The Hundred will get bigger and better with every year, predicts Shane Warne
After the inaugural edition of The Hundred went well, London Spirit head coach Shane Warne has predicted that the tournament will only get bigger and better with every passing year. Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen also weighed in on the tournament and said the tourney was cool to see.
On Saturday, Lord's staged the grand finale of the inaugural edition of The Hundred with Southern Brave winning the men's title while Oval Invincibles won the silverware in the women's edition. The innovative 100-ball tournament created a lot of buzz and hype in the UK and was largely received well by the audience. The tournament witnessed a plethora of new rules in play that doubled up the intrigue around The Hundred.
Reflecting on the recently-concluded competition, London Spirit head coach and Aussie legend Shane Warne asserted that the tournament went beyond expectations and will only get bigger and better with time.
"I think it has gone beyond expectations. The cricket that has been on display, the skill on display from all the different teams at various times, has been outstanding. To see full houses everywhere you go, on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday night in Birmingham, Manchester, London - it has been packed and the crowds have really got into it and I think it's been fantastic! It's only going to get bigger and better with every year. I think it is sensational to see how it really has captured the imagination," Warne told Sky Sports.
Former English star batsman Kevin Pietersen wasn't much surprised with the great response that the tournament garnered, which was pushed back by a year, owing to the pandemic. He stated that it was cool to see franchise cricket in the country.
"It's so cool to see franchise cricket in the UK. The one thing we know is that British public supports sport so well.No matter what it is, where it is; the Tour de France started in this country a few years ago and there were packed streets watching them. So you knew that the big sports, a summer sport like cricket was going to be supported," Pietersen said.
The tournament, which was introduced with the aim to captivate the young audience, did a fine job as his little lad was buzzing with the competition, revealed Pietersen.
"To see these scenes, to see franchise cricket here and to see it so well celebrated and supported -- love it. My little lad, that's the audience that you want, you want the kids coming in, and he's absolutely buzzing! He's got his Southern Brave jumper on and is running aroud here. The audience is in, the guys (players) have been brilliant, giving up their time."