Twenty20 Cricket

The Shortest Form has Brought the Sport into the 21st Century

Sep 12, 2009

When the England Cricket Board introduced a short form of cricket to the Counties in 2003, they could not have imagined the impact it would have on the Sport.

The introduction of a Twenty20 County Cricket Tournament in the English Summer of 2003 has revolutionized the game of cricket internationally. Within a very short space of time the short form of the sport has changed the face of world cricket.

Twenty20 Cricket in England

The England Cricket Board introduced the Twenty20 Cup County Cricket Tournament in 2003. It was a huge success with the matches drawing vast audiences and attracting new supporters to the game.

The success of the tournament in England meant that other cricket playing countries soon adopted this form of the game domestically.

All Test Cricket playing countries now have a Domestic Twenty20 Tournament. These are:

In addition some of the non test playing countries have also adopted this format of the game. They are:

Twenty20 Cricket International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup

Following on from the huge popularity of the domestic tournaments, the first Twenty20 World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007 which was won by India.

In the next Twenty20 World Cup held in England in 2009 Pakistan beat Sri Lanka for the trophy.

These events have drawn record crowds and changed the face of cricket from being a staid old game played over five days, sometimes with no result, into a fast and furious fun game with nail-biting finishes.

Also the shorter time frame over which a match is played, appears to have mass appeal.

Twenty20 Cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL)

The advent of the IPL in 2008 saw the game of cricket being taken to another level with millions of dollars offered to top international players.

The IPL showcased the talents of the players from a different angle. Having joined a franchise, players were playing with and against team mates from their own country. It brought together the elite players from all test playing nations.

Combine this with the big hitting shots of the batsmen, the furious pace of the game, the razzamatazz of cheer leaders and the stage was set for a 'bollywood' style spectacle. The two IPL tournaments held so far, in India and in South Africa, have not disappointed the spectators or the supporters.

Twenty20 Champions League

This tournament is the brainchild of the people behind the IPL. The tournament will be played between 12 teams consisting of:

Twenty20 Cricket has progressed from a pilot domestic tournament in England in 2003 to the world stage, with 12 countries playing the game, in just seven short years. It has also brought a new band of supporters to the game of cricket.

The copyright of the article Twenty20 Cricket in Twenty20 Cricket is owned by Pauline Mascarenhas. Permission to republish Twenty20 Cricket in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.