T20 cricket is a 'slogfest': Lance Gibbs
Former West Indies spin bowler, Lance Gibbs gave his view on the T20s, stating that he did not like the shortest form of the game because the batsmen did not care much about their wickets and relentlessly smacked the bowlers right from ball number one.
In a live chat with Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Cricket's Facebook page, Lance Gibbs spoke about the Indian Premier League (IPL) and how it has changed the cricket world. The legendary player also talked about the 'club vs. country' idea in cricket.
'I am not a lover of the T20 game': Lance Gibbs
Lance Gibbs was one of the best spin bowlers of his era. The right-arm off-break bowler represented the Caribbean team in 79 Tests, and 3 ODIs. Gibbs was the first spinner to take 300 Test wickets as he made the life of the opposition batsmen tough with his spin bowling.
The now 85-year-old veteran had an economy rate of under two runs per over, highlighting his dominance over the batsmen. He could have performed exceptionally well in the T20 arena, but Gibbs mentioned that he did not love the format.
When asked about his opinion on the growth of IPL and the players' preference to play T20 club cricket ahead of international cricket, Lance Gibbs replied:
"I am not a lover of the 20-overs game because as a bowler, I find it as a slogfest. The batsmen hit the ball all over the place without looking to see what is happening. So, it is limited to a certain extent. The great players that we have had could work things out and bat particularly well from their background, you know."
Lance Gibbs subtly hinted that the batsmen were moving away from textbook cricket by playing innovative shots in T20 cricket.