The only way for growth is up. Well, not in the case of cricket, for whom the only way up is to the east, specifically in the direction of India. This is what former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag believes would ultimately lead to the growth of the sport in the years to come.
There is no doubt that cricket has moved more toward the direction of a shorter and ultimately more instantly entertaining format, with the boom and unprecedented chokehold that T20 cricket has over the gentleman’s game.
The IPL has become the undisputed king of the format as well, smashing viewership records with over 11.3 crore viewers logging in on opening day, a 51% increase compared to the previous season.
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It is this capital and digital dominance that the IPL possesses which in turn allows other leagues and other cricketing nations to thrive, in the eyes of Virender Sehwag.
“If you look at cricket now, we (Indian Cricket) are generating income for the Australian, English and South African Boards of Cricket. Even 10% of the income from the IPL is going to go to these various boards. So, if the IPL gets bigger, these boards will thrive as well, and that in turn is good for cricket,” stated Sehwag in conversation with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan on the Prairie Fire Podcast.
When asked about the growth of the sport, in form of the state of Test cricket importantly, Sehwag remained optimistic about the format, reinstating his belief in that fact that Test cricket will never die, and in fact, more players will only aim to play in the format more.
“It will stay. Every single cricketer who plays in the IPL wants to play Test cricket as well. There are very few players who want to play only in the IPL or the T20 format. But, most of them want to play in the Test format, which is the best format. Maybe in the future, we may notice a dip in ODIs. But, I don’t believe that Test cricket will die,” exclaimed Sehwag.
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