,000 at an official ceremony.

Now while I understand the passion for the game of cricket on the sub-continent and appreciate that the animosity between Pakistan and India is so great that victory in a final, be it at cricket or 'tiddly-winks' for that matter, would bring enormous joy and satisfaction I simply cannot understand what all the fuss is about.

Let's be frank — what does winning a Twenty20 tournament prove? In reality — little to nothing!

How can anyone accurately measure the skill of a cricket team in a 20-over knock about? The answer quite simply is that they can't!!!

A Twenty20 cricket game is analogous to a 100-yard sprinter running a 10-yard sprint, footballers playing a ten-minute football game or a harness race being restricted to one lap.

Can one really determine in such a shortened version of the sport who the better players are? I think not!

The real danger of this game lies in the negative impact it will on the development of young players. I shudder when I think of our own promising young cricketers such as Greg Maybury, Machai Campbell and Kevon Fubler being exposed to this 'stuff'.

On another note I was extremely pleased to read that the Bermuda Cricket Board's technical committee is holding an open forum at Devonshire Rec. to discuss and consult on all cricket-playing matters.

It is obvious to me that the head of that committee Allen Richardson has benefited greatly from the progressive mind-set at Devonshire Recreation Club since joining the club!

Frankly it is hard not to, when you have individuals such as Gladstone (Sad) Brown and Carlton (Pepe) Dill around who challenge you to think deeply about the sport.

Such a forum is ground breaking and with this act he has moved Bermuda cricket administration to the next level, away from the old days when decisions were taken by a few without widespread input!

The Bible says "there is wisdom in a multitude of counsellors!"

It is clear that Richardson's administrative skills are growing and he is preparing himself for the top post. Some may believe I am campaigning for him but be that as it may, what will be, will be!

Unfortunately I will not be able to make it as I have a prior appointment with the creator.

I would merely suggest that if the Bermuda Cricket Board do decide to introduce Twenty20 cricket into their calendar that they take into consideration the following:

• Limit participants to those 21 years and over

• Use it as an appendix to the season

• Limit the number of games to be played by each team to no more than Five (even the ICC has insisted that Twenty20 will not replace the 50-over format and that the limit of seven Twenty20 matches per Test-playing nation each year will still carry on despite its popularity).

RECMAN