Re-invention is a necessary aspect of holding on to the interest of the people. This is the main reason why one would want to go in for a new hair style or a complete change of wardrobe. When the old thing is presented in a new way, it is bound to attract attention and generate sufficient interest to create a new market for the old product. The concept holds true, whether it is applied to a person or a product and for that matter even if it is applied to a game. The recent re-invention of cricket in the twenty20 format is the best example that can be reviewed in this light. A sport that is played in only few nations worldwide, as compared to soccer, suddenly saw a drastic surge in volume of spectators after the introduction of the twenty20 format.



The game of cricket is amazing due to the huge volume of fans it draws in spite of being played by only a few countries. On a day that a match is on, you will find the cricket enthusiasts glued to their television sets or the computer screen to get the latest scores and updates about the game. If at all some of the viewership was seen dwindling, the new look of the game in the form of a much shorter version like the twenty20, has seen to it that the crowd is pulled back. The new format requires the game to be played with a maximum of twenty overs per inning for both the teams. The game is completed in about three hours with seventy five minutes being allotted to each team.

The cricket fans, selectors and players are vastly divided about their opinion regarding this format of the game. Some of the hard liners would like to argue that the short and sweet way of playing cricket might do away with the real game which according to them is portrayed only in a test series. However, the new format finds many supporters in the form of players, fans and other personnel involved with the sport. Personally I believe that this new form of playing cricket that was originally introduced in the United Kingdom in 2003 has much more element of competition and excitement. It keeps all the fans glued to the game as every ball could change the tilt of the game towards one team or the other and lots can happen with a single strike of the bat.

The recently concluded ICC World twenty20, which is the World Championship of the twenty20 cricket, saw India defeating Pakistan in the final match. It had been a nail biting finish with the match once tilting widely in favor of Pakistan while in the very next over India seemed to be back in the game with brilliant on field performance. Each supporter from either country can claim to have been treated to a wonderfully exhilarating game of cricket and had it been a long drawn match, it would have been difficult to maintain the excitement and thrill of the game evenly. So maybe every game like cricket needs a little change and innovation time and again to keep the interest and excitement alive.