Having four innings in T20 cricket is too much, reckons Brett Lee

Till 2004, limited-overs in cricket meant just the ODI format, which ran for 50-overs. However, since the invention of the T20 format, cricket has revolutionized itself into a two innings format with 20 overs each, reducing the game time. However, even that has become a stretch for some as they have now called for a four-innings format, splitting it into ten overs a side, with a total of four innings. 

Weighing in on the suggestion, former Aussie pacer Brett Lee opined that having four innings in T20 cricket is a bit too much, but added that he is all in for T20 cricket, irrespective of it being the IPL or the Big Bash. 

“I am all for T20 cricket whether it’s the Indian Premier League or the Big Bash to have some flair about it, some excitement to bring people to the game. But there are some things you want to keep traditional when it comes to cricket and I think having 4 innings is a bit too much. I still think it’s always nice to see a target, and try and chase that target down or defend it,” he said on Star Sports, reported Hindustan Times. 

Gautam Gambhir, too, was of the same opinion that T20 cricket should not be truncated further and stated that the 10-over a side format will ruin T20s. However, the former Indian opener was ready for ODIs to be split into four innings - 25 overs each - and echoed the idea of Sachin Tendulkar, who suggested the same a few months back.

“I’m not a big believer that we should split T20 cricket into two innings. I think, Sachin Tendulkar somewhere gave a suggestion that we could try doing it with 50 overs which makes a lot of sense, because you’ve got 25 overs (each),” said Gambhir. 

“It also probably takes the toss away as well because in some conditions the toss plays a huge role and I was absolutely favour of that as well. But not in T20 cricket, it’s too short a format and there’s hardly any time. Splitting that into 10 overs each will be too short an inning,” he concluded.