A new cricket competition, Test Twenty, bringing boys’ and girls’ teams together under one championship, was launched in Colombo on Friday, ahead of its inaugural season from November 14 to 29.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden, former Sri Lankan cricketer Russel Arnold and Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma attended the launch.
Promoted as cricket’s fourth format, Test Twenty features two innings of 20 overs per side, creating an 80-over contest completed in a single day.
The competition features four continental franchises: South Asia, Australasia, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, with boys’ and girls’ teams comprising players aged 13 to 21.
Under its unique “Parity Rule”, boys’ and girls’ teams compete separately, but their performances contribute to the same match result and championship standings.
Hayden, who mentors the Australasia franchise, welcomed the initiative as an opportunity for young cricketers to gain more match experience.
“You don’t get better by playing less, and that’s something the game needs to address,” Hayden said.
“I see Test Twenty as a very good pathway product for the next generation.”
The inaugural tournament will feature 10 matches, including the final on November 29.
Matches will be streamed live on Sony LIV and FanCode. (Newswire)
