T20 dominates the modern cricketing landscape.
It has rapidly turned cricket from a gentleman’s game to high-octane, big-money entertainment. Short, sharp and action-packed, it’s hard not to be enthralled.
In a little over three hours, you could see more action than you could ever dream of over five days of a Test match, with sixes flying, stumps flashing and superhuman fielding guaranteed – as well as a result, capacity crowd and a febrile atmosphere.
And while T20 cricket is many things, it’s certainly not been the often-prophesied killer of Test cricket.
In fact, in my eyes, T20 has emphasised why Tests are, and always will be, the pinnacle of the sport.
T20 may be the opiate for the cricketing masses, the format that draws the crowds, the superstars and the billion-dollar money, but it’s little more than a short but instantly forgettable high.
It gives cricket fans immediate pleasure, but no lasting memories.
How many T20 matches actually live long in the mind?
I vividly remember Dom Sibley’s 312 ball marathon century against the West Indies last year, but do I even know the result of the thrilling IPL Game 1 watched barely a week ago in which over 365 runs were scored in just 240 balls?
(AP Photo/ Mahesh Kumar A.)
People remember the 2005 Ashes series in immense detail, despite years upon years having gone by, despite the fact it wasn’t always fast-paced, hard-hitting, swashbuckling cricket.
Cricket’s shortest format is almost never boring, but it’s also almost never memorable too.
And I don’t write this as a purist, or a member of the older generation who’s grown up with Test cricket being ‘the format’ only for it to be swept away in a tide of popularity by the allure and razzmatazz of white-ball cricket, I write this as a someone who was born in the ‘T20 generation’, as a young person to whom this format is meant to appeal most to.
There’s little doubt that T20’s are enjoyable, but at the end of the day they often feel like yet another cricket match crammed into a packed schedule, rather than a huge show-stopping event in the way a Test match is.
Leading up to a Test match, you get days of hype, tension and excruciating build up as fans wait in anxious anticipation for the first ball to be bowled. Do you ever get anything remotely like that for a T20?
(Photo by Patrick Hamilton/AFP via Getty Images)
T20 might be able to grab the public for a couple of hours or so, but almost every sport in the world can draw fans’ attention for a short burst of time. Can any other team sports enthral fans for five long days and keep them wanting more like Test cricket can?
In T20 the focus is totally on the batsman, they are the hunters constantly chasing after the bowlers, a complete contrast to Test cricket, where the bowler and batsman are both equals in trying to outdo one another, with a deteriorating pitch and changing weather adding further intriguing variables.
The game’s shortest format has actually shown the world that Test cricket reigns supreme because it’s the only format where it’s just the cricket that truly matters, the cat-and-mouse contest between bat and ball, the clash of leather against willow, the tactical battle between batsman and bowler – rather than entertainment, glitz, glamour and cash.
T20 most certainly has its place within cricket, to delight, to thrill, to draw the crowds and the big bucks – as well as to remind us that Test matches are where the truly satisfying cricketing experience is.
Micko
Roar Rookie
True. But then England should have 6 tests too, as they always have a big traditional venue miss out: usually Headingley or Trent Bridge.
T20 should be consigned to the dustbin of history. The crowds for it are poor, the TV ratings are poor. The TV ratings for Test cricket are huge. I guess TV moguls are thick.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
And Ashes series should be 6 tests so Hobart can also have one.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Still posting 38 years later and after dying very, very young.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I reckon test series should start in Brisbane and Perth should always have a test; no compromise.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I go to cricket matches where it's a 0 overs-@-side match, batsmen face no balls and there is a maximum of no fielders. Bowlers can bowl up to 0 overs
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Adelaide, per capita, is the best attended test.
Targa
Roar Rookie
And a test great has just announced his retirement. BJ (best keeper batsman since Gilchrist) Watling will finish up after the test final.
Jack
Guest
Completely agree . The content between bat and ball makes cricket great not just huge scores
Geoff
Guest
Nicely written and well argued. I think T20 could be made far more interesting with slightly longer boundaries, pitches that aren't always complete roads so there's something in it for the bowlers and also by decreasing the number of batsman allowed to 7/8/9, because then there's a little bit more risk for the batsman so they have to calculate an innings more rather than just slog, slog, slog.
