Case Study - Twenty 20

The idea of a shortened format of the game at a professional level was discussed by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2001.

When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB needed another one day competition to fill its place. The cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game.

Twenty20 cricket was formally introduced in 2003. Since then its growth has been nothing short of astonishing:

2004 The first Twenty20 game held at Lord's attracted a crowd of 26,500, the largest attendance for any county cricket game other than a one-day final since 1953.

2005 Australia's first Twenty20 game was played in Perth and drew a sellout crowd of 20,700.

2006 19 West Indies regional teams competed in the Stanford 20/20 tournament, backed by American billionaire Allen Stanford.

2007 The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 tournament took place in South Africa, where India defeated Pakistan in the final.

2008 The first season of the Indian Premier League (April – June), commenced with 8 franchises, with the Rajasthan Royals winning the final in Mumbai.

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