Twenty20 cricket was branded as “fun” when it was launched as a professional sport in England six years ago. 

But as the blame game started over who was responsible for the decision to call-off Tuesday’s Twenty20 international between England and Australia without a ball being bowled, one thing was clear: top players are not prepared to take any chances with conditions just to entertain a capacity crowd.

Twenty20 cricket has gone from ‘hit and giggle’ to a lucrative business thanks to the advent of the Indian Premier League and the World Twenty20.

Tuesday’s match was abandoned primarily because a two-metre square area damp patch on the line of the bowlers’ run-ups at the Brian Statham End was ruled unsafe by the umpires.

Former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson labelled the players “soft”.

But with Australia’s attack set to have featured Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Dirk Nannes, all of whom can bowl at over 90mph, captain Michael Clarke was in no mood to take risks.

“I’m 75 kilos and for me to put my foot on that was very unstable so I can’t imagine (England’s Ryan) Sidebottom, Lee and Johnson – bigger boys than me – running into bowl on that,” he said.

“There’s no game I play for Australia that I’m willing to just go out and bowl some full-tosses so the crowd get a great spectacle,” Clarke added.

After the match the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced they would hold an inquiry, with Lancashire facing questions as to why an international match was abandoned because a small area of the outfield was wet.

Although 600,000 pounds was spent on a new drainage system in the pre-season, it did not cover the run-up area as the square at Old Trafford is to be turned next year, when the new drains in that section of the ground will be installed.

Angry Lancashire chief executive Jim Cumbes insisted inadequate covering and drainage were not behind the abandonment, which came after Sunday’s first Twenty20, also at Old Trafford, was also washed out.

“I’m perfectly aware of the safety of players, I played the game for 20 years myself,” former Lancashire seamer Cumbes said.

“But there are times when you’ve got to think about the people who’ve paid 50 quid (pounds).

“Sometimes I think we’d rather play in front of empty stadiums,” he added after the crowd reacted with impressive restraint to the lack of cricket.

Tuesday’s was the third embarrassing abandonment England have been involved in this year.

Three months ago a One-Day International (ODI) against the West Indies at Headingley was abandoned in bright sunshine without a ball bowled because a new drainage system couldn’t cope with a downpour.

That in turn followed the abandonment of this year’s Antigua Test on England’s Caribbean tour because of an unfit outfield.

On Friday, England and Australia are set to play the first of seven ODIs at the Oval, where in 1977 they took part in an extraordinary limited-overs match.

Back then, play continued despite rain and then hail lashing the ground and Australia captain Greg Chappell saw his side to a two-wicket victory with a superb 125 not out.

Although there was a reserve day, that clashed with a public holiday for the celebration of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of both Britain and Australia.

And that meant there would be no television coverage if the game went into a second day.

“I realised the best chance of winning was to get off and start again the next day,” Chappell said. “But I played on for the sponsors’ sake.”

David Frith, writing in the Cricketer magazine, said: “As for the bemused spectators, they were left to reflect that in the days ahead first-class cricketers, far from splashing about willingly, would not be prepared to emerge if there was the smallest spot of rain in the air.”

More often than not, it seems, they still aren’t.

Apparently asserting his authority after Pakistan won the Twenty20 World Cup under him, Younus Khan said the captain and players mattered the most in the team’s performance and the coach and his support staff play a secondary role.

“I have played domestic cricket as well in Australia and England and the concept is the coach and others are there as a support staff to help out the players. But the decisions have to be made by the captain and he and the players have to perform for the team to win,” Younus said.

“The support staff is there to help the players and make things easier for players,” he added.

Younus made it clear he had no issues with vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq or former captain Shoaib Malik and other players as reported by the media.

“Every player has a different mentality and only those players are close who share the same mentality and interests. I had discussions with Misbah and other players when we planned for the matches. It is not correct to say I didn’t speak to Misbah for days.”

Younus attacked former chief selector Abdul Qadir for “not speaking the whole truth” when the legendary spinner said that he should not have been in the Twenty20 World Cup squad.

“I think one must be very honest with oneself. What Qadir has said I think he has not spoken the entire truth he has covered up a lot of things. He should have been more honest and forthrightt,” Younus said.

Qadir, after his resignation from the chief selector’s job, had said he would not have kept Younus and Shoaib Malik in Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup team.

Younus said Qadir’s remarks only spurred him to do well as he took it as a challenge.

“It only motivated me and the other players to do well and prove him wrong.”

He said everyone in the team and Pakistan board was well aware of his temperament and principles.

“I believe everyone should do what he is supposed to do. He should not interfere in anyone’s domain. The cricket board officials have their job, the selectors have there job and the players have their own job to do. As long as everyone sticks to his field there is no problem.”

He said he listened to advice from others but ultimately he takes his own decision.

“Everyone is there to offer advice but as a captain I am firm I take my own decision. In the past also only those captains have been successful who take their own decisions. My motto is listen to everyone but take a decision which you feel is the best,” he said.

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi says the short gap between the just-completed Twenty20 World Cup and next year’s edition has robbed Pakistan of full enjoyment of its triumph.

Just days after Pakistan clinched the 2009 trophy in England, thoughts had already turned to the 2010 event in the West Indies, beginning in April.

“I fail to understand why the next World Cup will be played in nine months time,” Afridi told reporters on Wednesday.

“If it’s being organized after two years, people would have remembered Pakistan’s victory and it would have been more enjoyable.

“It should have been scheduled a bit later, but cricket is no more a sport, it’s becoming a business everywhere.”

Pakistan owed its World Cup victory to Afridi’s brilliant all-round performance – especially his back to back half centuries in the semifinal and the final.

He also tied up the world’s best batsmen with his quick leg-spinners, and got the key wickets of South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers in the semifinal.

“We all know how important this World Cup was with so much happening in Pakistan,” Afridi said.

“The guys motivated themselves for this World Cup.” Hundreds of Afridi’s fans chanted “Boom Boom Afridi” as he arrived at the Karachi Airport with teammates Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam. Afridi gave credit to coach Intikhab Alam, bowling coach Aaqib Javed and captain Younis Khan for the victory.

Alam was the coach of Pakistan team which won the 50-over-a-side World Cup in Australia in 1992.

“They all really worked hard with the guys and kept them united and close to each other, that’s why we had success,” Afridi said.