20Plenty

"I caught on to cricket watching ODIs, and gradually moved to Test cricket. At this point of my evolution as a cricket fan, test cricket is infinitely more enjoyable than T20. But then lets analyze the argument from a purely marketing angle. Cricket fandom is declining. And new converts are not coming in big enough numbers to backfill the lost eyeballs. Now if you want to attract a fresh devotee, you have to evolve her through various steps. In the post T20 world here is how the scenario would work

• With T20 format, the game is more international and understandable. The entry barriers for a non-convert have gone significantly down. So many first timers would sample the game.
• T20 are designed to be more thrilling, hence the newcomer would be hooked to try it a second time.
• Once the newcomer is hooked to the format and has started recognizing star players, she would follow these stars to ODIs and later to Tests. Hence, I believe T20 is a good thing, so sit back and enjoy.

T20 as I believe will rejuvenate & revolutionized other traditional sports as well and why not? It gets me thinking, why could other sports not go in for re-jig, the way cricket has done? Instead of feeling threatened with the fear of being swept of their feet, other form of sports can surely think of ways of making the sport more user friendly and fast paced. Lets compare cricket and football. Why are almost 100 Nations following football and just 8 nations following cricket. I guess the reason is quite evident. It entertains the spectator and its gives a value for his money. T20 will not wipe off other games from the face of the world, but would only spur them to come out of hibernation and look at the world with a difference. Hockey's attempt with Premier Hockey League is a case in point. Change as they say is Nature's Law. So just wait and watch how this newest tamasha of sports unfolds itself."

Kunal Thakur

Published:
Hindustan Times dated October 2nd, 2007, page no 12