Jack
Guest
Soild article I have to agree. I am one who thinks all can co exist and provide different types of entertainment. Afghanistan’s rapid rise has been great for test cricket and they are a pretty solid team now Reckon Nepal aren’t to far behind them . As the sport grows every team playing 4 test match series will become unrelstic but I don’t have a problem with this . We can always play one test match against the new comers as they improve and keep the bigger series for the big boys. Test cricket is great for those who have test cricket in blood but T20 is a great vehicle to expand cricket to new markets .
Peter Warrington
Guest
you are also almost in Europe, so we get to watch the game after we come home from work over here in Australia. it's shameful that Perth doesn't get one every season.
Peter Warrington
Guest
ODI are Lite N Easy
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Spot on, the problem comes with killing the golden goose. England has 70m people and they struggled to get participation numbers up with pay per view, to the extent they did FTA highlights to entice interest in the last 50WC. Australia has less than half the population and 2 of 3 International formats behind a pay wall. They’re heading down the same path. Not to mention that CH7 doesn’t actually care about cricket and saw the BBL as their rating cash cow, but knew to get the rights under the FTA sport rule they had to accept showing 25 days of Tests a year. The merest drop in the BBL will have 7 opting out.
Stewbydew
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the advice. I appreciate the reply. It's hard to watch being in the USA and not that much cricket is television. And its near impossible to find anyone local to talk about cricket with. One thing for sure, the ODI super50 tournament I watched had really good announcers. I looked a lot of them up on YouTube. Sir Curtly Ambrose and Darren Ganga especially. DG was mentioning the importance of test cricket throughout the tournament. Neat that west indies cricket has such a great history close by. I'm fine rooting for the windies and not having a us team. Thanks for the dialogue, I appreciate the knowledge
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Well penned. Think a point that gets missed is that it is a format where you can also unearth talent. Black Caps have used it this way and Conway is a great example of that. While pajama cricket is down my list (I am one of the older purists you refer to) I'm always fascinated to see the cross-bat hooning vs the use of more standard technique to achieve success. Williamson, Root and Smith have all had success in the short format and they still build an innings with more standard tehnique, at least initially. I also think it has helped Test Cricket in that its advent has coincided with more results in the longer format and more of those with a day to spare. Bowlers have more variation in their arsenal and batsmen, similarly, a larger complement of shot-making along with the confidence to chase. Can't stand the IPL, if I'm honest. The dollar and related power dynamic is unhealthy and may have an adverse effect on the game down the line but it seems in the international arena T20 may have it's place...
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
I would like to see international t20s just completely scrubbed. just make it a franchise only thing
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I think that is an astute observation Joss. I guess it's a common refrain in organisations over recent generations that "the bean counters" have the real power, but that their horizon is limited because they don't truly understand "the product" that they are given control over. Short term returns based on text book economics is the de-rigueur. Old saying - "more is less". But that can only be understood if one truly understands the product they have guardianship over. And it's difficult to say with any certainty that the true "string pullers" in contemporary cricket organisations/boards, have an appreciation of the societal-resonance that cricket brings as a value-add, beyond just 3-5 year broadcasting contracts.
joss heddle-bacon
Roar Rookie
I feel like decisions made by the high ups in cricket seem to be made more and more with money in mind rather than their audience. I worry that if cricket continues to become saturated with game after game, world cups almost every year in some format or another, and sell off all its TV rights to pay to view companies the sport it will end up rich but irrelevant, as has started to become the case in england.
garry
Roar Rookie
I agree that the location of the WACA is amazing, it's right in the heart of the city, but I have to disagree with you about the BBL experience at the WACA. The WACA was a furnace for the scorchers, and it would sell out at 22.5k or whatever the capacity was then almost every game, but you can get over double that at Optus. I remember going to the first BBL game there with almost 50k at the ground and it was insane. You never get crowds like that outside of Melbourne or sometimes Adelaide. The average attendance there is about 30k and that's way more than the WACA can even hold, which equates for a crazy atmosphere. The BBL pulls a big crowd and so imo it should be played at our biggest and most modern stadium, even if it doesn't have the charm that the WACA does.