MATTHEW Mott was blown away with the Indian Premier League during his stint as Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach but doesn’t think Australia can host a tournament to rival it.

Mott teamed up with former Australian coach John Buchanan on the Kolkata coaching staff and found it hard to fathom how big the IPL turned out to be.

The NSW Blues coach was in Orange last week and he talked about his experience in the cricket-mad nation.

“I just went over with a blank canvas and didn’t know what to expect and, as everyone was, we were just totally overawed by how big it ended up,” Mott said.

“It was an enormous tournament and then you throw in a mix of Bollywood and a mix of cricket, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how big it was.”

Mott now thinks the success of the Twenty20 tournament will see the shortened form of the game become more widely accepted in cricketing circles.

“It has basically sprung everyone into action. I think for a while, society has been asking for something like this,” he said.

“Cricket is a very traditional game and you don’t want to see that deteriorate but I think there is a market there where people want a result and they want all of the razzamatazz.”

But the former Victorian domestic player doesn’t believe Australia can host a competition to rival the IPL.

“I think Australia has got the ability to do it but I don’t think it is possible on that scale just purely numbers-wise,” Mott said.

“India has obviously got a population of one billion or whatever it is and just about everyone of them is keen on cricket.

“So from that point of view, you have got an easier market over there and throw in the Bollywood superstars that all love their cricket as well.

“But that’s not to say that it can’t work here. I think if it’s done well and there is a lot of thought put into it, I think it can be very successful back here.”