T20 History

English cricket has for long had a fuddy-duddy image. The traditional stereotype is of the elderly ex-Army type in blazer and tie snoozing off in the Lord’s pavilion after a heavy lunch.The Marleybone Cricket Club and their home of Lord’s do indeed continue to display the stiff upper lip so typical of the British Establishment. But the land where cricket was born should also be credited with bringing in revolutionary ideas.

It was in 1963 that the first domestic limited overs competition, the Gillette Cup, was launched in England with each side bowling 60 overs.

Five years later came the John Player League and now the quota was reduced to 40 overs. England also staged the inaugural limited-overs World Cup in 1975 and that was a grand success. Now, English cricket has another feather in its cap. For it was the first to launch a 20/20 competition in 2003 and just four years later the inaugural 20/20 World Cup gave a much-needed shot in the arm to world cricket after the fiasco of the 50/50 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Stuart Robertson, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) marketing manager at the time is widely credited with being the brains behind the concept. But it was a close thing.

According to Robertson, the idea of a 20/20 competition was first raised in 1998 against the backdrop of an alarming drop in attendances at cricket grounds around England. But the idea was abandoned before being resurrected in 2001.

Finally, in April 2002, it was approved by the narrow margin of 11-7 among the 18 voting county teams.
Average attendances had dropped to 1,200 per game and it was hoped this would double in the first year of the new event. Instead, it simply skyrocketed.

On July 13, 2003 the inaugural Twenty20 Cup was launched and crowds averaged 5,000, which is impressive considering the small grounds around England. It rose higher the following year and Lord’s was packed to capacity (27,500) for the Middlesex v. Surrey match. That was the seal of approval it needed. If Lord’s, the bastion of cricket tradition, could warm to the new concept, the rest of England would surely follow.

Initially, the pop groups and carnival atmosphere were a big draw, bringing in family groups. But as the game evolved, the need for such side acts diminished and today in England, at least there are passionate fans that are more interested in the cricket rather than the entertainment.

Soon, other countries introduced domestic 20/20 competitions and it began to take off all over the cricket world.

The first T20 International was played at Eden Park, Auckland on 17 February 2005 with Australia beating hosts New Zealand by 44 runs. But the players were yet to accept it as a legitimate form of cricket and the whole game was played in a lighthearted carnival atmosphere with the Kiwis turning up in their vintage beige outfits of the 70s and in retro hairstyles.

The Aussies had their nicknames on the back of the shirts, something they continue to do, much to the annoyance of Sunil Gavaskar among others! There was nothing lighthearted though about the first T20 World Cup staged with such fanfare and success in South Africa. The ICC learned from their mistakes at the 50/50 World Cup earlier in the year and unlike in the West Indies, allowed the festive South African spirit its full reign at the venues. It was a party atmosphere all right, but the cricket was played in deadly earnest and there were some great contests.

India’s first match against Pakistan was a tie, necessitating a bowl-out while on the opening day of the tournament hosts South Africa beat the West Indies despite Chris Gayle recording the maiden T20I century.
Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over against England set the tournament alight and it all climaxed magnificently with India beating Pakistan by five runs in a pulsating final at Johannesburg.

Twenty20 cricket had indeed arrived and is here to stay.

- Gulu Ezekiel
Source: http://www.sparklive.in/sports/196/t20-history