Sachin: T20 is the best way to grow the game

Cricket365
November 19, 2015

India legend Sachin Tendulkar said the T20 format is the best way to globalise and grow the game in non-cricketing countries.

Tendulkar was speaking in New York ahead of the All Stars matches that he and former Australia great Shane Warne organised to be played in the USA.

The 42 year-old Tendulkar and Warne want the US public to see the former greats of the game on the field in an effort to boost cricket in the country.

Tendulkar said: "To globalise the game, I feel T20 is the right format. The format is fast, it's gripping, it's got lot of energy and invariably the finishes are real close.

"Very rarely you get to see a one-sided game, which is what people like to see. Towards the end of most T20 games, every ball matters."

"This is an introduction to cricket. If there are guys who want to understand more about the different formats then they are going to follow Test cricket and ODIs.

"Even if you get ten percent of the guys to follow Test cricket and like Test cricket, it's a win-win situation."

Meanwhile the squads for the five All Stars matches have been chosen with Tendulkar paired with names such as Brian Lara, Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath.

Warne will have Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis among the superstars in his side to call on.

The first All-Stars match begins on 7 November at Citi Field in New York with two more in Houston and Los Angeles on 11 and 14 November.

Sachin's Blasters: Sachin Tendulkar (c), VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Carl Hooper, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock, Moin Khan, Graeme Swann, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akhtar, Curtly Ambrose

Warne's Warriors: Shane Warne (c), Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds, Jonty Rhodes, Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram, Daniel Vettori, Courtney Walsh, Allan Donald, Ajit Agarkar