12 days to go for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to kick off.For the third time,after the Reliance World Cup 1987 and the Wills World Cup 1996,the quadrennial showpiece is being hosted in the Indian subcontinent.But make no mistake,this time it's gonna be a different ball game altogether.
This is the first World Cup,and you gotta add,of the ODI format of the sport after Twenty20 cricket has taken centrestage big time.Barely 5 months after the conclusion of the last ICC Cricket World Cup in the Carribean,the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 took place in South Africa in September 2007,and made the cricketing world sit up and acknowledge the arrival of the shortest internationally recognized version of the game on the big scene.The money makers smelled immediately the opportunity to churn out big profits by exploiting the format,and so did the International Cricket Council see its window of spreading the game to newer places on the globe.The rest,as they say,is history.We have witnessed the introduction and growth of the Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20,courtesy the Board of Control for Cricket in India,with all its obscene money and glitz.There have been two more World Twenty20 meets in 2009 and 2010.As a result,the professionals have taken T20 seriously,and thereby increased its popularity.And in the last four years,we have seen it pose a mortal challenge to the more traditional versions.There's no escaping the fact that the viewership of the Test and ODI matches are decreasing with the increasing indulgence in the T20s.
And it is hence that the test begins on February 19 in Dhaka,when Bangladesh take on co-hosts India.At a time when Twenty20 is being dubbed as the future of cricket,when changes are being suggested and even implemented (in the Australian domestic circuit) to the one day structure to spice up the format,when the ICC World Twenty20 is threatening to dethrone the ICC Cricket World Cup as the premier tournament of the sport,2011 is faced with a challenge.A challenge to provide a fresh lease of life to 50 over cricket.A challenge to sustain the excitement of this historical tournament.A challenge to keep alive the Cup!And we know,there could be no place better for the mega event to happen this time than this cricket-fanatic land.The Cup has returned to the home it truly belongs to.Hope it doesn't abandon it yet...
This is the first World Cup,and you gotta add,of the ODI format of the sport after Twenty20 cricket has taken centrestage big time.Barely 5 months after the conclusion of the last ICC Cricket World Cup in the Carribean,the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 took place in South Africa in September 2007,and made the cricketing world sit up and acknowledge the arrival of the shortest internationally recognized version of the game on the big scene.The money makers smelled immediately the opportunity to churn out big profits by exploiting the format,and so did the International Cricket Council see its window of spreading the game to newer places on the globe.The rest,as they say,is history.We have witnessed the introduction and growth of the Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20,courtesy the Board of Control for Cricket in India,with all its obscene money and glitz.There have been two more World Twenty20 meets in 2009 and 2010.As a result,the professionals have taken T20 seriously,and thereby increased its popularity.And in the last four years,we have seen it pose a mortal challenge to the more traditional versions.There's no escaping the fact that the viewership of the Test and ODI matches are decreasing with the increasing indulgence in the T20s.
And it is hence that the test begins on February 19 in Dhaka,when Bangladesh take on co-hosts India.At a time when Twenty20 is being dubbed as the future of cricket,when changes are being suggested and even implemented (in the Australian domestic circuit) to the one day structure to spice up the format,when the ICC World Twenty20 is threatening to dethrone the ICC Cricket World Cup as the premier tournament of the sport,2011 is faced with a challenge.A challenge to provide a fresh lease of life to 50 over cricket.A challenge to sustain the excitement of this historical tournament.A challenge to keep alive the Cup!And we know,there could be no place better for the mega event to happen this time than this cricket-fanatic land.The Cup has returned to the home it truly belongs to.Hope it doesn't abandon it yet...
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