The Twenty20 game has taken international cricket by storm in the past few years, for the simple reason that it is so in tune with the times.

The sport had already been speeding up over recent years in a frantic attempt to keep pace with the global culture of fast food, speed-dating and ever-shortening attention spans.

Where once Test matches used to be timeless, now cricket's latest incarnation lasts around two and a half hours, finally making the game comparable to other sports.

Twenty20 began as a sound-bite in England in 2003 and has since graduated to a fully-fledged international spectacle with domestic leagues and a 'World Cup', all within four fast-moving years.

For traditionalists, it's a batting slog-fest, encouraging technique-less sixes and fours while killing off the art of bowling. For its advocates, it's a breath of fresh air designed to live alongside the other forms of cricket rather than supplanting them. Much the same was said of one-day internationals when they first made an appearance.

Twenty20 has gone further, though, with its dancing girls and musical accompaniments, each player walking into battle to the beat of his favourite pop tune, while team names have been sexed up and their members re-branded with their nicknames. It is, in short, a show for young people and a new audience.

India, in particular, is showing a taste for the new menu on offer, with the officially-sanctioned India Premier League (IPL) battling it out for air time with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The world's largest cricket catchment area, India has quickly lured the world's top players into taking up well-rewarded bit-parts in a new drama which looks set to run and run.