It’s a batsman’s game. Till it’s not,
Sometimes unfair, other times not;
With odds stacked to suit,
Cricket’s great. the game’s a hoot.
The gentlemen’s game was threatened,
When Bodyline countered a batting legend;
It’s not cricket, they all decried,
Bowler’s skill aside, someone could’ve died.
Tearaway quicks fearsome all,
Caribbean, Aussie or Brit with ball;
Till Packer unveiled the one-day show,
Rose the batters again, such a blow.
Two for the over, sometimes one,
Bouncers outlawed, not much fun;
Reverse swing, something’s not right,
When the bowlers win, it’s no fair fight.
Smiling assassin, hard to read,
Off the pitch, in the air, what’s the need;
Chucking’s forbidden, science is called,
In the meantime, he was no-balled.
Shorten the format, fun’s the key,
Bowlers be damned, sixes please me;
No balls, wides, free hits galore,
Keep ’em coming, we all want more.
Where’s the contest, can’t this be fair,
Batting legends rule, do we even care;
Bigger bats, higher blows,
Crowds scream, repeat these shows.
Who’d be a bowler, this is crazy,
Batting’s the charm, made them lazy;
Rolling their arms, the bowlers invent,
Honing their craft, know what this meant.
Swing, seam, pace or spin,
Things go well, earn that win;
Overcast, green-top, rank turners blamed,
Conditions matter, groundsmen shamed.
When batters excel, it’s their art,
Now bowlers do, it’s not that smart;
Skills are irrelevant, pitches assist,
Create social furore, that’s the gist.
‘Just not cricket”, cried the pundits,
“We demand a fairer contest”, in raging fits;
How convenient these calls come from the batters,
While the bowlers applaud the scorecard in tatters.
The scales are evened as much as they can get
Natural order will soon be restored, don’t you fret;
Batters will reign again, laws to adjust,
Like superheroes, let’s make this just.
It’s a batsman’s game. Till it’s not,
Sometimes unfair, other times not.