Various Australian cricketers have come out in support of reducing ODI cricket to 40 overs. They feel that with the growing advent of T20Is, this format of the game is becoming boring and something should be done to make it exciting.
Australian crickets in favour of reducing ODI cricket to 40 overs
The increase in the popularity of the T20 leagues and T20I cricket across the world over the last few years has put a question mark on the future of ODI cricket. Many have even raised their voices against the 50-over format as they feel that it’s time-consuming.
However, not only cricket viewers but various players as well as former cricketers have found themselves in several debates related to the future of ODI cricket. They are of the opinion that there’s a need to alter the 50-over format as the T20I format is entertaining as well as less time-consuming.
Recently ABC Sports talked to various Australian cricketers and asked their opinion about the future of the ODIs. Although, almost every Aussie player wants to play the 50-over format they are alterations and changes in this format of the game.
Usman Khawaja was very vocal about cut shorting the format. He said that 50 overs seem to be long and reducing ODI cricket to 40 overs will make it entertaining and exciting
“50 overs is just that little bit too long now. Take out that little middle bit, you’d get to 25 overs and you’d look up and ‘oh crap, there’s only 15 overs left, let’s go again. So you don’t have that little lull. That’s my only objection to one-day cricket.” He said.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa is also in favour of scrapping the format to fewer overs. He said: “[They] either need to be scrapped or something needs to be done with them. Bonuses or extra free hits or something, make it a bit more interesting,”.
🏏❓ How would you fix men's ODI cricket? Does it need fixing in the first place?
AdvertisementWe asked some of our Aussie cricketers what they thought about the fifty over format, and how they would try and fix it. pic.twitter.com/f4fwkrA7R1
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) October 10, 2022
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Nathan Lyon also gave his verdict on the debate. He said that he’d be more than happy if one ball returns to the game. He said. “I’d love to see one ball come back into it. One ball from both ends, stop giving batters a brand new ball to hit. I’d like to see [them] bring reverse swing, bring spin back into it.”
Aaron Finch, Ashton Agar and Alex Carey in favour of the ODI format
Aston Agar, however, was in favour of the format and backed full 50 overs to be part of the game. He said:
“Ten overs is a lovely amount of bowling time, 50 overs is a good time to bat; it gives guys down the order a bit of time if a few wickets have fallen I think people get frustrated that maybe it takes a bit too long, but I think that’s just because of the advent of T20 cricket. I like ODI cricket.”
Former Australian ODI skipper Aaron Finch said that although the format can be cut short to 40 overs but when the World Cup will come next year people will forget about the recent debate.
Wicketkeeper batter Alex Carey also batted for the ODI format to be played for the full 50 overs. Giving his take on the debate he said: There’s still lots of room in the game for one-day cricket for sure” and for evidence of this, look no further than the 2019 World Cup in England, where “the atmosphere was incredible”.
1. Put it back on free-to-air so more people can see it.
2. Put the ODDs on at 2pm, same as the ODIs. Draw more interst into the domestic competition and interest in ODIs will follow.
3. Reduce the number of T20Is. A standard tour should include 3-5 tests, 3-5 ODIs and 1-3 T20s.— Stormblessed_04 (@Stormblessed_04) October 10, 2022
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