There are a few new captains around and their style will be something to look forward to as well. Mahendra Singh Dhoni backed his instinct in South Africa and let his young men take centre stage. In an extremely dynamic situation, where one over is five percent of the total, tactics become critical. In small games there is no sanctity to batting positions or indeed, to who bowls when. Opening batsmen complained that middle-order players were taking over their jobs in one-day cricket. Well, in T20 a stage might well come where there are no openers and no middle-order players, just batsmen who can bat anywhere. Robin Uthappa may be no.2 one day and no.7 on another and he must be equally good. No.6 might turn out to be your key batsman with shots we haven't seen so far. We already know that the 'V' behind the wicket-keeper is a reality where once it meant a player was playing straight down the ground. More new shots might emerge. More previously accepted ideas of safety might fly out of the window.

And what of the bowlers? Who is a good bowler? There will be no warm up deliveries, no gentle looseners and sleight of hand might be as useful as the perfectly delivered outswinger. Bowlers might pause in their delivery stride and release the ball after the batsman has committed himself. Learning to bowl straight might be a factor in the bowl out; indeed the regular bowler might not find a place there, replaced by someone who does, or can only do, very little.

... contd.