Sell-out for Windies opener

It is a notable coincidence that the West Indies contest their first Twenty20 international, against New Zealand at Eden Park, at the same time as ICC chief executives are discussing a world championship in the newest, shortest form of the game and Allen Stanford's eminent ambassadors are engaged in island-hopping promotion of the first such event in the Caribbean.

The match is the first on a hectic itinerary that is followed by five one-day internationals and three Tests. It is likely to be the pattern of future tours. Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain whose SuperMax concept was its forerunner, believes there will not only be bilateral Twenty20 internationals but also World Cups and other championships-and that they will benefit the game.

"I certainly agree that Twenty20 is a bit crude but it's going to be important for spreading the game, if not in its purest form," he said yesterday. "It is certainly ideal for those countries on the fringes of Test cricket."

It could, he added, even provide the boost West Indies cricket needs. "This could be where the West Indies turn things round by picking up some worldwide credibility," he said. "This game is really up their alley with their flair and athleticism."

Exciting young allrounders like Dwayne Smith and Dwayne Bravo should flourish. Others will inevitably be stimulated by the challenge in Stanford's initial tournament in July and August.

While the West Indies only previous Twenty20 was an impromptu match against Victoria on their tour of Australia last November, New Zealand have already played, and were trounced by, Australia at home last December and have just completed their first such domestic tournament.

Tomorrow's match may be the beginning of a new era for the international game but it signals the end for Chris Cairns, New Zealand's leading allrounder over the past decade. His power-hitting and effective fast-medium bowling were as outstanding in Tests and ODIs as they would be in Twenty20. A sellout crowd of 20,000 is likely to offer him the farewell he deserves.

Crowe, an innovator who introduced the idea of the pinch-hitter at the top of the order by sending Mark Greatbatch to open and using offspinner Dipak Patel with the new ball in the 1992 World Cup, introduced the shortened game to New Zealand through SuperMax in 1996. It divided the game into four innings of ten overs each and maximised runs for straight hits with fours and sixes doubled in the so-called "Max zones".

The West Indies played a SuperMax international on their previous tour of New Zealand seven years ago-and lost by eight wickets. "The Max zones called for a bit more strategy in that the batsmen were rewarded for more orthodox hitting and the bowlers had to be alert as to whether to be shorter or fuller (in length)," Crowe said. He contended that the split of two innings a team meant there was more chance than in a one innings format to come from behind.

New Zealand's delegates presented the Super Max idea to the ICC in 1998 but it wasn't accepted. "England were keen on the idea, except they weren't sold on the Max zones," Crowe said. "I knew they would come out with their own version and, three years later, they introduced Twenty20. Now it's catching on everywhere."

He called it strictly "an entertainment package" that suits night-time viewing. "Time is becoming more and more precious for people," he said. "To be able to watch a game of cricket in two and a half to three hours and see their favourite players in action is going to become quite critical if we're going to keep the fringe of support for the game, if we're going to keep the young audience intrigued". But Crowe was confident Test cricket would "always be the ultimate and always be popular on a wider level, even with those not actually watching at the stadium".

"Test cricket is the true test of skill and stamina but the game also has the ability to offer a pure entertainment package in a convenient time frame for everyone."