But in the last few years, T10, The Hundred and Sixty have come into play, luring a large number of players to play in even shorter formats of the game. Moreover, with South Africa pulling out of ODIs against Australia for their new T20 league and all-rounder Ben Stokes retiring from the 50-over game, cricket’s future has come under clouds of doubt.

“A reluctant Stokes said it was not possible for him to compete in all three formats, and while his retirement was not unexpected, it is nevertheless a concern. Played well, the 50-over game makes for a good cricket match that is rewarding in its entertainment value. Those are generally the sentiments of older players, who knew only two formats.

“Current players often place the IPL, in particular, and T20 in general, at the top of the list when it comes to satisfaction. This is why the future of the game needs thoughtful consideration. A firm decision is needed on how many playing formats are best for cricket. Once that is decided, it then needs to be confirmed how the formats should move ahead to ensure the game evolves,” wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo.

Chappell further urged the administrators in power and authority of international cricket to take history into consideration before taking decisions about the future of cricket. “Cricket’s history needs to be carefully considered before a firm decision is made on the future pathway. The limited-overs game evolved because of a perceived boredom with Test cricket.”

“Then T20 grew rapidly on the back of supposed stagnation in 50-overs cricket. This raises the question of what happens if fans become bored with the 20-over game. Cricket is already dabbling with T10 leagues and it’s not hard to imagine the game embracing more of that format. T10 should be regarded as overdoing the entertainment quotient and not a format the professional players should embrace.”

Chappell signed off by elaborating on why he understands the temptation of players signing up to pay in various shorter formats of the game. “Even T20, with its tendency towards a power game, and lasting only 40 overs at best, can often be unfulfilling for a player. Fielding is an enjoyable part of cricket but it’s not the same for batters if they are facing very few deliveries.

“However, it is understandable that a current player, needing to provide for his family, is comfortable earning a good living from the shorter game. T20 suits many young cricketers as the skills needed for it can be developed more quickly than those required for the lengthy formats.

“The future of the game is in the hands of younger players, but they need to balance future decisions with an eye on the past. The balance is a delicate one but the game needs to hear informed opinions before making a decision on where cricket is heading. That is why the administrators should have organised an all-encompassing debate long ago.”

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Currently, part of the Bangla Tigers’ team playing in the Abu Dhabi T10, Amir is of the opinion that the T10 format is a tough format for the bowlers as the margin of error is minimal while stressing on the fact that it keeps the bowler on his toes as he is constantly thinking of how to bowl a dot ball.

The former Pakistan bowler opened up on his battle with COVID amid the ongoing season and revealed that he has returned to bowl at the nets sessions.

“I practiced for two days. When I run for long or if I speak for too long, I start coughing. It is difficult because you feel fatigued. But as a professional, you need to have the mindset to get yourself out of that zone or it will keep troubling you. You know your responsibilities to your body. I am improving day by day,” Amir said.

The veteran fast bowler also expressed a desire to be a part of the team in the final 4-5 games and also added that he has no pressure from Bangla Tigers.

“I wish to play the last 4-5 games. The team is performing well at this point and we have found our winning combination. It helps me as I can take an extra day or two if needed to recover. There is no pressure from management and they have told me I can play whenever I start to feel better,” Amir added.

Amir, who has played 36 Tests, 61 ODIs, and 50 T20Is for Pakistan, spoke about the intricacies of playing as a fast bowler in the T10 format, where each bowler only gets to bowl two overs per innings.

“You feel pressure every second in T10. It is good for a player to be under experience because it improves the skills of a player. It is a very tough tournament for a bowler because the margin of error is minimal. There is no room to settle. Your game awareness increases as you are constantly planning how you can bowl a dot ball or prevent boundaries,” Amir said.

“If I get a swing on the surface, I will take my chance with it. It does not matter which format it is, you should always go with your strengths. If you are not able to find a swing, then you have to change your plans in T10 because batsmen come with the mindset to start hitting shots straightaway. You may need to start bowling as one does in death overs,” he added.

Speaking on the environment at the T10 franchise, Amir said, “I found the environment at Bangla Tigers very relaxing and it never feels like we all belong to different parts of the world. This is an integral aspect of the team’s success.”

On speculations of coming out of international retirement, Amir said that at this point, he is focused on playing Abu Dhabi T10 and other leagues.

