New Delhi: The T20 format of cricket seems to have no bounds attached to it ever since its rise in recent years and a recent survey has added more weight to the fact. The survey has revealed that the T20 World Cup is closing the gap in the race to become the “most important” ICC event to players around the world, shifting from the long-held dominance of the ODI World Cup.
The World Cricketers Association (WCA), formerly FICA conducted a survey that revealed – an overwhelming 85 percent of players viewed the 50-over World Cup as the most important in 2019, compared to 15 percent for the T20 World Cup. But the 2024 figures tell a different story altogether. A major shift has been seen as 50 percent of the players consider the ODI showpiece as the most important while 35 percent favouring its T20 equivalent.
According to the survey done by the re-branded body, the inclination towards the T20 World Cup rose significantly for players under 26, with 41 percent of them vouching for it over the 50-over grand event, which is at 49 percent in 2024. There has been a significant increase in the popularity of the shorter format overall.
Meanwhile, the debate of Test cricket being in danger gets more fuel to its fire as, compared to 2019 when 82 percent of players picked Test cricket as the most important format, it’s only 48 percent in the current scenario. As many as 30 percent of the players elected T20 as the most crucial format of the game.
Participant nations for the survey
The WCA doesn’t represent players from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan since they are not unionised. So, the responses were sought from players of other major cricket-playing nations like England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and the West Indies. The sample size for this year’s survey was around 330 professional players from 13 different countries with the majority of them currently playing international cricket, while there was a higher proportion of female respondents in 2024.
In the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup, the mother of all cricket battles – the India vs Pakistan clash garnered a staggering 256 million viewing hours in India alone. The event is jointly hosted by the USA and West Indies and will culminate on Saturday with an epic final showdown between India and South Africa at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
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A recent survey conducted upon the players has revealed that the T20 World Cup is on course of becoming the most important ICC event around the world, overtaking the long-held dominance of ODI World Cup. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
