T20 World Cup uses the fast and furious format of cricket. The pace appeals to new and existing fans

The first ever cricket World Cup hosted on American soil starts on June 1 and will be shared with countries in the Caribbean, represented by the two-time champions West Indies.

Do not be afraid. It won't drag on.

This World Cup is in the Twenty20 format, the fastest and most action-packed version of cricket.

Unlike Test cricket matches, which started timelessly before being shortened to five days, T20 requires no breaks for tea or lunch and is completed in just over three hours, roughly the same as a Major League Baseball match.

Players wear colorful uniforms, in contrast to the all-white wardrobe of test cricket.

WHEN DID TWENTY20 CRICKET BEGIN?

T20 was first played at franchise level in England in 2003. That makes it a baby in terms of cricket, which has been played in one form or another for at least 400 years.

Within four years, T20 had its own World Cup and spawned far-reaching competitions in traditional and new cricket markets. By far the most lucrative franchise cricket league is the Indian Premier League.

Major League Cricket, which attracts players from all over the world, made its debut in the US last year. Season 2 starts on July 4, four days after the T20 World Cup final.

SPEED AND ENTERTAINMENT

The two important factors with the T20 format: It speeds up the game, which generally means a lot more excitement. The game has also been shortened in time and is easier to consume for young fans, those new to the sport or, and this is essential for TV programming slots.

While the format leads to fast-paced action on the field, T20 has also led to an evolution in cricket off the field. Cheerleaders dancing on stages, DJs sitting behind decks spinning tunes and fancy dress themes are all part of the T20 game for the crowd, bringing a colorful new twist for those in the stadium and the viewers.

There is generally a festive atmosphere and there are often prizes for anyone who can catch with one hand when a player hits the ball into the crowd. However, unlike baseball, the ball must be put back on the field.

REGULATIONS

The main rules for crickets still apply in T20 games, meaning there can still be a steep learning curve for new fans unfamiliar with leg before wicket law, or lbw for short when a batsman is called for losing his protective leg pads used to prevent a throw from hitting the stumps.

In any case, there will be no ties. Test cricket has two ways in which a game has no winner even if it has been going on for five days.

But in T20, even if the teams get exactly the same number of runs (150 runs is an average score and more than 200 is a good score), then there is a Super Over to decide the match. That means each team faces one over of six balls to destroy as many runs as possible and whoever wins the tiebreak wins the game.

THE FINNER DETAILS

Like test and one-day international cricket, it is a game between two teams of eleven. Each team is allowed to bat for 20 overs (a series of six deliveries from the same bowler), which translates to 120 deliveries, excluding extras, per inning. Hence the name Twenty20.

The leather ball is white and resembles a baseball in appearance.

Bowlers run to the crease and use a rotating arm action to bowl the ball and attempt to hit the bails of three 28-inch stumps from the opposite end of the 22-yard field. Batters try to protect the stumps while scoring runs as quickly as possible by hitting the ball over or between fielders.

And so, at least in the T20 format, they regularly hit the ball out of the ground, akin to a home run.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Unlike the traditional Cricket World Cup, which was first contested in 1975, played largely in the 50-over format and dominated by six-time champions Australia, success in the global T20 tournament has been more evenly distributed. Only the West Indies, representing the Caribbean countries, and England have won it twice. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia have one T20 title each.

THE STARS

Virat Kohli, India: A feisty and formidable batsman who set records in the Indian Premier League and during a long career with the national team. There are an array of high-profile stars in the Indian squad, but none have a bigger following than the 35-year-old former captain.

rashid khan, Afghanistan: The 25-year-old leg-spinner is the top-ranked T20 bowler in international cricket and remains highly ranked in the Top 10. He has been a star in the IPL and for the Afghanistan national team.

Jofra Archer, England: When he's fit, he's super fast. The Barbados-born paceman has not played much cricket in recent years due to injury, but has quickly been reinstated into the defending champions' squad due to his intimidating bowling and experience in Caribbean conditions.

Mitch Marsh, Australia: A big, sturdy all-rounder, meaning he bats and bowls. An innings away from a blazing start, Marsh can also bowl with pace. He is recovering from a hamstring problem that curtailed his IPL season and is unlikely to bowl at the start of the World Cup but will play as captain anyway. He was the player of the final as Australia won its first T20 world title in 2021.

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South Africa-based Associated Press writer Gerald Imray contributed.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket