T10 should be regarded as overdoing entertainment quotient: Ian Chappell

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has warned the cricketing fraternity to take a look at history before making any big changes regarding formats. T20 cricket has dominated the formats for the last few years and the Test match format is on the rise since the introduction of the World Test Championship. But the 50-over format is struggling to get the same level of hype and attention and many pundits are suggesting that it needs changes to stay relevant.

The former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram recently asked authorities to completely scrap the ODI format. Shahid Afridi suggested a 10-over deduction, making it a 40-over format, and former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri backed this suggestion. These calls came after Ben Stokes’ surprise retirement from ODI cricket earlier this month. South Africa also canceled their 50-over Australia tour as their domestic T20 league is scheduled for the same timeline.

“Current players often place the IPL, in particular, and T20 in general, at the top of the list when it comes to satisfaction. This is why the future of the game needs thoughtful consideration. A firm decision is needed on how many playing formats are best for cricket. Once that is decided, it then needs to be confirmed how the formats should move ahead to ensure the game evolves,” Ian Chappell wrote in his ESPNcricinfo column.

T20 cricket is enough for entertainment: Ian Chappell

Chappell believes that T20 cricket’s rise comes from stagnation in the ODI format but raises the question of what’s next. He said that T20 cricket suits younger players as it takes less time to adopt the required skills than another format. But the former player warned the community over the rise of T10 cricket. He feels that T20 games bring enough entertainment and professional cricketers should not embrace the T10 format.

“Then T20 grew rapidly on the back of supposed stagnation in 50-overs cricket. This raises the question of what happens if fans become bored with the 20-over game. Cricket is already dabbling with T10 leagues and it’s not hard to imagine the game embracing more of that format. T10 should be regarded as overdoing the entertainment quotient and not a format the professional players should embrace,” Ian Chappell added.