Fading Skill
I still remember the days when I was reprimanded as a kid for watching cricket test matches on TV, the reason being the predominant lack of a sure unilateral result. Most games would leave bowlers and the viewers brain dead for it would take all 5 days of the test match to go through just the first innings of each side. I would not dare to say that there was a dearth of quality in games of yesteryears for it was then that the ball and the bat spoke more than the players did. It took more than just effort, strength of body and mind and lots of skill to survive a good bowling attack or get a good batsman out. The purist in me yearns for a repeat of this sweet reminiscence in the game of cricket. Wicketkeepers were devoted to their primary skill and displayed elegance of the highest order on the cricketing field with their unsurpassed glovework. They were part time batsmen not expected to play for long but still cause damage with cameos and some unorthodox batting. Spin bowlers gave the...