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They blatantly say: "real test of a batsmen is in test cricket", as if playing t-20 cricket is a child's play. I am talking about the test cricketers of past who have never experienced what it is like to play a 20-20 over cricket match in a packed stadium.

It's amazing how the players who hit boundaries and sixes in t-20 cricket leagues like IPL and Big Bash, under immense pressure, are not given enough credit for what they do.

T-20 players deserve some respect

What a test cricketer of past never understands is that there is no time to assess a pitch, get used to a bowler, and  give first hour to a bowler while playing shortest format of the game, and therefore, when a modern day twenty twenty player plays innings after innings and scores consistent runs in a manner that 20 over cricket demands, he needs to be applauded.

Hitting 4's and 6's is not that easy, especially when international class bowlers are operating. Required rates of over 15 an over and even more is needed sometimes to win a cricket match. To achieve it, which a modern day cricketer does with great regularity, is an unbelievable performance. It is one thing saying that the format allows players to play in a free manner and makes it easy to clear boundaries, it's another thing to actually do it.

Same is true for bowlers as well. In test cricket you can get away by sitting on back of length and outside off stump line for whole day. in t-20 cricket you will be absolutely hammered. Plus there is limitations to the bouncers, wickets are flat, and batsmen are looking to score from the word go. Forget about the respect or reputation. Whoever you are, you will be attacked at the first possible opportunity. It doesn't really have to be a a loose ball for it to disappear out of stadium as far as twenty 20 cricket goes.

I bet not many test players of 70's and 80's would have been successful in modern day cricket. They would have been brutally exposed. No longer a forward defense would have saved a match for you. You got to either hit a six or loose the match.

Many of the cricketers of 70's and 80's would have struggled to keep their place in the team due to inability to hit boundaries at will, under pressure. They would have surely planted their foot forward and tried to swing the bat, but there wouldn't have been any connection between the bat and ball, as it requires more than that, it requires skills. Yet while commentating on TV, how easily they say: "T-20 batsmen just plant their leg, make room and swing the bat. Nothing special about it. Real test will be in test cricket. If they wan't to drive, get a car."

One has to remember that a modern day cricketer plays all forms of cricket. He needs to be equally good in all formats, unless he doesn't play them, as people end up judging his form in cricket by what they see him doing in one form of cricket and even come to conclusion that "he is out of form" even when next tournament is of another form of cricket. Thus a player struggling in T-20 cricket might end up loosing his place in Test Match cricket, even though he had previously done well in longer form of cricket. This is because T-20 has been publicized, by cricketers of 70's and 80's, as easiest form of cricket. So if someone in not doing good in easiest form of cricket how he will do well in toughest form of cricket 'test cricket'.

Virender Sehwag, India's opening batsmen, fell victim to such a theory. Sehwag was brilliant test match players with multiple triple and double centuries to his credit, yet when he got out early in ODI cricket people started questioning his technique. They completely forgot to realise that the batsmen was looking to give quick start to the team which has plenty of other solid batsmen who could have played longer innings if he got out. He wanted to get opposition under pressure and thus was going after the bowling.

But in India they ended up his ODI average of 34 odd and dropped him blaming him 'inconsistent', and completely ignored his average of about 50 in test cricket.

It is extremely important that those who judge players don't get confused with forms in different forms of cricket.  It is easy to get out in T-20 cricket if you are not selfish and play for the team. It requires immense skill to succeed regularly in T-20 arena.

IPL(Indian Premiere League) has given so much of confidence to players like Shaun Marsh, David Miller, Sanju Samson, Faf Du Plessis, Chris Morris, Kevon Cooper, Ainkya  Rahane, Kieron Pollard, etc.

These players have taken their confidence and skills gained from IPL to their respective nation. Mentioning things like batsmen get to play only on flat wickets and a quota of four overs from any bowler, is a complete undermining of bowlers' effort. If this would have been so easy we would have seen 200+ scores in almost every matches, but this is not. Bowlers like Dale Steyn, Mallinga, Cooper, Bravo, Brett Lee, etc. have shown that you can flourish in even these formats.

IPL is not an easy platform, it tests new-comers at a massive level, so much that by the time they come out of it, they are much readier than what they would have been by merely playing Ranji or Duleep trophy on flatter and crowd-less stadiums.
I hope after reading this article, X cricketers will give the respect to IPL and Big Bash players, who deserve it fully.

Test cricket is the pinnacle but IPL does require skill to do well. Some of the players may never be test greats like Pollard, Yusuf Pathan but equally test players like Rogers,Elgar and Cook are not IPL type of guys.