Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has praised ECB’s latest cricket tournament, The Hundred which started last week. He further said those who are criticizing the league are doing without understanding the format of “The Hundred”.
The inaugural 100-ball tournament started at the Oval on July 21st with a women’s match at the Oval. Both the Men’s & Women’s tournament has 8 teams and they will play an equal number of matches. Each day, a Women’s game precedes the Men’s contest representing the same teams.
The off-spinner talking on his Youtube channel defended the ECB’s motive to innovate by introducing a new concept now known as The Hundred. He asked the people to appreciate the efforts put in by the authorities before making any comments. Even Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar recently called The Hundred insipid.
“Those who did not understand this format commented vaguely about frequent changes in rules and formats. To many, innovation is not encouraged and is often misunderstood. When someone films a movie, we should watch it in the theatre and then criticize it. Making irrelevant comments even before going to the theatre does not work. We should appreciate the attempt and give credit to it,” Ashwin said.
Ashwin added that he watched the opening game of the Women’s competition and said women’s cricket is here to stay. He believes that the tournament has begun on an exciting note and on a personal level the cricketer said, he found it enjoyable.
“I watched a women’s game between Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals. Though names were different, the game was outstanding, and women’s cricket is here to stay. I’d be glad if women’s IPL is all set to happen.”
“Hundred format has had an exciting start, and let’s see how it goes. Many believe this format can affect the performances of players. But I have found The Hundred enjoyable, and it can be called a sporting festival season. After tough times, experiencing live sports in cricket is something great,” Ashwin added about The Hundred.
