"The only word that comes to mind is insipid" - Sunil Gavaskar not impressed by The Hundred
While a number of former England players are going gaga over The Hundred, the UK tournament is yet to impress Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar.
The former India captain described the quality of cricket in The Hundred as ‘insipid’ and the coverage as "average."
The inaugural edition of The Hundred (a 100-ball per-innings tournament) began on July 21 with the women’s clash between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals at The Oval. The men’s competition began a day later.
In his column for mid-day, Gavaskar opined that the cricket played in The Hundred has been rather disappointing so far. He wrote:
"Having seen it on TV, the only word that comes to mind is insipid. The cricket is ordinary and the coverage average with basic mistakes in player information."
Gavaskar added that had such mistakes been made in the sub-continent, the tournament would have been mocked by ex-England cricketers. The player-turned-commentator stated in his column:
"(Such mistakes) If made in the sub-continent, would have been mocked at especially by the former England players, not to speak of the headlines that the tabloids would have generated. The former players are raving about the crowds but here too as yet the fierce loyalty of the franchise fans is not seen. Maybe, the experience at the ground is different but as far as first impressions go, it's not been a great one."
The Hundred may take some time to find a fan base: Sunil Gavaskar
While the former India captain did not rule out the possibility of The Hundred being a success, he opined that the event hasn’t got off to the desired start.
Pointing out the IPL, in which New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum blasted a hundred in the very first match, Gavaskar wrote:
"Unlike the IPL, which was given a vertical take-off by Brendon McCullum’s incredible innings in the very first match, The Hundred hadn't quite got that and so may take a little more time to get the hearts of the spectators."
The Oval Invincibles lead the men’s competition in The Hundred with one win and one no result. The same team is at the top of the points table in the women’s event as well, having registered victories in both their matches so far.