Sports in 2020: Hundred challenge to T20, borderline sports coming through the Rings

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But 2020 might present Twenty20 with its first big challenge. In July, England will launch cricket’s fourth format — a shorter and simplified version that’s devoid of this aged game’s ingrained eccentricities that have historically put off the uninitiated. Called ‘The Hundred’, it’ll be a 100-ball-per-side game that isn’t a T20 offshoot like, say T10, but a mutant with a uncomplicated binary DNA. A change of ends after 10 balls, and bowlers bowling 10 consecutive balls are some variations aimed at wiping away cricket’s unique six-ball over concept. Packaged as a two-and-half-hour hit-and-miss gig, The Hundred aspires to spread cricket beyond the old British colonies and rekindle the perennial dream of an Olympic entry.

For years, cricket’s expansion has been an illusion. The ICC’s much-publicised China reach is an exercise in optics. The country that has historically under-performed in team sports has given no clear signal to pad up en masse. But then, we should have known our neighbours better by now. China would rather sponsor IPL than have a league of its own. Except for Afghanistan, Nepal, and Papua New Guinea now, cricket beyond the Top 10 countries is still played by mostly Commonwealth expats.

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The Hundred is cricket’s one desperate charge to somehow sneak into the sporting world’s Promised Land America. Even though a good, hard, honest look in the mirror will show cricket that this is nothing but a leap of faith. Be it the Olympics or America, cricket happens to be way down the queue of sports jostling to capture global eyeballs. This ‘100’-themed cosmetic baseballisation of the game might not be enough to guarantee Kohli, Root, Starc, and the likes a Summer Games experience.

While cricket was discovering cheergirls, numbered T-shirts, and merchandising, the rest of the sporting world was finding newer ways to attract fans. Of late, the market-driven suits at the International Olympic Council have been leaning heavily on data optimisation spreadsheets while choosing their sports. They too are going down that slippery slope called clickbait. With an eye to woo big-spending brands that cater to the young, they were unabashedly swaying towards the youth demographic in the developed nations. Result: Tokyo 2020 will have surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing as medal events. There’s more in the pipeline.

Paris 2024 is eagerly awaited by the cool folks who wear their caps backward and sport dangerously low-waist pants. Break dancing makes its Olympics debut with a promise to make the Games more urbane, artistic, and diverse. This new sport proved to be a runaway hit at the last Youth Olympics with the gold medal won by a rubber-body Russian known on the break dance circuit as Bumblebee.

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The success of the borderline Olympic sports next year will decide the future of the other outlier that’s pushing and shoving its way to be under the flag with five rings. E-Sports, the umbrella term of most Gaming enterprises, made its grand Asian Games entry in 2018. Even the IOC no longer rolls its eyes at these non-physical sports. They are engaging Gaming officials to understand the phenomenon that is driving away the youth from sporting fields. A virtual win for Gaming in round one.

Meanwhile, a handful of ECB officials and some retired cricketers feel that The Hundred will be the vehicle that will take cricket to Olympics. OK Boomer.