The introduction of T20 into the international scene has changed the way the game is played in other formats. When it was first introduced, the free hit was under a lot of scrutiny as it helped the batsmen get the ultimate upper hand in an already batsmen friendly game. It was later that everyone realised that it helped the bowlers to be more disciplined and accurate. It was actually the batsmen who ended up finding a new shot, the scoop. T20 has brought more confidence to the teams chasing huge scores in one day internationals and the bowlers with a new ball, the slow bouncer.
Before T20, if teams chasing were in a situation of gettting around 150 runs in the last twenty overs, they would never make it. It is due to the shortest format that teams now back themselves to get any amount of runs. More sixes are being hit in the other two formats of the game. T20 has made the batsmen to score at a faster rate.
T20 has made test matches to progress at a quicker rate. More runs are being scored in a single day resulting in more result oriented matches. T20 has been successful in inviting the family audience to the grounds. The game being just three hours, more people it is just like watching a movie and decide to watch the matches in the ground. More importantly at the end of three hours there is a result.
Inspite of all the above one majore impact on the game, preparation of batsmen friendly pitches. The correct word would be bowler's land mine. T20 has made pitches for most one day matches to be a bowler's land mine. There is absolutely nothing in it for the bowlers. The batsmen invite the bowlers only to slaughter the ball to the fence or over it. Although T20 has taught the bowlers to bowl more yorkers and slower deliveries, the pitches prepared have made the bowlers look like beings from another planet. How can the game bring in more audience, in tests and one days, if they are going to prepare such pitches? The curators must be very cautious in not preparing T20 pitches for a test match or an ODI. T20 does come with its own bag of consequences.