T20 cricket leagues KILLING other formats?
The Hundred in England may become a city-based league.
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These are interesting times for world cricket, notably England. Usually, at this time, the hype is over the traditional County Cricket Championship, and, of course, The Hundred. Over and above all this, the hype over the Ashes, the traditional rivalry between England and Australia, is also building up.
First things first, County Cricket has been the gold standard for decades. Several generations of cricketers, from overseas countries as well played in various Counties to hone their skills. Indians included. Playing cricket in England in the summer is not easy. The weather is cold, and if there is rain, wearing sweaters and playing has been a common sight. The ball moves, and it tests the skills of a batsman (now batter).
Yet, if you ask any of the old-timers (Indians) how the County experience was, they will speak glowingly about it. It not only helped cricketers earn money in British Pound Sterling, which Cheteshwar Pujara is doing at present. Ajinkya Rahane also has a contract, though it’s not clear when he will be able to make it to Leicestershire, for the County games as well as the One Day Cup. Rahane is now busy with the IPL and will be part of the Indian Test team for the ICC Test Championship final against Australia from June 7.
For the record, in the good old days, many Indians who did not make the cut in international cricket would be part of Minor Counties in the English summer. They got paid decently, in the pre-IPL era.
What is now grabbing headlines is the reported news that over half a dozen English cricketers will be offered lucrative contacts by the IPL. What it leads one to believe is the Englishmen, who are well-known names in the ongoing IPL as well, will stop playing for England. Instead, like Chris Gayle, they will become pure T20 specialists. According to reports published in England and Australia, speculative and skimpy though, luring English cricketers means they will be offered big money.
At a time when the Indian franchises have big stakes and control T20 leagues abroad as well, South Africa included, the footprint is getting deeper. T20 is exploding or growing. The mushrooming of leagues has spread to even countries that do not have a traditional cricket base. That’s why a nation like the United States of America is also now getting slowly hooked to T20 cricket and will be hosting the ICC World Cup in 2024.
In addition to the explosion of T20 cricket, the T10 leagues are also growing. That’s another chapter altogether, though a few years down the line, there will be many more takers for it.
T20 cricket league in Saudi Arabia?
These days, Saudi Arabia is also in the news for plenty of reasons relating to sports. They have huge money and could get CR7 — Cristiano Ronaldo — on board for their own football league after the FIFA World Cup. There are reports trickling in Saudi Arabia may host T20 cricket leagues. If that happens, Indian franchises will definitely want to be part of it. India and Saudi Arabia enjoy good diplomatic relations as well as business ties.
The oil-rich desert nation has opened up even for tourism and sports is big. Who knows, like Sharjah was the birthplace of “masala contests” as ODIs with the blessing of rich Sheikhs and the presence of Bollywood stars, Saudi Arabia may be the new sports destination that will also host T20 cricket. Money is the least problem for them. One may see the best cricketers making a beeline there, which will include Englishmen as well.
Back to County Cricket and The Hundred, these formats are losing steam.
Old timers and purists who followed County scores for years will today talk more about the IPL. If the fabric of English cricket can be ripped apart, and The Hundred becomes a city-based franchise league, that is big news. It has been reported by The Times, London, as well. Imagine, cities coming into vogue in English cricket will annoy many.
Cricket is churning. For England, of stiff-upper-lip accent, to accept all this will be hard. Cricket is controlled by commerce and commercials. Cricketers are like actors who just go and deliver. If England is seeing a change, a massive one, then the signs are ominous. T20 cricket will be the flavor. The advantage is, you can see and forget it, like a bad movie.
But the fact is, you will still see it.
Is it RIP County Cricket and The Hundred? Do we say, well done IPL!
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