Sports
Kumar Sangakkara: ‘T10 a format that might be pushed forward’ to get cricket into Olympics
T10 could help forge cricket’s path to inclusion in the Olympics, Kumar Sangakkara, the MCC President, said. Speaking ahead of this month’s T10 League, where he will work with Team Abu Dhabi as a mentor, Sangakkara said that while it was impossible to say whether cricket might be included in the Olympics as soon as 2028, it was a case of “the sooner the better”.
“T20 has had a big push to be included in the Olympics,” Sangakkara said during a media interaction. “Would it be T20? Would they like a more condensed version in terms of T10?
“There is a lot of work to be done to get cricket into the Olympics per se. All the home boards have to buy in, the ICC has to have a good, solid push. It has to be a format that fits that sweet spot of timing and time limits and really entertains and engages the Olympic viewer because you’re not just talking about the traditional cricket spectator but also opening up completely new fan markets.
“It’s been many years since a push for cricket in the Olympics has started. It was in the Commonwealth Games for a couple of editions and I think this [T10] will be another format that might be pushed forward to see whether it’s T20, or T10, whatever works to get cricket into the Olympics.”
Last October, the ICC asked members to report on the potential financial benefits of cricket being played at the Olympics.
Eoin Morgan and, more recently, Chris Gayle – who will represent Team Abu Dhabi at this year’s T10 League – have thrown their support behind the T10 format as cricket’s vehicle for Olympic inclusion, citing its brevity and appeal to US audiences.
As the T10 League prepares for its fourth season, in Abu Dhabi from January 28 to February 6, Sangakkara could see the format taking off to the extent that existing global T20 franchises – and even sides in the new Hundred competition – have their own T10 teams as well.
The fourth edition of the T10 League is set to begin on January 28 Abu Dhabi T10
“The T10 format has great potential to do just that,” he said. “Especially with the advent of the US [T20] league, it could be that it could travel beyond the UAE to the US as well.
“And if those markets all open up I think the time [will come] when IPL franchises, BBL franchises even the Hundred from London that is launching this year, might be looking at T10 as a prospective format in their portfolio. There are a lot of people, investors, potential franchise owners and cricket boards looking at this T10 format.
“Whichever country that decides to go next in terms of formulating a tournament really need to learn its lessons from tournaments such as the ones in the UAE, understand how it’s been done well and what can be done better, how to really structure a format that has longevity, that has very good and long-term benefits in terms of developing players in terms of spreading the game but ultimately also financially.”
Sangakkara said that not only had cricket evolved to the point that several formats could co-exist, but he agreed that the shorter formats were clearly becoming part of the long-form game.
If evidence was needed, take Rishabh Pant’s ability to change gears during his 118-ball 97 in a century stand with Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a more traditional 77 from 205 deliveries in the drawn third Test in Sydney between India and Australia.
“If you take the change in terms of scoring rates over the years and the different shots you’re seeing, the reverse sweeps the paddles, the more attacking mindsets, all are a result of the shorter versions really influencing Test cricket,” Sangakkara said.
“You’ll see that trend continue and it’s great for Test cricket because it’s much more exciting to watch. Even on an entire last day batting to survive you had batsmen like Pant really upping the ante. It’s great to watch batsmen like that bat with the traditional types of a Pujara, it’s great to see how beautifully two different players with two different mindsets and techniques can co-exist in one team.”
Sangakkara said the shorter forms of the game could also evolve and become even more exciting.
“Another bumper in T20 cricket would be extremely exciting,” he said. “I’ve seen the debates as to whether the bouncer will completely go out of cricket in terms of cricketers’ safety. We have to see whether the one bouncer does go away, but a second one that really keeps the batsmen guessing would be a great addition and more exciting.
“If you take American Football, you have an offense and a defense, you could have the same with your bowling attack and two separate teams vying for the bowling innings and the batting innings. There are advancements in terms of rules and team combinations that you can play.”
While staging the T10 League during a pandemic would, as with other tournaments, face “many challenges” – quarantine, travel restrictions, bubble fatigue, lack of crowds and a potential hit to sponsorship – Sangakkara said it could also provide “a little bright spot” for those seeking escapism and entertainment amid lockdown.
The upcoming edition of the T10 League was due to be staged last November but was moved due to the IPL being pushed into that time and moved to the UAE amid the global impact of Covid-19. (cricinfo)
With just one round left in the group stage, Dambulla hit the top of the National Super League (NSL) table like a runaway train, pulling off a breathtaking run chase that left Kandy shell-shocked at the R. Premadasa Stadium. In a high-octane encounter that had lot of twists, Dambulla played out of their skins to snatch victory from the jaws of what looked like certain defeat.
Chasing a towering 392 in just 69 overs, the Dambulla batters threw caution to the wind and came out swinging. They crossed the finish line with 25 balls to spare, making the improbable seem routine.
At the top of the order, Nishan Madushka dropped anchor and played the sheet anchor role to perfection, compiling a masterful 126 off 153 balls. He stitched together a solid 136-run opening stand with Ron Chandraguptha, who chipped in with a stylish 64, laying the perfect foundation for the fireworks to follow.
But the real show-stopper was none other than Dasun Shanaka. Despite being courted by a slew of T20 leagues flashing big bucks, Shanaka stayed loyal to red-ball cricket — and he makes it count. He walked in with the scoreboard ticking and turned the game on its head with a whirlwind century off just 56 deliveries. It was a blitzkrieg that featured nine sizzling boundaries and six towering sixes. When Shanaka’s in the zone, bowlers might as well be bowling with a bar of soap.
From 286 for 1, Dambulla had a minor hiccup, losing quick wickets and stumbling to 326 for 5. But the damage had been done — Shanaka’s thunderous assault had knocked the stuffing out of the Kandy attack. All that remained was for the tail to wag, nudge a few singles, and coast home with room to spare.
Akila Dananjaya, meanwhile, continued to turn heads with a match bag of ten wickets. But while his performance was eye-catching, any talk of a national recall should come with a pinch of salt — his action, having been under the microscope before, will need a clean bill of health before selectors roll the dice.
Down south in Hambantota, Galle all but booked their ticket to the final, thanks to a first-innings win over Jaffna. Unless they somehow manage to shoot themselves in the foot in their last group game, they should be packing their bags for the final.
Ramesh Mendis played the unlikely hero, batting at number eight and top-scoring with a gutsy 124 to take Galle to 374, well past Jaffna’s 305.
Jaffna’s response in the second innings was spirited, with Angelo Mathews rolling back the years and crafting a classy century as they made 354 for five.
Rain played spoil sport with only 6.4 overs possible on day one and a further 55 overs on day two and that left little room for a result.
North Korea has held the Pyongyang International Marathon for the first time in six years, welcoming some 200 foreign runners to the streets of the reclusive country’s capital.
The marathon, which was launched in 1981, took place annually in April to celebrate the birth of its founding leader Kim Il Sung.
Before Sunday’s marathon, the race was last held in 2019, wherein 950 foreigners participated. North Korea sealed itself off the following year, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
North Korea has been slow to reopen since, allowing only Russian tourists into its capital since last year.
Runners have had to enter the country as part of an organised tour group, as was the case before the pandemic.
Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel agency listed as an “exclusive partner” on the event website, offers six-day marathon tours at 2,195 euros ($2,406) including flights to and from Beijing.
“The Pyongyang Marathon is an extremely unique experience as it provides an opportunity to interact with locals,” the agency wrote on its website.
Sunday’s marathon route took participants past landmarks across the city, including the Kim Il Sung stadium, the Arch of Triumph built to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s role in resisting Japanese rule, and the Mirae Future Scientists’ Street said to be a residential district for scientists and engineers.
Pictures online show the stadium – where runners start and finish their race – filled with spectators, many of them cheering and waving gold-coloured paper flags.
Pak Kum Dong, a North Korean runner, told Reuters news agency: “The eyes of our people on me helped me to bear the difficulties whenever I feel tired.”
There is no publicly available information on race results.
North Korea had only statred to scale back Covid-19 restrictions in the middle of 2023.
In Feburary, it allowed some Western tourists into the remote, eastern city Rason, but suspended those tours just weeks after.
[BBC]
Noor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner, continues to head the Purple Cap table with ten wickets from four games. His spell of 4 for 18 in CSK’s first game against MI, remains his best so far.
DC’s Mitchell Starc who picked up his maiden five-for in T20s, against SRH remains second on the list with nine wickets in three games.
GT’s Mohammed Siraj equalled Starc’s tally on Sunday night with his own IPL best, albeit he has played four games to Starc’s three. Siraj picked up 4 for 17 against SRH to hand them their four successive loss, and was named the Player of the Match.
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