Sports
The Hundred: What has the impact of new ownership been on the tournament?
Through it all, there is the ongoing question as to whether The Hundred will one day become another T20 league.
Banerjee says for the time being the tournament’s identity is built around its unique 100-ball format.
“What’s really important for any sporting tournament is the strength of foundations within its home country,” he says.
“Whether you’re the NFL, the Premier League, the IPL, the strength in their home territory is important.”
And Gidney says shifting to T20 would not be something investors would necessarily even want.
“Everybody sees the uniqueness of The Hundred, and that’s one of the big appeals to broadcasters,” he adds.
“If we become a T20, I don’t think we can say that. The Hundred gives the UK a real opportunity to say, ‘Do you know what? In certain elements we can be as good as, if not better than, the IPL.'”
The Hundred will remain controversial. It’ll never be for everyone, but then is any cricket format?
What can’t be denied is the tournament has generated vast revenue and given English cricket a chance to reach audiences, both local and globally, that might not have been accessible without this radical change.
What that change will look like in 10 years’ time remains to be seen.
Who knows if the English game will be marching on together as hoped by those that have staked so much on this direction?
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