“I was in contact with Wasim Khan. There is new management and chairman at PCB. I have not spoken to any of them. You have to keep your self-respect and if I say I will come out of retirement and the board has no plans for me to return, then it would not be fair. So, at this point, I am focused on T10 and other cricket leagues,” he signed off.

(With IANS Inputs)

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The Bangla Tigers were in trouble in a Sunday night game when they lost five wickets for just 58 runs on the board. Jacks showed tremendous grit, smashing Samit Patel for two fours and a six in the second over. He however, kept losing partners at the other end until country-mate Benny Howell walked onto the crease.

Howell made his intentions clear when he smashed Chris Jordan for two boundaries and a six in the seventh over. Jacks took the game away from the Warriors when he struck three boundaries and a six off Abhimanyu Mithun in the eighth over. Jacks (57 not out from 22 balls) and Howell (35 not out from 11 balls) strung an unbeaten partnership of 72 runs in 29 balls to take the Tigers home with five deliveries to spare.

Earlier, the Bangla Tigers had the Northern Warriors on the mat after Irish cricketer Gareth Delany was dismissed by Luke Wood in the first over and Kennar Lewis was bowled out by James Faulkner in the second over, leaving the Warriors at 13/2 in 1.2 overs. Moeen Ali got things going for the Northern Warriors as he struck Isuru Udana for two boundaries and Karim Janat for three boundaries in the third and fourth overs respectively. However, Ali’s stay at the crease was short-lived as he was bowled out by Janat for 24 runs from 12 balls in the fourth over itself.

Thereafter, captain Rovman Powell took centrestage and smashed Benny Howell for a six and a four in the fifth over. He rode on the momentum and went on to play a blistering innings of 63 runs from 27 balls, laced with 4 boundaries and 6 sixes. Powell was ably supported by Samit Patel, who scored 21* runs from 13 balls and also strung a partnership of 80 runs from 35 balls with his skipper. Powell and Patel’s explosive batting catapulted the Warriors to a total of 126/4 in their 10 overs.

Brief scores: Northern Warriors 126/4 (Rovman Powell 63, Moeen Ali 24; James Faulkner 1/18) lost to Bangla Tigers 130/5 (Will Jacks 57 not out, Benny Howell 35 not out; Umair Ali 1/9) by 5 wickets.

Inputs from IANS

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The Chennai Super Kings explosive batsman will be making his debut for Bangla Tigers as captain in the Abu Dhabi T10 league.

“I have played three formats (Tests, ODIs and T20s) for a long time and I am still attracted to the T10 format. I think players like myself will keep looking at tournaments like this. The future of T10 is looking good. It’s a format that can be used in the Olympics. The quick nature of T10 also makes it attractive to the fans. I think T10 is only going to get better and better,” said Du Plessis.

Asked about the challenges faced while moving into a new format, the South African said, “I think when you are moving from one format to the other, it’s about understanding your game. You need to think about the blueprint that you will need to follow which will give you consistent results. Through time in T20 cricket, I’ve got better at understanding my game plan on different pitches and making decisions about which bowlers I can take on and which bowlers I can’t take on during a game.”

“My role as a captain would be to get the team together and create an environment wherein the players are having fun and being themselves. Batting in the top order would be the best position for me to bat. But I haven’t had those discussions with the team management yet,” du Plessis told about his T10 endeavour.

The South African also said that the pitches in Abu Dhabi could assist spinners more than pacers.

“Given the nature of the matches in Abu Dhabi during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, I think the spinners will have more of an impact as compared to the fast bowlers in the Abu Dhabi T10. However, raw pace can also be quite effective on up and down wickets. So, it’ll depend on the conditions on the day.”

The Abu Dhabi T10 will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from November 19 to December 4.

(With Inputs From IANS)

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The former Sri Lankan cricketer also spoke of the role he will perform as the mentor of Team Abu Dhabi during the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 League. The T10 League is slated to be played from January 28 to February 6 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium

“Cricket is for everyone and when I say everyone, it’s a large cross-section of people with different likes and dislikes. It’s been wonderful to see the way cricket is continuously growing across various formats and feeding that passion and appetite for entertainment sports across the world,” he said.

“The only thing we have to be careful of is that it (T10) shouldn’t be played at the cost of another format, but it is in some ways beneficial to the longevity of formats like Test cricket. With new shots and attacking captaincy, the shorter versions have done a lot of good and made Test cricket more exciting,” he added.

