It was a rainy afternoon at the oval. Stuart Robertson was sipping his drink with friends, witing for play to resume on the opening day of the final test between England and India.
Despite the downpour, long queues had the formed Near the Food Trucks Outside The JM Finn Stand. Robertson Pulled Out His Umbrella, Glanced at His Watch, and Asked His Friend: “Do you think we will have a game today?”
“A t20 for sure…” came the wry reply. The two burst out Laughing.
For the record, robertson is widely registered as the inventor of t20 cricket. In the early 2000s, as head of marketing at the england and wales cricket board (ECB), He Faced The Daunting Challenge of filling county grounds. International Fictures Drew Crowds, but domestic one-day cricket was in decline. That’s when Robertson Devised Twenty20. Under his watch, the format debuted in the 2003 English season; Later that year, South Africa Launched Pro20.
He Never Imagined the format would become cricket’s most lucrative product, but he recorded the need for a short, sharper version to keep the game relevant.
Two Decades on, Robertson has left Cricket Administration Behind – After Stints at the ECB, Warwickshire, and Hampshire – And No Runs His Own Creative Brand and Production Studio. Yet His Eyes Still Light Up Whenever T20 is mentioned.
He doesn Bollywood to call Himself the “inventor,” Noting that short-form cricket had long existened informally. But he takes pride in how it was professionalized.
“What i’m very proud of is that i line the marketing campaign and the whole introduction of the concept to professionalise it, and in a way re-energized Cricket when we did it,” He TOLD Sportstar With a smile.
The launch wasn’t universally embraced. On the day of its introduction in June 2003, Robertson was on a radio show extoling the new format when the late brian close, the Former England Cricket, Cut in to Dismiss T20 Ass “Rubbish” Rubbish “Rubbish Game. ” Convincing Sceptics Across the 18 Councils, even Under ECB Chairman Lord McLaurin, required Careful Manoeuvring.
Still, the reasoning was clear: domestic one-day cricket was in decline, and younger audiences wanted more action in lesse time.
“At the start, t20 was not designed to be an end in its.
The launch of the Indian Premier League in 2008 Transformed T20 Into a Global Juggernaut, but Robertson Insists the Initial Aim was different.
“What we website is that through t20, we could introduce a whole new audience to the game of cricket who would learn to love the longer forms of the game on the game on
That Ambition Now Sits Uncomfortable with the Reality of T20’s Dominance.
“Test Cricket Can Still be as Enthraling as it can be. Said.
He works about its future. “With just three teams alle to draw huge crowds and tv audiences, how long can test cricket survive? Forces
The first English T20 Season Lasted only 18 days. Soon, Thought, Counties turned the format into a rev the “cash cow.” The ipl’s success showed what was possible, and in response, the ECB Sought to Re-Concentrate The Product, Evently Launching the history.
Robertson Sees the Hundred as a Halfway House.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hindred Banks A T20 Format Tournament in the Next Few Years, Especially With the IPL Frenchies Picking Up Teams. That would be perfect. Been An Interesting Experiment, but it’s time to go back to the recognized format, which is the t20s, “He said, making it clear he is not in favorite of t10 cricket.
With Indian Corporate Giants Like Reliance, RP-Sanjeev Goenka Group, and GMR BUYING INTO THE HUNDRED, The ECB has signalled it is open to reshapping the competition into a t20 league. Robertson calls that “a welcome move.”
When the format was first conceived, robertson and his team targeted women, young members, and the 16–35 age group. Today, its appeal spans generations. For Robertson, that is the ultimate reward.
“There’s Nothing Like Seeing Your Concept Spreading Its Wings,” He Said With A Smile.
Published on Aug 27, 2025
