Eoin Morgan backs T10 format to be part of Olympics
May 05, 2020
London [UK], May 5 : England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan has backed the T10 format to be a part of Olympics.
Morgan also believes that the format will allow many matches to be played in a short span of time.
"The one thing that T10 offers above the three formats that makes it so appealing to Olympic games or a Commonwealth games is the fact that you can play a whole tournament in the space of 10 days," ESPNCricinfo quoted Morgan as saying.
"To have a tournament in such a short space of time maximises the opportunity and the exposure that it will have for the sport. When you can play a cricket tournament in 8-10 days it really does make it appealing, and on top of that it really would be extremely entertaining," he added.
Cricket has not featured at the Olympics since 1900 when Great Britain beat France in a one-off gold medal match in Paris.
The sport was once included during the Commonwealth Games in 1998 when South Africa won gold. It has now been included for the 2022 event in Birmingham when eight teams will take part in a women's T20 competition.
Over the years, T10 format has garnered quite a lot of criticism but Morgan believes that the format has more depth to the matches.
"The most important part of a T20 game is always overs 10 to 20. But if you look at a T10 game, the earlier overs are the most important. You need to make the most of that very short powerplay, so who you put in those key positions and in the form that they're in, is the most critical factor," Morgan said.
"And equally, when you're bowling, it's about having the most effective guys on and performing in the biggest part of the game, because in T10, you can be so far behind the game if you let the opposition get off to a really good start," he added.
Morgan will next take part in the T10 tournament slated to be held in Abu Dhabi from November 19-28 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
