Cricket World Cup could be upstaged by Twenty20 Championship

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Cricket’s World Cup, which ended in farcical conditions of scant drama in the Caribbean, could be upstaged by inaugural championship in sport’s shortest version, officials and players said.

September’s Twenty20 World Championship is likely to succeed where the World Cup failed by selling out stadiums and luring TV viewers with baseball-style hits and games that go to wire, said David Stewart, director of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Twenty20 matches, of about three hours each, encourage attacking play by restricting teams to 20 six-ball overs each instead of usual 50.

It has drawn sell-out crowds to domestic and international games in England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the West Indies. India, which initially opposed the new game, staged its first such tournament this month.

The inaugural event, to be hosted by South Africa, will feature 12 teams competing over two weeks, with as many as three games per day. Twenty20 matches come with razzmatazz, including cheerleaders, rock bands, helping attract young people and women to a sport associated with lunch breaks and rain delays.

“In terms of the way fans see it, it certainly could be bigger than the World Cup,” South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. “It’s certainly taken off back in South Africa. A lot of people are looking forward to it,” he explained.

Attention is turning to September event after the 9th Cricket World Cup (CWC), first to be held in the Caribbean, slumped as a spectacle. Only three of 51 matches went into the final over with both teams harbouring a realistic chance of victory.

Many games were played before half-empty stadiums amid criticisms by the officials including South Africa’s Ali Bacher that ticket prices — ranging from $25 to $100 — were too high for locals, who were also angered by restrictions on bringing food, drink and musical instruments to stadiums.

April 28 final provided another setback as end of Australia’s win over Sri Lanka was marred by confusion. After rain, bad light holdups, Aussies began celebrating victory before umpires mistakenly asked them to retake the field and bowl three more overs in near-darkness to opponent which had accepted defeat.

Malcolm Speed, ICC chief executive said 47-day tournament needs to be shortened by “seven to 10 days.” He expects the World Cup to remain cricket’s “premier” event, although he doesn’t underestimate the potential of Twenty20. “We now have new form of game that can take it to new places, new people and generate great deal of excitement,” he said.

Since 2005, 14 Twenty20 internationals took place, with all 10 Test-playing nations competing at least once. West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Canada contest August tournament in Toronto as the World Championship tune-up.

Ex-West Indies captain Brian Lara, says Twenty20 shouldn’t damage the integrity of 130-year-old Test cricket or its one-day counterpart, introduced in 1971. “Twenty20 game brought out spectators that have never come to cricket before. I hope we don’t lose 50-over game or Test cricket because of it,” he expressed.