The "World's Richest Game:" Stanford's Vision Could End Test Cricket

Money talks.

This is one statement that cannot possibly be argued with in relation to sports in the current decade. Eight of the twenty English Premier League clubs are under the control of foreign investors, with many of these knowing as much about football as my gran knows about hip hop; just ask a Man City or Liverpool fan what they think of their respective owners.

And the latest story from English sport wouldn't look out of place in today's money-dominated national game: Texan billionaire waves incredible sums of money and garners the interest of the people running proud teams with rich heritage.

Except this time it's not football; it's the traditional, unfettered sport of cricket.

Sir Allen Stanford, self professed cricket "enthusiast" and naturalised resident of Antigua and Barbuda, has offered to bankroll an annual Twenty20 exhibition match between England, the oldest national side in the sport, and his "native" West Indies, the best Test side in the world twenty years ago.

Only it's not the West Indies we know and love; it's a "Stanford XI," hand picked by Sir Allen.

The matches will be played out on his private ground in Antigua with each member of the winning team earning $500,000 for their part in the match. Not only that, but subs and coaching staff have $1m to split between them and £3.5m to be shared between the ECB and the West Indies Cricket Board.

Over five years, the total cost of these matches will rise to an astronomical £50m.

These matches are billed as the most expensive in team sport, worth more than the NBA playoffs, the World Series, the Champions League final or the Superbowl.

On the surface, it appears that Stanford is simply a cricket philanthropist who wants to revive Windies cricket and put on a good show, pumping money into the sport as a result. But he is not a billionaire tycoon by chance.

Stanford's vision is to make Twenty20 cricket the world's most popular sport, breaking into the US and perhaps ousting one of the more established American games.

He said, "With the right financial support, the right vision, it can be the dominant team sport in the world."

He went on to comment, "Twenty20 is what's going to grab the TV revenue and it's the future of the sport, make no mistake about that." A chilling statement for fans of Test matches, a brand of the sport he refers to as "boring."

Stanford's view is even bleaker for ODIs. "I think, of the 50 over game, its shelf life may have come... I think Twenty20 will take [its] place."

The Texan's opinions and vision for the sport raises many concerns.

• In these big-money one-off matches, will jealousy breed for those left behind?
• Will his drive for Twenty20 spell the end of Test cricket?
• Will the money involved rip the soul out of cricket, ending loyalty to club or country in favour of chasing cash?
• Will T20 replace other sports in the public eye?

Only time, and the man's chequebook, will tell.

What is your opinion on the Stanford matches? Are they a good or bad thing? Will they spell the end for Tests or ODIs, or perhaps even make T20 the world's most popular sport? Please comment below.