T10, a 10-over per side cricket game has become an increasingly popular format since its inception. The format has managed to garner interest amongst many top international cricketers who have embraced the game’s shortest format with open arms.
The T10 format, a truncated version of T20 has seen many current cricket players take centre stage through their breathtaking performances.
Abu Dhabi T10, now in its fifth season, has shown what T10 cricket can bring to the table. It’s quick, exciting and has managed to attract the legends of the game, who have had no trouble adapting to the format. And more importantly, the tournament has been diverse and inclusive, managing to provide a platform to cricketers from the Middle East and even the USA.
On that note, here are five reasons why the T10 format is the cricket’s game of the future.
1. Potential to expand globally
T10 can help expand the sport across the globe by attracting new audiences from places that are less familiarised with cricket. With the shorter duration of a cricket match lasting barely 150 minutes, the fast-paced game can be a great spectacle especially for new viewers and younger audiences of the sport.
2. Can help cricket become an Olympic sport
The T10 will be ideal for cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics. The brief duration of the format makes it conducive to be played with many teams across the span of two weeks during the quadrennial event. The format’s inclusion in the Olympics has been echoed by many cricketers like Faf du Plessis and Eoin Morgan in the past.
“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,” du Plessis stated in a virtual press conference earlier this month.
3. Level-playing field for all the nations
The T10 format will be a boost for many nations to take up the sport. The shorter the format, the more the level-playing field irrespective of the stature of the teams. It can help cricket to spread its wings and a classic illustration of this format bringing the game to uncharted territories is the T10 European Cricket Series that has exponentially popularised the game across the length and breadth of Europe.
4. Uniformity in playing conditions
The crisp and brief nature of the T10 format means that the conditions largely remain unaltered throughout the duration of the match. It negates the effects of pitch variations and the dew factor which was pivotal in deciding the outcome of games in the recent T20 World Cup. Teams that opted to bowl first in the 2021 T20 World Cup won the match on most occasions as the side bowling second struggled to overcome the dew factor which hinders a bowler’s grip of the ball.
5. Better scheduling of gruelling cricket calendar
The T10 format could be the solution for cricket boards in managing player workload in the arduous cricket itinerary. The shorter duration of the game will help strike the perfect balance between rest and play for players. With player burnout and bio-bubble fatigue now increasingly a part of the game, the fun and brief nature of this format comes as a refreshing change.
Author: Kaustubh Potdar
Featured photo: Abu Dhabi T10 / Website
