The schedule for a jamboree of world cricket’s shortest format announced. The 16 team tournament will start on March 8 and will continue till April 3rd.
In Mumbai ICC has announced the schedule and groups of the men and women tournament. ICC has increased the prize money for the marquee tournament.
The 2007 World T20 winner India got $2,50000. But, This time, ICC increased the men’s prize money 86 per cent and 122 per cent for women’s from the last edition in 2014. The men’s winners will get $5.6 million and the women’s winner will get $400,000 in 2016 edition.
The marquee tournament, which had started 2007 after much hullabaloo and hesitation in 2007, has been a huge success since then as it curved a niche fan base- women, children and young men. The tournament revived the future of cricket as it pulled a lot of sponsors that channelized into money.
In 2003 when England and Walse Cricket Board’s managing director Stuart Robertson convinced Channel 4 to conduct a survey on cricket fans which cost 25,0000 euros. The research found cricket’s fans had been decreasing as only old people are going to watch the in the stand. He asked England and Walse Cricket Board to introduce the game in county cricket. On Friday 13 June 2003 the first T20 match was played. The match got a positive response. But, it took two more years to play the first international T20 match between Australia and New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland. Australia won the high scoring match by 44 runs.
But, when ICC asked the meeting to discuss the idea of T20 cricket in the international game, BCCI president Sharad Pawar said, “T20 cricket will dilute the importance of international cricket”.
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah was heard to ask at the meeting in a hilarious tone, “why not ten-ten or five or one one?”
Because of BCCI, which represents eastern empire of cricket, ICC slowed down its bid for first T20 international in February 2005.
When the time for inaugural World T20 in South Africa came India and Pakistan refused to play the tournament. India was without any domestic T20 tournament. But, in the political textbook there is no eternal rivalry. Everything changed with time. In an embarrassing situation, India agreed to play the tournament. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh were jointly bidding for 2011 World Cup. India failed to fill the form of the bid which ICC had given to every bidder to host the 50 over world cup.
Australia and New Zealand made a joint presentation, which was good. But, India requested to all members to extend the time for the bid to avoid a big financial lose. Without India and Pakistan, a cricket tournament will be flop everybody knew that. At this juncture other board members gave India and Pakistan an option –if they play the 2007 World T20 then the 2011 World Cup would be given to subcontinent. Both PCB and BCCI had taken a sigh of relief and sent their teams for the inaugural World T20 in South Africa, that has changed the course cricket’ fan following.
Since then this format of the game has been popular among children, women and young, who are also the consumer of young India, so sponsor grabbed the opportunity the format with both hand that brimmed ICC’s coffer that led to increasing the prize money in every tournament.