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    Has Twenty20 Changed Cricket

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    Jockim Raj..D
    Mark Ramprakash reflects on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the game since its introduction 10 years ago. While Twenty20 has boosted the popularity and finances of domestic cricket through large crowds and revenues, there are concerns about its impact on traditional forms like test cricket. Some players now prefer to play in lucrative Twenty20 leagues over tests, and future generations of cricketers may not play tests at all and focus only on the shorter format instead. However, Twenty20 also needs to co-exist with longer forms of the game for cricket to remain balanced.

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    Has Twenty20 Changed Cricket

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    Jockim Raj..D
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    Mark Ramprakash reflects on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the game since its introduction 10 years ago. While Twenty20 has boosted the popularity and finances of domestic cricket through large crowds and revenues, there are concerns about its impact on traditional forms like test cricket. Some players now prefer to play in lucrative Twenty20 leagues over tests, and future generations of cricketers may not play tests at all and focus only on the shorter format instead. However, Twenty20 also needs to co-exist with longer forms of the game for cricket to remain balanced.

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    Has Twenty20 changed cricket

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    Mark Ramprakash reflects on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the game since its introduction 10 years ago. While Twenty20 has boosted the popularity and finances of domestic cricket through large crowds and revenues, there are concerns about its impact on traditional forms like test cricket. Some players now prefer to play in lucrative Twenty20 leagues over tests, and future generations of cricketers may not play tests at all and focus only on the shorter format instead. However, Twenty20 also needs to co-exist with longer forms of the game for cricket to remain balanced.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    12 views4 pages

    Has Twenty20 Changed Cricket

    Uploaded by

    Jockim Raj..D
    Mark Ramprakash reflects on how Twenty20 cricket has changed the game since its introduction 10 years ago. While Twenty20 has boosted the popularity and finances of domestic cricket through large crowds and revenues, there are concerns about its impact on traditional forms like test cricket. Some players now prefer to play in lucrative Twenty20 leagues over tests, and future generations of cricketers may not play tests at all and focus only on the shorter format instead. However, Twenty20 also needs to co-exist with longer forms of the game for cricket to remain balanced.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    17 September 2012 Last updated at 13:18 GMT

    Has Twenty20 changed cricket?

    By Mark Ramprakash Former England batsman

    Cricket has been my life.

    I was 17 when I played my first match for Middlesex. By 21, I had been selected to play for
    England. It was a dream come true.

    But in July of this year, I announced my retirement. I felt it was time to make way for the next
    generation of players, many of whom are now brought up on Twenty20 cricket.

    In 2003, I was part of the Surrey team that won the first Twenty20 Cup final. Now, as the fourth
    ICC World Twenty20 tournament prepares to start in Sri Lanka, I have been asked by the BBC
    Asian Network to look at the impact this form of cricket has had on the game.

    Continue reading the main story

    “I believe there's a possibility future cricketers will not play Test cricket for their country and
    will instead go on to play only the shorter format”

    Mark Ramprakash

    For years, we've all had to accept that the domestic four-day County Championship has been
    making a financial loss.

    Counties are funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which makes its money by
    playing international cricket and through sponsorship, television deals and advertising.

    The larger counties then boost their funds by hosting Test cricket and one-day internationals.

    It was the ECB that came up with Twenty20 as a way of getting crowds back to domestic cricket.
    Each team bowls only 20 overs, so the game is completed in around three hours.

    "Just over 10 years ago, I think the ECB executives certainly had conversations around
    Twenty20 cricket and what it could potentially do," said Steve Elworthy, ECB director of
    marketing and communications.

    "Fan research was conducted and, ultimately, from a county point of view, Twenty20 cricket was
    born from that consumer research."
    These days, playing Twenty20 is a vital part of the game, both in terms of popularity and
    financial gain. Clubs like Yorkshire and Leicestershire say 70% of their domestic revenue is now
    generated by this format.

    "When T20 started, everyone took it quite lightly as a bit of fun, whereas over the years it's
    become a very big event and there's a lot of prize money at stake now," said Yorkshire director
    of cricket Martyn Moxon.

    "T20 has been the saviour of cricket in some ways. I don't think there's any doubt in my mind
    that T20 is funding the county game."

    I have a lot of sympathy for young players desperately trying to get the balance right between the
    adrenaline-fuelled Twenty20 and then need for patience and discipline in the four-day game.

    I also believe that playing County Championship and Test cricket is the only way a player can
    develop all the skills needed.

    Continue reading the main story

    “I think there is still a following for Test cricket in India, but the challenge now is attracting
    people to the grounds”

    Rahul Dravid Former India captain

    This might sound a bit far-fetched, but I believe there's a possibility future cricketers will not
    play Test cricket for their country and will instead go on to play only the shorter format. If young
    players only gravitate to Twenty20 instead of Tests, then it will be a sad day for cricket.

    Rahul Dravid, one of the greatest batsmen the world has seen, said it is becoming harder to
    attract large crowds to Test cricket in his native India.

    "In terms of attracting people to the grounds, it is getting quite difficult," the former India captain
    told the BBC Asian Network.

    "I think there is still a following for Test cricket in India, but the challenge is now is attracting
    people to the grounds."

    So if a country like India is struggling to pull in crowds for Test cricket, should this be a warning
    to England?

    Twenty20 has, without a doubt, sharpened the skills of players, but the financial rewards of
    tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) have changed the whole landscape of cricket.
    Some international players prefer to play in the IPL rather than Test cricket simply because of
    the money available.

    Cricket boards around the world have to deal with the reality that certain players, such as
    England batsman Kevin Pietersen and West Indies star Chris Gayle, want to play in the IPL.

    In Gayle's case, he has missed numerous Tests to play in the IPL.

    Twenty20 international records


    • Highest total: Sri Lanka made 260-6 against Kenya in September 2007
    • Highest individual score: Jointly held by South Africa's Richard Levi (117 not out
    against New Zealand in February 2012) and West Indies' Chris Gayle (117 v South
    Africa in September 2007)
    • Most runs off one over: 36 - India's Yuvraj Singh hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in
    September 2007
    • Best bowling: Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis took 6-16 against Australia in August 2011

    The ECB is walking a tightrope. It is trying to preserve the integrity of the England team by
    ensuring it is at full strength. However, whether it likes it or not, more and more players will
    want to be released to take part in the IPL because that is where the power and money lies.

    In England, we are fortunate that Test cricket and one-day internationals are still pulling in the
    crowds. This, in turn, is providing valuable income for the counties.

    Because it makes money, Twenty20 has a huge role to play in the future of the game, but we
    have already seen that too much T20 can be counterproductive.

    "When we started to increase the number of Twenty20 home matches, we were getting about the
    same income in, but more matches meant extra cost," said Leicestershire chief executive Mike
    Siddall.

    "We have to play sufficient Twenty20 games in order to make money for counties but be careful
    not to flood the market so that people are turned off by too many games. "

    Twenty20 plays a big part in cricket and is vital to the health of the sport. I know players still
    feel they are judged on their first-class and Test abilities as, ultimately, it is in that arena their
    skills are tested to the fullest.

    At the end of the day, I want T20 and Test cricket to co-exist. There's room for both as they
    provide great entertainment and theatre.

    Additional reporting by Perminder Khatkar.


    "Twenty20, Cricket's Biggest Hit", presented by Mark Ramprakash, was broadcast on the
    BBC Asian Network on Monday 17 September from 18:00 BST - you can listen again via the
    BBC iPlayer.

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