January 11, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 20, 1427

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SYDNEY, Jan 10: The lure of winning another World Cup has convinced Australia captain Ricky Ponting to start taking Twenty20 a bit more serious. Ponting has always regarded the abbreviated form of the game as little more than a hit-and-giggle but is starting to think more seriously about it with the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup scheduled for South Africa this year.

Australia have only played five Twenty20 Internationals but are looming as the early favourites to win the title after racking up a record total of 221 for five in their 77-win over England on Tuesday.

Australia's batsmen smacked 15 fours and 14 sixes in a devastating display of power hitting that left their opponents looking on in bemusement and spectators ducking for cover.

“I enjoy playing the game but I think it's best played when it is just a fun sort of game and there is not too much riding on it,” Ponting told a news conference.

“We know that there's a world championship coming up and I guess if we keep playing like that, then bring it on.”

Twenty20 was invented in England but English skipper Michael Vaughan said his team were no longer setting the pace in the high-speed form of the game.

“We're the guys who started Twenty20 cricket and we should really be putting up a good fight when we get to that World Cup next September,” Vaughan said.

“I love the whole aspect that it's over in three hours, you cram the crowd in and you have the music and it's very razzmatazz, I think it's good for the game.”

Meanwhile, despite a world record performance against England, Australia's senior cricketers are divided on the merits of international Twenty20 cricket.

The International Cricket Council is considering holding an inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa later this year, but even a record total at the SCG did not fully convince Australian wicket-keeper/batsman Adam Gilchrist about the newest form of the game, which was born in English county cricket in 2003.

Australia's total of 221 against England was the highest in the brief 13-game history of international Twenty20 cricket and was watched by a full house at the SCG.

However, Gilchrist, who hit five sixes in a dashing 48 at the top of the Australian innings, warned against cricket administrators getting carried away with the initial success of the format.

The Australian keeper said there was a novelty factor that could easily be lost through more regular Twenty20 fixtures and said he had ‘question marks’ over the World Cup suggestion when the format was so new.

“Last night was the first time I have been bitten by it, if you like,” Gilchrist said on Wednesday.

“I think it might be a case of less is more. I'm still not 100 per cent sure on the World Cup status.

“We've got to protect the jewels in the crown that are the 50-over World Cups and then Test cricket as a general game.”

New Zealand and Australia are the most experienced Twenty20 international teams, with five matches each, but India, the West Indies and Pakistan have played it just once.

However, opener Matthew Hayden is on the bandwagon, saying it had ‘revolutionised’ one-day cricket and declaring he could not “sing the praises of the game enough”.

It is unlikely besieged bowlers will share the opening batsman's fervour for the slogathon that is the shortest form of the game but fellow batsman Mike Hussey also added his support.

“I think that it caters for a new group of fans,” he said.

“A lot of young kids and families can come down to the cricket and it doesn't take all day.”—Agencies