ABSTRACT
This article traces the transformation of the cricketer's playing and identification roles as T20 furthers the commercialisation and popularisation of a newer form of cricket. It suggests that community and national affiliations are breaking down as players now begin to appear for several very different teams in different global locations. That in turn begins to alter crowd perceptions and affiliations, which consequently differentiates the T20 form from the other predominant playing forms in the game. In time that might well have a dramatic effect on the game as a social entity.
