Short Form Cricket

Short form cricket is a collective term for several modified forms of the sport of cricket, with playing times significantly shorter than more traditional forms of the game.

A typical short form cricket match can be completed within two to three hours, compared to 7–8 hours for a one-day cricket match, or five days for a Test match.

These short forms of cricket have been developed locally by various authorities, to fill a perceived marketing vacancy for a form of the sport which can be completed in a few hours, rather than a full day. They tend to emphasise the more "exciting" aspects of cricket as seen by more casual observers of the game, which includes aggressive batting and fast run scoring. In this regard they are successful, as shortened forms of cricket attract crowds of spectators who might not otherwise attend a cricket match.

Some people decry these shortened forms of the game. Various reasons include:

• the perceived lack of emphasis on bowling skills;
• the elimination of long-term strategy and planning throughout a match;
• the perceived reduction in workable tactical options for various situations that may arise in a game;
• the overtly commercial aspects of short form cricket, such as pre-game entertainment, crowd participation, and so on - traditionally absent from longer forms of the game.
• the introduction of concepts such as bowl-out, free hit, power-play etc. that deviate from traditional skill-sets that the game requires

Nevertheless, short form cricket has quickly become popular and seems likely to remain a part of cricket for the foreseeable future.