Why the short and sharp T10 format of cricket can compete with football

Played over three hours, T20 cricket has become the most popular form of the sport, highlighted by the growth of multibillion-dollar franchises led by the Indian Premier League worldwide.

It has also been seen as a growth engine for the sport’s global development, highlighted by the new T20 franchise league in the US starting in 2023.

But there are those who are calling for an even shorter and sharper version of the game, believing it may appeal to those who prefer soccer’s 90-minute playing time and better suit-weary attention spans.

The T10 format, played over 90 minutes, has started to spread, forcing the sport’s gatekeepers to make decisions about legalizing it. The arrival of the Abu Dhabi T10 League in 2017 led to widespread derision from cynics who believed that this supercharged version was beginning to spoil the essence of the sport, whose traditional format is played over five days in white.

But the Abu Dhabi tournament has defied critics, having just completed its sixth season and attracting star players over the years. That led to smaller cash-strapped full member states desperate to find other sources of revenue to consider this lighter T10 format.

Private T10 franchise leagues will be launched next year in Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, which could be a sign of things to come.

The cricket audience is getting younger, T10 cricket is faster and faster, said Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who approved the league.

The T10 is well developed and can compete with the length of a football. It’s 90 minutes. It is exciting. We are looking forward to seeing the big names playing in Zimbabwe.

Although private leagues are emerging, T10 is not an official format of international cricket. There are already Tests and 20 and 50-over cricket formats, a fourth of which is generally considered unnecessary and unlikely anytime soon.

But the rise of T10 at least calls into question whether 50-over cricket can finally be squeezed out. Interspersed between the popular T20 and the traditional Test formats, ODIs are losing relevance, although its quadrennial World Cup remains highly lucrative and carries considerable weight.

“I think the ICC has several aspects. There are three formations, but two have difficulties other than T20s,” Mukuhlani said. What is the effect if we add T10? Where do we want to go with these forms? How do we introduce the fourth form?

The International Criminal Court must consider these issues. With T10 going on, there are conversations to be had.

Some have believed that T10 would be more attractive to crickets looking to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The T20 format is a key part of the bid as confidence in the ICC grows, according to sources, and its fate will be decided next year.

T10 cannot be featured in the ICC bid as it is not an official format, said Mukuhlani, who works on the ICC’s Olympic Task Force. The first step is to get the ICC to recognize T10 as an official format.

Leagues are emerging and players from full member countries are participating. Our players are not always prone to play due to lack of opportunities, so T10 provides them with playing time.

I don’t see anything wrong with having a T10 league in our domestic structure.

The growth of T10 adds another layer to the rapidly changing face of cricket.