India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar recently shared his views on ‘The Hundred’ and termed the 100-ball tournament as ‘ordinary and insipid’. The tournament is the latest format of the sport which has been organized by the England Cricket Board (ECB). Commenced from July 21 onwards and so far, there have been mixed reactions. While many have criticized the tournament for its new rules, some have enjoyed the fast and exciting cricket which is being played and Gavaskar is not a fan of the tournament.
In his column in Mid-day, Gavaskar shared his honest opinions on the tournament and felt that the rules and regulations are not making the cut for the way cricket should be played. The former India opener was not impressed and labelled the 100-ball tournament as ‘insipid’.
Gavaskar went on to state that the cricket being played is ‘ordinary’ and if the tournament was to be played in the sub-continent, the new format would have been mocked by former England players.
The former India player even went on to compare The Hundred to the Indian Premier League and believes that the new format did not make a frolicking start like the way the IPL did in 2008. Fans vividly remember the opening match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore where Brendon McCullum opened the league with an outstanding 158. KKR (222/3) went on to beat RCB (82) by 140 runs.
Gavaskar feels that The Hundred did not create a fanbase and will take time to develop with the spectators. The former India cricketer has been known not to mince his words and share his honest opinions on the sport and its latest developments.
The Hundred tournament is simultaneously being played by the men’s and women’s sides. The tournament kicked off with the Oval Invincibles Women’s team taking on Manchester Original, where the Invincibles pulled off a thriller against the Originals.
At the current moment, Trent Rockets (Men’s) are leading the table with two wins in two matches with four points after winning an exciting clash by 2 wickets at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on July 26. In the women’s side clash between Northern Superchargers and Trent Rockets, the Superchargers restricted the Rockets to win the clash by 27 runs and lead the table.
In the upcoming clashes scheduled for July 27, in the women’s division, Welsh Fire take on Southern Brave at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff and in the men’s division, the same teams face each other. The Hundred is not being broadcasted in India and is only available for streaming on the Fancode App.
Get all the IPL news and Cricket Score here