Bracewell backs Twenty20 revolution

John Bracewell hopes Twenty20 cricket attracts more children to play the game © Getty Images

John Bracewell believes the Twenty20 format could revolutionise cricket in the same way one-day internationals have changed the game over the past few decades. Bracewell returned to Christchurch on Tuesday after New Zealand's semi-final exit at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa and he expressed his satisfaction with the shortest form of the game.

"I think it's got an enormous financial future and I think it has some really good benefits for the game in general in terms of the broad base of the game," Bracewell told the Press. "It must have a positive spin-off on kids with the style in which it's played. There is a great opportunity to revolutionise the whole game of cricket."

Bracewell said 50-over cricket had changed the way Test matches were played and there would be a similar flow-on from Twenty20.

"I think this will help the entertainment factor of cricket," he said. "Test cricket we value greatly, 50-over cricket is the financial driver of the game and now we have Twenty20 which has proved immensely popular."