Cricketers hail organisers for introducing ‘longer format’ in times of T-20 fest

MOHSIN KAMAL

Sopore Super League

Srinagar—At a time when T-20 cricket is ruling the roost, Cricket fraternity in North Kashmir’s Sopore has decided to hold a tourney of relatively longer format. Kashmir is abuzz with T-20 tournaments with huge attraction, but Cricket lovers in Sopore have come up with something different to make cricketers have a feel of matches with longer durations.
Doing away with the most popular format of the sport, Cricket fraternity will organise a tournament which will league matches spanning 35 overs per innings while knockout stages will have 40-over-a-side matches.

One of its kind, the organisers say Sopore Super League will be “one of the massive tournaments North Kashmir has ever witness.”
They say it will feature as many as 45 teams across the valley with Cricket fans getting a chance to see some of Kashmir’s biggest stars in action.
It will be played at four different venues comprising Sopore, Baramulla, Bandipora and Handwara.

"The tournament will be played on robin-round cum knockout basis. League stage will comprise 35-over-a-side games while knockout games will be 40-over-a side fixtures,” one of the organisers told Kashmir Observer.
The organisers reckon there is need of exposing youngsters to longer formats at a time when T-20 is making big strides.
“There are too many T-20 tournaments going around, but aspiring cricketers are being deprived of having a feel of longer formats. We are trying our level best to give cricketers opportunity to make their case in longer formats. We have started with 35-40 over games. In future, we will try to expand tournament to long duration games,” said another organiser.
An curtain raiser event was held recently with big names of J&K Cricket in attendance.
Star fast bowler Abid Nabi, young batting sensation Haziq Bhat, all-rounder Auqib Nabi, Imran Haroon, former J&K fast bowler and current senior team coach Abdul Qayoom Bagow and current chief selector Parvez Qaiser was part of the opening ceremony.
Cricketers were all praise for organisers to give young cricketers from the area chance to play relatively a longer format.
"This league is something out of the box and I'll say a brilliant initiative to provide players some longer format Cricket,” Abid Nabi told Kashmir Observer.
Imran Haroon echoed Abid Nabi’s assertion.
"We are here restricted to T-20 Cricket and this league is surely something that really should be appreciated. The organisers are doing a great job by coming up these types of events," he said.