Last week saw the beginning of The Hundred with many Kent players involved with various sides around the country, with coach Matt Walker one of the coaches with the Oval Invincibles.
And Walker has been talking to KSN about the competition and remembered how similar concerns were raised by many before T20 was first launched in this country.
“I can remember playing in the first year of the T20 – or Twenty Twenty as I think it was called back then,” Walker remembered, “and there was huge amount of cynicism then as well even before the keyboard warriors were flying around with their views on it!
“Certainly, there was huge cynicism amongst the players just as much as anyone else as many thought the new format was just ridiculous… and just look at it today?”
“I think everyone involved in The Hundred is excited. There’s no reason not to be – I know COVID is rearing its head again around sport and cricket particularly, but as the competition stands it will be a really exciting one.”
“I know that some people are very afraid of change – there are those who don’t like it but regardless of everything, I do think that sometimes a fresh competition can just ignite things.
“It may not, but people have to understand that the ECB have to try things – I think its important, for whatever reason, they try and keep cricket moving forward and in essence, I’m sure it will be a very exciting competition. You’ve got the best players in the world playing on our shores with some of our best players in the country domestically and it should provide some brilliant cricket and if it does, I’m sure that it will be a success.”
“There will be the cynics out there saying do we need it, and will it impact on whats already we do and whats the point of it – there were a lot of those questions being thrown around, but I would ask those people to please just give it a chance.”
“Who knows it may be the best thing ever. It might not work but you never know as its impossible to tell, but I think with everything that’s moving forward with everything associated with the competition and the way that the format sets itself up, it could be very exciting!”
And after the first round of games, the Spitfires coach must have looked on with a great amount of pride after seeing Sam Billings, Fred Klaassen, Adam Milne, Qasi Ahmad, Zac Crawley, Daniel Bell Drummond and Joe Denly all contribute to their teams opening matches…