When asked about his role in the team as the mentor for Team Abu Dhabi in the upcoming season of Abu Dhabi T10, the 2014 World T20-winning player said that he would look to make the players understand the importance of taking calculative risks.

“As a mentor, it’s basically about getting players to understand that there’s no reward without risk, what are the calculative risks to be taken and the players need to have an open and creative mind, right from ball one to be able to do well in the T10 format,” said Sangakkara.

“A lot of the players, who come here, are international stars, players that are playing at a high level of domestic or franchise cricket around the world and there are also young cricketers, who are extremely talented, but need a little bit more help in terms of understanding their own abilities and what is needed in terms of converting that in terms of performances on the field,” he added.

Team Abu Dhabi have some star players in their line-up, which include Chris Gayle, Chris Morris and Alex Hales, but Sangakkara said that his team will not be only about the experienced players.

“We have some superstar players in our team, but we also have some competent young players from around the world. It’s really about how well we can put together a side that compliments each other and that can withstand match-ups against its opposition,” said the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) president.

“We would like to play an exciting brand of cricket, put down everything on the line in terms of effort, planning, strategy and tactics and hopefully, that will be enough to win,” he added.

(With IANS inputs)

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England’s Will Jacks smashed a 25-ball hundred as Surrey beat Lancashire during a pre-season T10 match in Dubai on Thursday. The 20-year-old cricketer hit 11 sixes and 8 fours before being dismissed after scoring 105 from 30 balls.

The former under-19 cricketer also smashed 6 sixes in an over bowled by Stephen Parry as Surrey brought up their hundred in the fifth over. Thanks to Jacks’ innings, Surrey scored 176 from 10 overs and sealed a 95-run win.

8⃣ fours
1⃣1⃣sixes including six in an over@wjacks9' 100 in 25 balls against @lancscricket 💥 pic.twitter.com/HKwfv4RXfq

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) March 21, 2019

While he continued going hammer and tongs, Jacks later admitted that he thought about a hundred only after reaching 98 off 22 balls.

“People were just chatting that 120-130 was an average score so I just wanted to try and have fun, that was it,” Jacks told Surrey’s official Twitter handle.

“I didn’t even think about the 100 until I was on 98” 😂

An honest @Wjacks9 after a special innings. #SurreyInDubai pic.twitter.com/ir2tT3jo5K

— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) March 21, 2019

“I didn’t even think about the 100 until I was on 98,” Jacks added.

Jacks was recently a part of the England Lions’ squad which played against Board President XI.

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Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo, currently plying his trade in the T10 arena in Dubai, feels the tournament can become a global phenomenon.

“I think it will grow. I think other countries and leagues around the world will buy into it because it’s just like T20 cricket,” said Bravo, who has experienced both T10 editions, was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: All about T10 League: Groups, structure, squads

“No-one really trusted T20 when it first came about and it’s the hottest topic now. T10 has the potential to do the same. I think it’s just a matter of time before it reaches different countries around the world.”

Reportedly, chairman of T10 League Shaji Ul Mulk confirmed talks have been initiated with international boards over taking T10 abroad from its base in UAE.

Bravo, who called time on his international career last month, is the captain of T10 League franchise Maratha Arabians. His team-mate, Australia allrounder James Faulkner also backed the concept to come good across the globe. “It’ll be interesting to see where it is in three years” he said.

“I think it’s going to take off, that’s my personal opinion on it. Speaking to other players I think it will. It’s short, it’s exciting for the fans and the players as well. I think you’ll see it developing all around the world pretty soon, pretty quickly.”

Faulkner reckons the format has still some time left before being internationally recognised.

“I think that’s where it will go [T10 leagues around the world]. Players obviously love the format so far and also the spectators as well,” he said.

ALSO READ: T10 League: Mohammad Shahzad smashes 12-ball fifty; Rajputs chase 95 runs in 4 overs

“You want something quick like T20 that fans can come and watch. With T10, you can play a couple of double-headers like we have here and really engage the crowds and also four different teams and their fans as well.

“I wouldn’t be surprised [if T10 became an international sport]. I don’t think it’s going to happen too quickly, but I think you’ll see other leagues in the next couple of years. I think we’re all interested to see where it is in five, ten or fifteen years.”

