Sehwag reminds me of Viv Richards

Sehwag reminds me of Viv Richards: Patil

The sight of Vivian Richards, with that unmistaken swagger, walking to the pitch, throwing a nonchalant glance at the field and, without wasting time, getting down to business, remains etched. He was the epitome of brutal force at the crease, smashing the ball with a disdain unforeseen, picking gaps with ridiculous ease. His range of shots was staggering, and needless to say, unprecedented. Our dear Krishnamachari Srikkanth, too, was as entertaining as any of the modern day batsmen.

The other night when I watched Virender Sehwag demolish the Chennai Super Kings attack I wondered if it was a playback of some of the shots that King Viv had entertained us with. It indeed was. Sehwag, drawing away, deposited the ball behind point, just as Viv had carted Bob Willis. It was entertainment of top quality. The difference was Sehwag was replacing Viv, who, at times, played Twenty20 cricket even in Test matches.

Of course, I will not make the mistake of comparing Sehwag with Viv. No chance. But I would say that the entertainment package that Twenty20 cricket dishes out is stupefying. Looking at the response to the Indian Cricket League and the Indian Premier League it looks the future of cricket lies in this slap-dash format of the fame. It has caught up with the young generation and one should accept it as a fact of life.

The shots that one has seen from some of the batsmen in Twenty20 have been sensational, and more innovative than in the past. The intensity is high and the pressure is on the bowlers. My mind goes back to the selectors who had emphasised the need of picking youngsters for the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup. It is a game for the youngsters no doubt but look at how veterans like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Shaun Pollock performed in a format that is supposed to be fast and furious right through.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/columns/sandeeppatil/734/31340/sehwag-reminds-me-of-viv-richards.html