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Cricket legends AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh have endorsed the game’s fourth format, called Test Twenty.
Test Twenty, a hybrid format, is set to be launched next year, designed for youth cricketers aged 13 to 19.
Matches will be played in whites with the red ball, featuring four innings of 20 overs each, all wrapped into a single day.
The format introduces a few notable adjustments to balance the two cricketing styles.
Each team is allowed one four-over PowerPlay, while the follow-on can be enforced if a team batting second trails by 75 or more runs after the first innings.
Teams may use a maximum of five bowlers, with each restricted to eight overs across the match.
Notably, a game can end in a win, loss, tie, or draw, giving players the chance to experience multiple outcomes within a single-day contest.
AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden, and Harbhajan Singh form part of the advisory board for this innovative new format.
De Villiers highlighted the creative opportunities Test Twenty will offer.
“What excites me most is the real creative freedom that this format brings to the party,” he said.
“It lets players completely express themselves but also think differently and take the kind of risks that make cricket so beautiful. Beyond that, it also teaches balance. You need to have the ability to survive across two innings.”
Sir Clive Lloyd praised the combination of spectacle and endurance.
“T20 cricket is an exhibition, and Test cricket is an examination. You’re now combining these two things into one. I’m sure it will be a success,” the legendary West Indies’ captain stated.
Meanwhile, Harbhajan Singh underlined the importance of engaging the audience.
“It is the crowd that makes any game famous, whether it is cricket, hockey, or even football in Australia,” the spinner said.
“These games are big because crowds get behind them, they endorse them. The best thing we can do is simplify it so that people can understand and connect with it.”
READ: Test Twenty explained: the game-changing fourth format of cricket
