How Cricket Has Adapted to Modern Times

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Unlike other sports, cricket has been able to adapt over the last couple of decades to meet the demands of the fast-paced life that many of us live. The sport has also done a great job of producing an exciting product around the world which appeals to many age groups.

Here is a look at some of the major introductions that have had a huge effect on the sport.

IPL

Three years after the successful introduction of Twenty20 cricket (T20) cricket in 2005, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was launched. This competition has been able to attract the best players in the world, all of which are spread across eight franchises.

The IPL is the most-attended cricket league anywhere on the globe. It also is broadcast to huge numbers, not just in India, but across the world. The ability to stream the games on the internet has ensured more people can watch the games regardless of their region.

Cricket should be applauded for not standing still. Other industries have been able to embrace technology such as live streaming to make their offering more accessible. A great example of this is the online casino business, which has made use of this technology to provide more immersive offering for their customers. Operators such as Genesis Casino are now able to offer live casino games that take the customer to an actual table with a live dealer. Their services are also available on mobile so they are a lot more accessible and convenient as they aim to make the experience as easy as possible for the consumer. Another good example of this is Twitch which has seen massive growth in people accessing their platform as the demand for viewing live gaming content has skyrocketed over the past decade. Naturally, it can be accessed on most platforms including mobile as people want to access their favourite channels wherever they go.

T20

When Twenty20 cricket was introduced in 2005, there was a lot of resistance in the world of cricket. Many felt the short format of the game would be rejected by cricket fans. Fast forward 15 years and T20 cricket is absolutely thriving. Those who were against the idea in the first place now accept it has a place alongside Test and ODI cricket.

The T20 World Cup has also been a huge success. We have now had six editions of the tournament. The West Indies are the reigning champions as they were successful in 2016. They will defend their crown in Australia next year.

The short duration of T20 cricket has brought in a whole new audience. Those who weren’t prepared to spend eight hours a day watching Test cricket want to see big shots. T20 delivers that as the batting team attack from the very first ball. Many cricket clubs have scheduled T20 games in the evening in summer. This has helped them to attract bigger crowds as people can attend after work where they are treated to some fantastic entertainment.

Test World Championship

The latest addition to the international cricket calendar is the Test World Championship. This has been launched to try and save Test cricket. The ICC was concerned that some countries were losing interest in the five-day format so they hoped this competition would fix that. The reason a Test World championship has been avoided in the past was that it was thought it would be too complex to organise. The rotation system which has been put into place for fixtures works though.

India currently tops the standings in the inaugural competition. They had an excellent 3-0 series victory over South Africa last year and look on course to qualify for the final at Lord’s next summer.

Cricket is in a healthy place at the moment and if it continues to adapt to the changing world, it should continue to be one of the most-watched sports in the future.

 

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