Cricket has significantly changed over time and to a greater extent. The sport watched by the fans was played in white kits and even from a different angle during the 1960s and 1970s. However, it has undergone major modifications in a number of ways since then.
Although the emotions of the game were undoubtedly the same years ago, changes in the sport made it possible for the fans to appreciate it even more. There has been a drastic change in the era of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar but it has always been a treat how gracefully the fans have embraced those changes in the game.
Today, we’ll go over a few of the elements that have changed cricket and made it more engaging. Here they are:
#1 Colored Kits
There was a habit of seeing cricketers in white kits before the 1980s, however, the decision to bring coloured kits into the game was a spectacular call as the fans showed their love for this transformation.
The Indian cricket team donned the colored jersey for the first time at the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket in Australia, where they won the championship by defeating Pakistan in the final. Ravi Shastri and the Indian bowlers undoubtedly put on some standout performances during that series, but the colorful kits added to its allure.
The first time that all the teams were spotted donning colorful kits was during the 1992 ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia. The cricket players and the spectators experienced something very different and the change was accepted by everyone bringing about a massive transformation in viewership of the sport across the world.
Cricket fans from all over the world now adore their team’s jersey colors, and the teams have become well-known for their kits. Pakistan is well known for wearing green jerseys, whereas Team India has always worn blue kits. Cricket has undergone a significant transformation over time, going from having no sponsors in white kits to having many sponsors in coloured kits. In Test cricket today, sponsors can be seen on even the white kits.
#2 Safety Equipment
Imagine how difficult it was to bat without safety equipment like a helmet and abdominal guards during the early years of cricket. Former players and pundits keep praising the fast bowlers of their era and how tough it was to face bowlers like Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, and Michael Holding.
There used to be only a couple of equipment like gloves and pads for the legends of that era. The concept of the helmet came in the 1970s and from then onwards, several pieces of equipment were made including arm guards and abdominal guards to keep the players safe while playing.
With safety equipment now available, it is a bit easier for the players to play unorthodox shots even though they are still not 100 per cent safe for the batsmen. Moreover, the game has now become more professional and batsmen practice a lot to play these surprising shots.
#3 Commercialization of Cricket
It is said that Australian television tycoon Kerry Packer commercialized cricket after realizing the sport’s potential to generate revenue from television. He had a valid point, as the game broke all previous records for popularity over time.
Nowadays, there are many advertisements in sports, separate management for the teams, OTT platforms for the game, player-specific news, etc. Cricket has become more than just a sport and is heavily commercialized, but every day the boards try to find new ways to make it more captivating.
India got its first hero in the form of Gavaskar but Tendulkar made the sport like a religion in the country. Due to his splendid form and reputation all over the world, Sachin signed a billion-rupee deal with WorldTel which was the biggest ever in the history of cricket at that moment. One can even say that the sport takes a drastic change after that.
#4 Popularization of T20 Cricket
T20 International cricket first appeared in 2005, but it gained popularity when the first T20I World Cup was held in South Africa in 2007. There were concerns about the tournament’s popularity after some well-known cricketers decided not to participate, but in the end, it won over everyone when India won the iconic trophy after defeating Pakistan in the final.
The shortest format has become so popular that one of the best cricket leagues in the world, IPL immediately took place in the following April in 2008 and it is still being loved all around the world.
Fans like the pace which the T20 cricket has given them as they get to witness sixes and fours on almost every delivery. It won’t be surprising if the format would replace ODI cricket or Test cricket permanently but that is quite debatable.
#5 Decision Review System
Although the DRS was formally introduced in Test cricket in November 2008, it became mandatory in T20I matches in October 2017. It has gone through a plethora of changes to achieve its intended goal. Several factors like the number of reviews available per side, technologies used, and the umpire’s call have continuously changed across the 13-year old history of DRS.
When India toured Sri Lanka in 2008, they only had one successful review throughout the series and for a long time, they showed strong opposition to the system doubting its accuracy. They also refused to use DRS in their home test series in 2009 and stayed away whenever possible.
Over the years, there has always been support for and disagreement with this system, but the reality is that it is necessary in the fast-paced cricket of today. We have observed that when umpires make mistakes, the outcome of the game is affected.
The fairness of the decisions is restored to some extent with this review system, which is advantageous to both teams. DRS is still going strong in the leagues and international cricket these days and hopefully, it will be a permanent part of the sport.
– Mohak Arora, Parimatch Brand sports expert