Former England captain Eoin Morgan has made a bold claim regarding cricket’s popularity across the globe, underlining the growing importance of T20 cricket. He thinks that the rise of T20 leagues, especially the Indian Premier League(IPL), has played a crucial role in keeping the game alive in the modern era.
Speaking during a discussion on Sky Sports, Morgan remarked that if T20 cricket and franchise leagues had not emerged, cricket would be struggling to stay afloat in today’s time.
“I think if the shortest format of the game did not exist, if IPL never happened, if no other franchise leagues in the world did not exist, I think cricket would end up dying in a ditch. The level of popularity would decline. Trying to sell a 5-day game or just a one-day game in particular, to young kids now is very very tough,” he was quoted as saying by Sky Cricket.
He further cited that it is very hard to sell anything to young kids, and the T20 cricket brings in new audiences and excitement to the game. And contrary to what many believe, it actually helps other longer formats to grow as well.
“Selling things to to your kids is very very difficult. But if you can have visibility on this magnificent product that exists to engage young kids in the game, that is your introduction and your pathway into going right. This is a beautiful sport that we play. You can learn so many uh valuable lessons in life through playing this sport. This is the shortest format. If you enjoy this you might also enjoy test match cricket,” Morgan added.
“T20 cricket has changed the game forever. I don’t fall for the argument that shortest format is eating Test Cricket,” he concluded.
The 39-year-old has been one of the most influential figures in the resurgence of England’s white ball cricket. Under Morgan’s captaincy, the Three Lions clinched their first-ever ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.
