By: Elena Roopchansingh 8 August, 2024
T20 cricket boldly introduced itself as the then youngest sibling of the cricket siblings in 2003. And just like the youngest in most families, T20 is loud, outgoing, craves attention and life simply was not as colourful before. T20 has undoubtedly changed the landscape and discussions around the sport, but are we all on board?
There’s no shortage of flamboyance, excitement, flair, entertainment, innovative and imaginative cricket shots, explosiveness, and full capacity crowds. What’s there not to love with all these fireworks? T20 has grown the reach and level of interest in the sport. There are people and audiences who now take a keen interest who would not have known the difference between bat and ball before. That’s ultimately what you want from any sport. You want the passion and enthusiasm to grow as far and wide as possible. Understandably, audiences are more likely to be interested in a game that lasts a few hours than a game that spans five days. However a closer look uncovers it comes at a cost and therein lies the conundrum.
For one, the cricket calendar is without breathing room. There’s an incredible amount of cricket played in the year for even the fanatics to keep abreast of. Tournaments and series are overlapping and with the lucrativeness of this shorter format players are choosing to commit to T20 and become specialists. Players are not the only ones making these decisions though. In recent times the introduction of the South African T20 franchise league saw the board send a less than established team to New Zealand for an international Test series in 2023. There was quite a bit of chatter around this decision as to what was being prioritised and the message being sent.
A cricketer’s playing career is quite limited so when thinking practically about the financial incentives and opportunities from these T20 franchise leagues it becomes an apparent decision. The different number of leagues also increases the opportunities for talent to be showcased. Not just for the players, but on the business side of things too. These franchises are essentially investments and business models where the reach and impact of the game are bringing in dividends. The return on these investments depends on the level of participation and patronisation from the market which at times seem insatiable. The harmony between demand and supply in this case is beneficial particularly to the suppliers. Take nothing away from the bold minds that created a cricket product that has garnered this momentum.
The bottom line is there is no disadvantage to the T20 game. It’s clear that it’s here to stay and rightly so. However there should be more consideration around the impact it has on the other versions of the sport. Not until the rejuvenation of the One Day International with the 2024 World Cup in India, this format had almost fizzled. The tournament itself reignited the excitement for this version of the sport but its popularity has dwindled in the face of T20. To more detriment is the purest version, the best version, Test cricket. There have been moments of undeniable and unbelievable brilliance in blockbuster series like the Ashes (cue Ben Stokes Headingley 2019), India versus England (Virat Kohli versus James Anderson), Australia versus India (India planting their flag on Australian soil), Australia versus West Indies (West Indies winning a match 2023 sending shockwaves). But for all its magical moments that defy all odds, the excitement isn’t as loud as that of a T20 game.
The grit, mental toughness and highest level of skill are on display during Test matches. An hour’s play where the batting team has managed to score just five runs is so gripping. The last two batsmen fighting to the end of day’s play to save a match is so enthralling. A drawn match is sometimes such a hard earned feat. The beauty of it is not just packaged in explosive passages of play but within the all consuming and nail biting moments.
There is much discussion nowadays surrounding the future of Test cricket and whether it is at risk. If there aren’t investments and incentives across all playing nations, then the consequence of that would be a decline in the sport. The teams who are at the top would always be at the top and it may well be sustainable for only them to be the participants. For Test cricket to be healthy there needs to be healthy competition and that means investment and opportunity for all playing nations. The recently concluded Test series between England and West Indies (2024) saw an underprepared West Indian team come up against some of the sport’s premier players. There were moments of brilliance from the West Indies but they largely reflected their lack of experience as a result of not being exposed to this format of the game enough to be competitive. It is heartbreaking to see the team that once dominated Test cricket in the 1970s and 1980s be a shadow of itself and reduced to the margins of the game. There needs to be a restructure that supports all playing nations. Many players have expressed their love for this version of the game but equally lament the lack of opportunity.
There are too many stakeholders involved to accept the erosion of the sport’s greatest format. Test cricket is worth its weight in gold and I’d have it over any other version any day.