In this new format each team would be allowed six wickets (this would still be tradition only 11-a-side), two powerplays increased to three if the batting team could hit two sixes in the first 12 balls and one “Mystery Free Hit” where fans can vote a particular ball as a no-risk, dismissal-free delivery.
30 balls will be bowled from one end and 30 from the other end. Teams will be on the clock with fielders removed if the over rate is not met. In a promotional video, an excited Gayle announced, “Turn it on! 6IXTY – A brand new format that brings cricket fans even closer to the game.”
“It’s powerful, it’s fast, that’s my type of cricket.” The new format did not go down well with the fans but it is an exciting moment for Chris Gayle. This is not the type of cricket most fans want.
Many thought it was some sort of April Fools’ joke or a resurgence of the old Hong Kong Sixers tournament, with just six players in a side. But it is not, it is a real sport which is about to debut in international cricket. It is a legitimate new format supported by a full member country of the International Cricket Council. 6IXTY will now be part of the world stage with Test Cricket, ODI, T20, Hundred.
CPL CEO Pete Russell told ESPNcricinfo, the new playing conditions “will add a layer of strategic intrigue and ensure that bowlers are not just cannon fodder.” “You’re going to get some people saying ‘this isn’t cricket’ but I think cricket is the most important element of it.
“It’s just about trying to create excitement and interest. It’s about what’s happening with golf right now — you have to look at things through a different lens sometimes. It’s about a whole new audience.” We are going after a very young generation.”