da fezbet： Daniel Vettori reflects with awe and amazement at Twenty20’s inexorable march to prominence
da bet7： Alex Brown14-Feb-2009Vettori and Haddin face off as captainsIt was only a few weeks ago that Brad Haddin was embroiled in a heated row with the New Zealanders over his part in the controversial dismissal of Neil Broom during the first one-day international in Perth. Haddin is confident there will be no hostility when he comes face-to-face with Vettori at the coin toss.”We spoke about it after the incident, and we haven’t spoken since,” he said. “I wouldn’t speak to him normally – it’s just pleasantries and saying ‘hello’. But during the series we haven’t had much contact with any of the New Zealand players. Things have been fine.”Vettori also played down whether there would be any tension at the toss on Sunday. “He’s just a captain, cricket captains don’t really go head to head,” Vettori said. “They just shake hands and flip the coin. It’s pretty easy really.”
The standard of play – and hairstyles – has changed since Chris Cairns and Hamish Marshall took part in the first Twenty20 International © Getty Images
National sides are fast learning that Twenty20 is a young man’s game that requires a skill-set different to other forms of the game; a fact reflected in the selections for Sunday’s match. The average age of the Australian squad is just 26, and several of its members – most notably Rob Quiney and David Warner – are not yet permanent fixtures in their state’s first-class teams. New Zealand, too, have rung in the changes, with the likes of Nathan McCullum and Ian Butler flown in specifically for the SCG encounter.Perhaps Australia’s most notable move is at the top of its chain of command. Brad Haddin, who only forced his way into the squad on a full-time basis last summer, has been bestowed the unexpected honour of captaining his country for the first time, and will do so before an appreciative home crowd.”It’s probably come about the same way with me opening the batting – through blokes being rested or injured,” Haddin said. “I’ve seen the work Ricky [Ponting] has to do and it’s an extraordinary role. To be quite honest, I’ve never really thought about doing it full-time. I don’t think it’s something that’s a real goal of mine at all. I’ll enjoy the occasion and do it as a one-off.”
