The Future of 20-20 Cricket

When those who dislike sport dismiss it as insignificant when compared to other weightier matters, I retort that sport must be important because so many people value it. So when I dismiss 20 over cricket as trivial I am hoist by my own petard.

The respected cricket writer Gideon Haigh states that one-day cricket has its benefits as it "provides a place for bone-headed spectators to congregate, leaving the five-day form to proceed in relative calm". If he were writing about art, opera, films or television, I would deplore this attitude and attack his snobbism with Benthamite vigour; but he speaks of cricket and the preservation of the wonderful 5-day game.

I don't just watch Test cricket, I live it. When there is a Test match on I have to know the score and I speculate endlessly on all the possible outcomes. I wish I were able to drop everything and actually watch these matches live, but it remains on the list of things I'll do when I retire. I know there are many who are in the same position which explains why attendance at Test matches lags behind those of one-day games. This brings me neatly to the necessity of 20 over internationals. Both captains described yesterday's match between Australia and South Africa the as "fun", as they communicated directly with the commentators whilst actually on the field of play. This would not have occurred in a serious contest such as a Test or even a 50 over game. However, there was a crowd of around 40,000, who stayed in their seats long after the result was beyond doubt.

Cricket needs to stage these trivial matches, because it needs the revenue, but there is danger that 20 over internationals will become the dominant One-Day format and a game of skill, will become one of luck.