Indian cricket governing body proposes new and quicker matches
Cricket's traditional image as a slow, drawn-out game played over five days has been repeatedly upended over the years by the growth of one-day and twenty-twenty competitions. Now Indian cricket's governing body wants an even quicker contest - weighing up a T-10 league of 10 over, 90-minute matches to capitalise on the success of the IPL.
Transcript
00:00 It's a sport that resonates in every corner of the country. Cricket is an emotion.
00:07 Now India's cricketing landscape could be on the verge of a significant shift.
00:13 The sport's main governing body, the Board of Cricket Control for India, is considering
00:17 the idea of a T10 league.
00:21 It's a fantastic opportunity for new kinds of players who are trying to make it. Who
00:26 knows how far they could go.
00:29 It's a hard hitting game. It's not like a test that you will defend or leave. You have
00:35 to just escape from the batsman.
00:37 It's an exciting prospect, especially considering the global success of the Indian Premier League.
00:42 These young players are excited about the professional opportunities a new league could
00:46 bring. But for cricket purists, the proposal is an affront to the game they know and love.
00:52 Even the big players will start percolating down to these smaller formats and making money.
00:58 And money will be the only thing. Then you basically bastardise the whole concept and
01:03 the whole charm of cricket.
01:04 Local reports suggest the finer details are still being considered. But the former bowler
01:09 argues the sport will be worse off.
01:12 First of all the intricacies of cricket go out. You need bigger bats, smaller grounds
01:16 just to make the crowds happy. And the bowlers are just there as servants, as slaves. Just
01:21 dishing out, you can't bowl more than one bouncer. So all these things are tuned to
01:25 make it just a slogging fest.
01:27 Love it or not, more cricket is probably the most reliable bet you can make in India.
01:32 [BLANK_AUDIO]