NICK HOWSON: Behind-closed doors will be a fresh challenge for clubs who will be without overseas starts to supercharge their campaigns
If the cynical view is that the Bob Willis Trophy is not severely affected by crowds not being permitted to watch - with County Championship attendances generally quite thin and dominated by members - then that same theory cannot be applied to the Blast, which for the most part will be played behind closed doors.
The UK government has permitted that fans can return to stadiums from October 1, but as things stand that will only apply for Finals Day at Edgbaston. The pilot scheme which is currently underway could allow some matches to be populated, but those proposals are yet to be confirmed. For Finals Day to be played with a partial crowd, there would surely have to be at least one trial.
Sport in front of empty grounds is not a new phenomenon. Indeed, it has been normalised across the entire industry thanks to Premier League football, domestic rugby and international boxing to name a few. Cricket has been among the front-runners, staging high-level global sport in a safe environment and the Blast will be no different.
But it is vital we don't forget just how important crowds are. They are the red line between your Sunday afternoon knock-about and a prestigious event. And if there is a competition where the difference between the two is starker than ever, it's in the Blast.
A rowdy Friday night at Chelmsford, a pulsating Roses clash at Headingley or Emirates Old Trafford and a sultry afternoon at Taunton will not be the same without English cricket's ultimate soundtrack.
The idea of Finals Day without fans is barely worth thinking about. Even a partial crowd would betray the rationale behind the occasion. Sweet Caroline. Mr Motivator. Bumble. The Mascot Derby. Four teams. Three matches. One champion. You don't have to love it, just accept that without a live audience, these ingredients lose purpose. Together they create an experience few countries have been able to mirror.
Our county system demands respect not abandonment in the wake of coronavirus
To combat the lack of fans for most, if not all, of the Blast counties have worked tirelessly to update and improve on their online streaming services which have been rolled out during the red-ball season. The interest has been huge and will ratchet up a notch when the Blast gets underway.
The service is hugely impressive, for what is essentially a non-commercial operation, provided free-of-charge and often broadcast via YouTube or social media. Previously, it was just a one camera operation with BBC Radio commentary played over the top but the pandemic forced many clubs to add to the operation.
Footage can now be shown from both ends, while some have remote cameras around the ground. Clubs like Nottinghamshire for example have turned the streams into a full production complete with a presenter and post-day interviews. At a time when fans need some love and affection, counties have extended the olive branch.
The Blast promises to add to that. Expect fan packs to be sent to members, watch-alongs to return, and an attempt to make those at home as much part of the event as possible. Most matches will be made available to watch online and 10 group stage games are being shown on Sky Sports, alongside one quarter-final clash and Finals Day.
It is a summer where fans will be remembered as being more important than ever. It is just a shame they won't be around to thank them.
Edgbaston has been used for a pilot event - but it remains to be seen if fans will return for Finals Day
As with the Bob Willis Trophy, the lack of overseas talent means youngsters will be given a foot-up on the ladder in the T20 Blast. Whether it be Jared Warner at Yorkshire, Jack Carson at Sussex, Glamorgan's Callum Taylor, or Lancashire star George Balderson you won't be able to move for the young pretenders looking to make an impression in front of the cameras.
There are numerous metrics to gauge how damaging this summer will be to the growth of cricket. Those already within the game will surely only cherish it more, not taking it for granted ever again. Meanwhile, those inspired by the events of 2019 may no longer be interested. The ECB will be tracking participation numbers closely.
If the bottom of the pyramid does indeed shrink, then at least it is being offset by opportunities for those further up it. For many, this season might have been another in the Second XI, running drinks occasionally and clamouring for a net with the first XI, worrying what the future might hold with contracts expiring and rookie deals coming to an end.
Coupled with a change to PCA rules - academy deals can be extended and summer contracts are permitted for 2021 - chances for young players means the immediate future is relatively positive. It is a period of respite before the real after-effects of the pandemic hit, which won't become clear until 2021.
Marnus Labuschagne. Mohammad Nabi. Glenn Maxwell. Kieron Pollard. Corey Anderson. Rashid Khan. Nicholas Pooran. What county cricket gives in opportunities for youngsters, it has lost in overseas talent. The domestic scene has been stripped of some of the world's best, some of whom will be in the Caribbean Premier League - the first franchise competition to return to action.
Most counties have cancelled and delayed the contracts of their proposed overseas signings. On top of the complexity of overseas travel from some nations, finances and the revised schedule has forced the hand of most sides. There is no doubt it removes the sparkle from this year's competition, but that is the hand the pandemic has dealt.
We await to see if Shaheen Afridi, currently touring with Pakistan, will join Hampshire or if Babar Azam will return to Somerset. Dan Christian may also represent Nottinghamshire. But it won't be a showcase of the very best from around the globe.
Instead, we have a Celtic contingent to focus on. With Ireland internationals now deemed overseas players, clubs now have a berth for individuals who are talented players in their own right, but perhaps wouldn't have considered in an open market.
Callum Taylor is among the young players looking to make an impression
Andrew Balbirnie is off to Glamorgan. Paul Stirling has returned to England at Northamptonshire. And Dublin-born Gareth Delany is Leicestershire-bound.
Not an overseas player, but the most exciting addition purely for the Blast comes in the form of Scotland's George Munsey, who has joined Hampshire. The 27-year-old has a T20 international century to his name, ODI fifties against England and Sri Lanka on his CV and finished as the leading run-scorer at last year's World Cup qualifier. And with a strike-rate a touch below 160 there is good reason to expect some fireworks on the south coast.
And then there is Jeetan Patel. The 40-year-old is in his final year as a professional before moving into the coaching sector and is effectively the Birmingham Bears' overseas player for the 2020 campaign. England had hoped to add him to their coaching set-up for the Pakistan Test series but visa issues meant they were unable to complete the deal.
As with the Bob Willis Trophy, a (slightly) reduced format and different qualification process opens up the possibility of a surprise victor. A handful of wins and some abandonments for your rivals and suddenly you're in the last eight.
Five counties have never lifted the Twenty20 Cup since its inception, and they will surely feel this year is their best yet to end that streak. Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Durham, Glamorgan and Gloucestershire have all failed to earn a slice of T20 glory that now stand 13 matches, rather than the normal 17, away.
Of those with a gap in their trophy cabinet, Yorkshire are surely the best place to fill it. They will have a strong England battery to call upon for the knock-out stage and Joe Root will begin the campaign as part of the set-up. Gloucestershire's young guns are not to be discounted either, led by the hugely talented Ryan Higgins.
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