Oregonsportshall.com – The story of World Series Cricket (WSC) is one of the most intriguing and exciting tales in the history of cricket. It was a revolutionary concept that changed the face of the game and ultimately paved the way for the modern era of professional cricket. WSC was a rebel cricket tournament organised by Australian businessman Kerry Packer in 1977. The tournament was created in response to Packer’s frustration over the lack of broadcasting rights he had been offered by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB).
Packer’s WSC was a revolutionary concept, with matches held under floodlights, coloured clothing, limited over matches and, most importantly, a host of international players from all over the world. The tournament featured some of the world’s greatest players, including Ian Botham, Viv Richards, Imran Khan, Sunil Gavaskar and Malcolm Marshall. The matches were broadcasted on television, which was a revolutionary idea at the time. This gave cricket a huge boost in popularity, particularly in Australia.
The ACB was initially opposed to the tournament, however, it eventually had to come around to the idea as the tournament began to draw huge crowds and the international players involved added a great deal of credibility to the event. The tournament was a huge success, with some matches attracting over 100,000 spectators. It was a massive financial success as well, with Packer making a reported $50 million from the venture.
The success of WSC had a huge impact on the game of cricket. It helped to professionalise the game and paved the way for the modern era of professional cricket. It also helped to popularise cricket in countries outside of the traditional cricketing nations, such as India, which is now one of the leading cricketing nations in the world. The tournament also led to the introduction of day-night Test matches and the introduction of coloured clothing and white balls in the game.
The legacy of WSC lives on to this day. It was a revolutionary concept and one that changed the face of cricket forever. It is a testament to the vision of Kerry Packer and the players who took part in the tournament that cricket is now one of the most popular sports in the world.
