Oh! Whoever invented this crazy game of cricket?
There's often more action outside the field than inside it!
It's a game supposedly played by twenty two fools
And worse still, watched by twenty two million fools!
Once upon a time, it was the one and only five-day cricket.
Spectators used to line up each day to buy their ticket.
The retired, the rich, people who had time to spare
And all those who did not mind the sunlight glare.
Nothing seemed to really move on the day a match was played
Everyone seemed hooked to the score - man, wife, child or maid!
While all the other games had inevitably taken a beating,
This game was so popular - it even encouraged betting!
The players used toil in the hot sun until the fourth day
Only to discover on the fifth that rain has stopped play!
The die-hard spectators used to get drenched in the rain
While all the grounds men's efforts used to end in vain!
It was the game of wasted "man-hours".
It was the game of idling extra covers.
It was once a game dominated by its natives.
It continues to be the "game of superlatives".
Thus, with the "test", everyone was upset.
So, they introduced "one-day" cricket.
The concept proved to be an instant "hit"!
This new version began to take over bit by bit.
They began to play the game under flood light.
Batsmen began to suddenly come into limelight.
It "captured" the spectators better than the test
And more advertisers came forward to invest.
The name of this new game was to hit out or get out;
Looked less like cricket and more like a boxing bout!
The hapless bowlers seemed to existed only to bowl
Bowling was no more suitable for the timid soul!
Attacking batsmen had a nice time, looting many quick tons
While fielders turned goalies, desperate to reduce the runs!
Frequent frantic diving started telling on their fitness
Many stalwarts quit the game, got into another business!
This novel version made spectators crazier than ever
No school boy would play any other game, NEVER!
Becoming a Tendulkar was every child's dream
A big queue of batsmen tried to make it to the team.
In the process, the bowling department suffered
Only a few tough and determined ones endured.
Even these specialists had to finally swap places
With some of the so-called all-rounders in phases.
Although this new breed promised a great game,
Their scores remained as "round" as their name!
Still, the batsmen's devil-may-care attitude
Compelled the bowlers and fielders to brood.
After a while things began to get a bit stale.
So, someone had to introduce the 20-20 tale.
This is again a faster version of the game
The story could once again be the same!
As expected, it is just more and more hitting
The cricket ball seems to require better knitting!
To cap it all, the players are now "priced"
But the twenty two million are still impressed!
The world seems to want everything faster
They have no time even to stop and stare!
So, you could very well guess what would be the fate
Of future modifications to this game called "cricket".
