The ECB chairman has now announced that the newly introduced format of 'The Hundred' is set in stone, so its here to stay. In 2020, a new franchise tournament will grace England & Wales in which 8 teams will compete in the 100-ball format, and the ECB hoping it would attract a new audience, and there lies the problem I believe.
The tournament was presented in a way that it was portrayed the focus was to simplify cricket, and its existing formats to women, and especially mum's can understand the game, and then to attract the younger generation to the game as well. Firstly, myself being a woman, can confirm I don't need a new tournament to help me understand cricket, along with many other women I know we manage it just fine! Plus, just because you have delivered a human, does not automatically make you incapable of understanding sport. This idea did not go down well at all, I certainly was outraged that the people in charge of the sport I love thought that I was not able to understand it, or would lack interest in it purely because i'm female, when I think there is plenty of women out there that show they have the same passion for cricket.
In terms of attracting the younger generation, it is to some extent true that children these days are not as attracted to the wonderful game as they once were, such as before the Ashes 2005. However, there is 50,000 children signed up to the (very good, ECB I will give you some credit) 'All Stars' programme, proving the interest of children is there and that they do love the game. Personally, I believe children do have an interest in the game, I can't walk around Edgbaston without getting hit with a plastic cricket ball or being shouted 'heads!', kids absolutely love that. Some counties also do a fantastic job at attracting the younger audience, and ensuring its a family friendly environment with various activities for children and a family can enjoy a day out without breaking the bank. There is plenty of ways as well that you can attract to children, without having to invent a new format! If the Big Bash can seem to come up with ways to sell out their stadiums with the T20 format, there is no reason we can't do the same.
It is a sad state of affairs when the current body of people in charge of cricket have little faith in the sport that so many people love with so much passion for that they feel they have to invent something new to attract to this new audience. Issues from this may arise, it may alienate the current millions of people loving cricket as it makes them feel that their support is not good enough and this new audience is now a priority. But what about us? Why sell the sport to people who currently don't enjoy it or watch it, when they have millions out there who are willing to give so much already to the sport. In my opinion, its all good and well trying to attract a new audience, and especially the younger generation to cricket, the more the merrier, but it doesn't need a new format to do this.
Opinions came in thick and fast when this new format was announced, and it seemed to follow a pattern, T20 can do all the stuff they are promising this new format will. Invest in the wonderful tournament which we already have, 'Vitality Blast' which provides some magnificent entertainment. This tournament does have the potential to challenge the best in the world, it just needs someone to have a little faith in it and tweek it a little. This first has to come from cricket being accessible to all, which is potentially the underlying problem. It's not the fact that people don't enjoy the game, or that this new audience will need a shorter format to understand it, it may be that they aren't able to access the game. A Sky Sports membership costs a fair bit, tickets also can be pricey (many counties do their best to limit this for families) and the rise of phones and social media now means cricket has to be available on those as well. Bringing cricket back to terrestrial TV would be a great start, giving the opportunity for everyone to watch and witness what an incredible sport it can be, which will ultimately attract people along. People need an insight into the game, the atmosphere and the fun, not something to show they need it simplifying, potentially patronizing many people in the process.
There is no doubt that there is some curiosity circling around the circuit, fans will be eager to see how the tournament fairs, how the proposed 10 ball over comes into play and ultimately the reaction from the 'new audience', if it will it make any considerable difference. But the question still remains of its really needed, do we need a new format to attract a new audience or are people being blind to other ways of attracting people?
It has been hard for all cricket fans to see the people in charge of cricket say that the current tournament so many enjoy is mediocre and that their support may not be enough, but mostly that those people don't have the faith or love of cricket in the same way so many fans do. The Hundred will provide a new spectacle certainly, but its quite ironic that their aim is to attract a new audience by giving them a shorter game to understand, when in fact adding a new format is complicating the game further, logic of England Cricket never fails to amaze me. Let's see what 2020 brings, which is of course when I will supposedly understand cricket?
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