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At the start of cricket, each Test match was played for six days. Then it was reduced to 5 days, each comprising three two-hour sessions. In 1971, it was further brought down to a seven-hour limited overs version, now played alongside five-day Test matches as One-day International. Chang has take place, and being stagnant no entity can progress unless it undergoes reformation.

International Cricket Council is launching its first ever Twenty20 World Championship next month in South Africa. This tournament will complete within two weeks’ time and final will be played on 24th September in Johannesburg.

Pakistan being a Test playing member of the ICC, is also participating in the 12-nation extravaganza starting from 11th September, 2007.

The Twenty20 show will definitely see many hit-and-run stages with young fast bowlers steaming in to bowl, batsmen smashing the ball mercilessly all around the part, and fielders diving to stop big hits form reaching the boundary line.

The selection of the final 15-member Pakistani squad, which heavily depends on few starts, for the Twenty20 event has been announced. Purely based on some concrete reasons one thinks that Muhammad Yousuf’s exclusion which is one of the all time great Pakistani batsmen – is justified.

Muhammad Yousuf, currently our national team’s top batsman, has touched new heights in recent years due to his supremely controlled batting with a near-perfect blend of defense and belligerence, playing central roles in Pakistan’s victories on many occasions.

It is heartening to see youngsters like Fawad Alam, Muhammad Hafeez, Yasir Arafat and Misbaul Haq making it into the final squad, though Abdul Razzaq’s exclusion remains a disputable issue.

Pakistani cricketers recent turning down of lucrative ICL offers has shown that national cricket is their top priority.