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The growing number of Twenty20 leagues across the globe has had a direct impact on the sport. Besides being financially lucrative, the leagues also tend to pull players away from their national duties which has led to a sizeable drop in the level of play in the longer formats. Ever since the Indian Premier League in 2008, many other International Cricket Council (ICC) members followed suit and launched their own leagues.

With the number steadily growing, the ICC has plans to take stringent measures and will discuss ways on how to control the number during its meeting next week.

According to a report in AFP on Wednesday, the ICC’s General Manager, Geoff Allardice, said the issue will be discussed at length during the meeting in Singapore on October 20.

“One of the things we will be talking about in our meeting next week is around regulations and sanctioning of events, and the release of players [for leagues],” Allardice said.

“So, you look at all of the documentation and the ownership structures and how the league is going to be funded and all these types of things and then you provide approval.

“It’s not just going to be an open door for any promoter to come in. I think it will be a bit harder to get sanctions in the future and any tournament would need both the support of the home country and the ICC.”

The ICC has granted permission to a T10 league in Sharjah last year. The starry Masters Champions League hit a roadblock after its 2016 edition with issues of the league going bankrupt surfaced.

“So, the future success of a league is in jeopardy. The other thing is if we get reports that sort of things happen, then the likelihood of sanctioning the second edition of a league is significantly reduced,” said Allardice.

“I think perhaps the hurdles to jump for a promoter to put on a T20 league are going to be a bit higher and that the vetting process by both, the host country and by the ICC, would be enhanced.”

Meanwhile, Allardice said that Test cricket is not bearing the brunt of players giving it a miss.  “The one thing about Test cricket is that players want to play Test cricket. Some of those players [preferring leagues] aren’t regular Test cricketers.”

He said that leagues bring balance to the game. “It’s a balance because the leagues can be a good vehicle for promoting cricket in new countries. There was a tournament in Canada not so long ago. That gave some cricket fans the chance to see some elite cricketers. It could be a good step, but the league has also got to be good for the game.”

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Shane Watson believes that T10 will help modernise cricket and emerge as an exciting spectacle. Watson has been selected by Karachians franchise as their “Icon Player” for the second edition of the eight-team T10 Cricket League, which will commence from November 23 in UAE. “Just like how T20 cricket revolutionised the sport globally, I think T10 too will modernise the sport and will definitely be an exciting spectacle for the viewers,” he told Gulf News.

“Just like how T20 cricket revolutionised the sport and honed the skills of a player, I think this innovation shall also bring about a positive impact on the sport and grow fan bases across the globe,” he added. “I had spoken to some of the players who took part in the league last season, and they gave me some really positive feedback about the league.”

However, Watson does not think T10 should be played at international level at this point: “There’s already a lot of cricket going on currently so I don’t think the format will immediately make it to the international scheme of things, but having said that I think the T10 concept is very interesting and there’s always a space for introducing a new format to the sport to make it more interesting.

T10 League has found recognition from ICC. The other franchises to take part in the tournament are Kerala Kings (Icon Player: Eoin Morgan), Punjabi Legends (Shoaib Malik), Maratha Arabians (Rashid Khan), Bengal Tigers (Sunil Narine), Rajputs (Brendon McCullum), Northern Warriors (Darren Sammy), and Pakhtoons (Shahid Afridi).

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Mitchell Johnson has taken a call of not returning to the Perth Scorchers for this summer’s BBL season as he has confirmed having played his last game in Australia. However, retirement from BBL has not stopped him from participating in T20 domestic circuit internationally. He is eyeing for a spot in the T10 tournament which will be hosted in UAE.

“The intensity and length of the BBL is just too much for someone who will be 37 at the start of the summer,” Johnson’s manager, Sam Halvorsen, told The West Australian newspaper. “Mitch has put his name up for the Emirates tournament in Dubai, but that is half the length of the BBL.”

Johnson’s last game for BBL was against Hobart in last summer’s semi-final which they lost. This move also puts his next year’s IPL  in doubt. This year he was bagged by the Kolkata Knight Riders  (KKR) for his base price of INR 2 crores. He even played six games for them but could only manage to pick two wickets and was expensive with economy over 10.

The T10 tournament is scheduled to begin in early December. Shane Watson, Chris Lynn, James Faulkner and Ben Laughlin were selected in this week’s “mini-draft” in Dubai, with Johnson among the pool of players for the main draft on September 2.

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