By Justin Langer Former Australia Test batsman, current Somerset captain

It is absolutely no wonder Twenty20 cricket has taken England by storm and it won't be long before the entire world goes mad for the shortest version of the game.

Administrators have embraced the game as a pure source of entertainment

The fact there is a Twenty20 World Cup just around the corner suggests the game is not going away fast.

As a player who has spent most of his cricketing days dodging a new ball in Test cricket, it may come as a surprise to hear of my enjoyment of Twenty20. In many ways it also shocks me, because until I played the game I was one of its greatest critics.

My cynicism stemmed from the joke of hit and giggle, country-style slogging which would destroy the beauty and tradition of our game.

In the early days, I like many others, felt Twenty20 cricket would be nothing more than a fad, which would vanish as quickly as it arrived.

But then, I was reminded of similar sentiments when the late Mr Kerry Packer introduced World Series Cricket to Australia and the world.

The attraction of the game lies in the atmosphere and the attitude of everyone involved in it.

Administrators have embraced the game as a pure source of entertainment.

The music and colour work well with the opportunity to provide a wider audience with more than just another game of cricket and the players are given a license to express themselves in every aspect of the game.

Twenty20 cricket is a money-spinner, but it is also a great deal of fun; a concept which is quite often lost in the world of professional cricket. Perhaps this simple fact is why it has been welcomed by the public and the players worldwide.

Michael Dighton is a recent import into county cricket

Talking of welcoming, there seems to be a growing suspicion around county cricket about the influx of Kolpak players into the system.

I have to be careful not to upset some of my friends and even a couple of my team mates at Somerset but, in my opinion, the ECB and the county clubs should be very careful about their attitude towards foreign players who do not count against the quota of two overseas stars per side.

Many of those either use the European court's controversial and complicated Kolpak ruling and others, who live and play overseas, hold UK passports.

As an example, I was interested to hear that one of my former team-mates in Australia, Michael Dighton, had signed for Derbyshire.

Considering he, Simon Katich and Travis Birt all took part in the last Pura Cup final in Australia, it seems a little strange that they are now all playing for the same side in England.

More overseas players who are not considered overseas players may help strengthen teams and therefore the overall standard of county cricket.

But I am not convinced it is going to the promote the overall development of cricket in England.

I understand no rules are being broken and I can also understand why the clubs would like to employ more players from outside of this country.

I also feel, though, that there should be a balance struck to ensure clubs aren't taking the easy option of neglecting the home grown and grass roots development of cricket on their own doorsteps.