Why Not T10?

Yeah, I’m a traditionalist. Some may say a dinosaur.

I like my rugby league to have one referee, my soccer not to be decided by VAR, my Wimbledon to be a sea of white modest clothing, and my cricket to take all day (preferably five of them).

So, as I watch Australia put the cleaners through Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup, I wonder, Who is this for?

It’s certainly not for traditional cricket fans - the kind that will couch down for five days to watch a thrilling draw as both teams try to get the better of the tactics. It’s not even for the smash and grab fans of one day cricket. That is at least a full day of pizza and beverages.

I admit, I never have understood the T20 concept. It’s Mickey Mouse cricket. But boy is it popular!! How else can one explain the massive amounts of money paid to players in the IPL who would otherwise struggle to spot the Sheffield Shield out of a line-up of trophies?

So, here’s my concept for those cricket fans who have no attention span. A T10 format. Hear me out.

Each side selects their starting eleven. Every one of them, except the wicket keeper, must bowl one over. Each batter (as they’re called now) faces just one over.. If they get out, that’s it.

But here’s the catch - The number eleven in the line-up bowls to the number one batter; the #10 to the #2 batter and so-forth, until the bunnies are facing the top batters in the line-up. Surely this will be more of a contest. Witness David Warner bowling to James Anderson when England need just four in the over to win a final!

And it would all be over in about an hour. Just long enough to order and devour a pizza.