Mind game or a Hand game???

I some times wonder, is this game takes more of a smash-bucking strokes or artistic strokes???...It still makes me think even at this moment where the game cricket has changed a lot.Ofcourse, cricket has transformed enormously, when compared to the artistic play that has got certain features like white equipments,lack of helmets and more importantly ''The technology''.

But....now if i do say that the game CRICKET has changed and has taken a wide-U turn in the form of the runs scored,and the mentality of the batsmen.Its quite normal in this era.At this context, I would like to justify my question.

What I mean by artistic is, its a game that has got a high class technique,timing,stroke making ...etc.But the game played in the past was purely proffesional.There were no one-day matches till the year 1989.

And now....the game has changed dastrically.The word ''artistic cricket'' has come to an extinct.The mordern cricket is a mixture of wacking the ball, hitting harder and harder, and flow of runs.Cricket is a game of a proffesional skill, patience and temperment.But as far the mordern world is concerned it is a game of self-records and a raw-power.

Many players depend a great deal of smashing the ball as hard as possible and ending up the shot out of the ground.This is NOT cricket.Players like: Shahid Afridi(pak),Andrew Symonds(aus),MS Dhoni(ind)...so are the masters of the mordern cricket.According to them Cricket is a game of sheer power and records.Renowned players like Sir Don Bradman,Ian Botham,Sunil Gavaskar,Geoffry Boycott has illustrated exactly what the cricket game looks like.Its not a hand game.Its a mind game with perfection,patience,timing and temperment.Even the game in the early 90's looks like a game of cricket and simultaneously its been a dusk for the class on the game and artistic cricket.

As mentioned earlier players like Dhoni,Afridi,Symonds,Razzaq...so merely time the ball.The probability is about one in hundred times.The tradition of the game itself has been changed.And introducing tournaments like 20-20 is nothing but absolute madness.It is not capable of energising a talent in youngsters..Cricket in early years is known for patience, stroke play and technique and I firmly say that the artistic cricket has almost came to an end.

This article is to recall the traditional play, and develope a notion in the minds of the people to ignite the role of artistry and bid a farewell to the hand game.