adminSPORT is evolving around the world and it’s not about just the games themselves anymore.
It’s now also about the entertainment package that it provides, to complement the games, which have become a key feature of major sporting activities in this era.
The Americans started it with their successful combination of sport and entertainment, including the iconic half-time music show during the Super Bowl.
Now, the whole world is slowly catching up with all this.
We are in for our own mega treat, beginning today, when the inaugural Zim Afro T10 cricket tournament gets underway at Harare Sports Club.
The organisers say this is more than cricket and it’s a full package of entertainment where fans will be entertained by some of the best DJs and also get to see Bollywood stars.
Already, Bollywood actress, Elnaaz Norouzi, is set to be part of the show at the opening ceremony of the tournament in Harare today.
T Ten Global Sports founder and chairman Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, the billionaire Indian businessman, has been at the forefront of pushing T10 cricket.
According to Forbes, those pushing for T10, which is an even shorter and sharper version of the game, believe it can appeal to those weaned on football’s 90-minute playing time and better suit declining attention spans.
“The T10 format, played over 90 minutes, has started to spread forcing the sport’s gatekeepers to start making decisions over whether to legitimise it,” Forbes noted.
“The arrival of the Abu Dhabi T10 league in 2017 led to widespread sneering with cynics believing this supercharged version was starting to mock the essence of the sport, whose traditional format is played over five days in white attire.
“But, the Abu Dhabi tournament has defied the critics, having recently completed its sixth season and attracted star players over the years.
“It’s led to smaller cash-stricken Full Member nations, who are desperately trying to find other revenue streams, to contemplate this leaner T10 format.”
Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who has not only stabilised the domestic game, with his astute leadership but has turned it into a thriving sport code, feels T10 franchise cricket represents the future.
“The audience for cricket is becoming youthful, T10 cricket is quicker and faster,” he said.
“T10 is well developed and can rival football because of its length. It’s 90 minutes. It’s exciting. We look forward to big names playing in Zimbabwe.”
The good thing about this is that it’s not just about the cricket but the overall entertainment package which these events come with.
For cricket fans, this is just an extension of the fun which they had during the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which they transformed into a festival of joy, as they came in numbers.
For our country, it’s the branding that matters and hosting some of the biggest names in sport, once again, comes with huge benefits.
It sends the right signals around the world that we are a nation where everyone, including an English World Cup winning captain, can work and also enjoy himself.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter