5 incidents which changed cricket forever
The butterfly effect is the theory that one small incident can ultimately cause a massive event elsewhere. For example, a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest could end up causing a hurricane thousands of miles away. The concept that a seemingly minor happening can actually change everything is also applicable to sport.Sport is very fickle in its nature. When dissecting a contest, wins or losses can generally be pinpointed on one or two moments. In cricket, we often look back at that wicket or a stunning assault from a red-hot batsman. The impacts of such events are usually restricted to the matches they occurred in, however, on occasions, they can have lasting effects on the sport as a whole.Certain plays over the years - such as an outrageous innings or dropped catch - have helped to sculpt the future. Without them cricket’s history, or even the game today, may not be as we know it. Here are five incidents which changed cricket forever.
#1 Sreesanth catching Misbah-ul-Haq to give India 2007 World T20 victory
In its early years, Twenty20 matches had much in common with Sunny Leone’s Bollywood movies – most people watched them, but not many would admit to it. T20 was a three-hour entertainment show; few considered it to be real cricket. A lot has changed in the past decade and, while the game is still a hit and a giggle, T20 is now the sport’s most lucrative format.
However, had it not been for India’s victory in the inaugural World T20 in 2007 - that could so easily not have happened - the cricketing calendar may not look as it does today. Misbah-ul-Haq threatened to take Pakistan to the triumph in the final, bringing the target required down to six runs from the final four deliveries. His attempted scoop off Joginder Sharma would have brought them even closer had it cleared Sreesanth at fine leg – but as we know, it did not clear Sreesanth.
India became world champions, and T20 fever gripped the nation. Seven months later, the Indian Premier League was born and cricket was transformed forever. The megabucks tournament set the trend and T20 leagues have sprung up across the globe. But suppose Misbah carried his side to glory instead - would India still have pioneered franchise cricket like they have? Who knows?