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The long and short of cricket - which version of the game is best?
Twenty20 cricket has become a huge success but is this shortest form of the game compromising ODIs and more importantly, Test cricket?
by Chris Goldsmith on 13 March 2008
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Since its arrival on the cricketing scene, Twenty20 cricket has revolutionised the game.
The bright lights, coloured outfits, snazzy team names and funky music have created a spectacle for the sport and increased younger peoples' interest.
Families love the new format of the game of, it's a great day out and plenty of fun. The kids love the fast pace and the hard-hitting batsman scoring fours and sixes all over the grounds. The great thing about Twenty20 is that each game is over quickly allowing matches to be played in the long summer evenings for fans to come after school and work.
Other one-day competitions are still popular as these games have more of a strategic edge rather than the crash, bang whollop of Twenty20. In 50-over games, players have more time to think about their strokes and can build up momentum.
The power plays introduced into these games also add excitement as each side gets the chance to outwit their opponents. These short forms of cricket have taken off so much that the Indian Premier league will begin this year, offering lucrative inventives for the world's best players to join in the fun.
The league has also been a finanical success for Indian cricket's governing body making them an estimated £497m from franchise and broadcasting rights. This illustrates the money that the shortest form of cricket has the potential of generating.
But not everyone is happy, with teams in England worried their players may be worn out early in the season if they play in India (Dmitri Mascarenhas as chosen to play in the IPL).
However, I do not think Test cricket has been 'killed' by the short game - yet.
There is still a demand for this type of cricket. Older spectators love nothing better than a five-day Test match to watch during their retirement or listen to on radio while doing the household chores.
The problem with Test cricket is that it was taken off terrestrial TV and is only broadcast live on Sky sports for a monthly fee.
A lot of the older generation have been upset that a sport they have watched all their life on the BBC and latterly on Channel 4 has disappeared from their screens.
It's all down to financial pressures, but if Test cricket is to survive then it needs to reach a wider audience than Sky TV subscribers.
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