Last Updated on 21 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
ODI cricket has found itself in a difficult predicament across the past 15 years, stuck awkawardly between the tradition of Tests and fast-moving T20 format.
As a result, the cricketing calendar has often resembled a dog’s breakfast, with bilaterals added in randomly among the plethora of T20 leagues around the world. It has meant reduced importance for ODIs, especially those played more than two years out from a World Cup.
What does the ICC have planned for ODI cricket?
According to a report in The Guardian, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering a few changes in an attempt to revive ODI cricket.
The first is potentially reducing the length from 50 overs down to 30 or 40. However, this won’t necessarily fix the scheduling issues in cricket currently.
In response, the ICC is also considering more multilateral, continental events, similar to that of the Asia Cup. This could give ODI cricket more relevance and create a sense of excitement around the format.
Another potential change is playing ODIs only 18 months before a World Cup. Such a move would give the 50-over format greater context as teams are building towards a major event. Also, it protects the Cricket World Cup (CWC) – the most prestigious tournament in the game.
But, this would invite other questions. The ICC would need to determine the qualification process for a tournament across a period of just 18 months. Plus, how many teams would feature in the CWC? 14 teams will take part in the 2027 and 2031 editions, but is there scope to increase?
Fans, players share concerns on the future of ODI cricket
A CricBlog fan survey back in 2022 found that a third of fans believe ODI cricket will be gone by 2037. T20 cricket is the game’s money-maker and Test cricket is the foundation on which the game was built on.
Also, cricketers have shared concerns around the format in recent years. R Ashwin is the latest to do so, saying that T20 is the format to globalise the sport, especially with a return to the Olympics in 2028.
“If the game has to become global and an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is,” Ashwin said. “And that’s how it’s going to become much bigger and you will see a better sample size of players. Which is also very critical for several of these leagues which run through the year. T20 as a sport is here to stay. I’m not too sure about ODI cricket.”
The ICC’s annual general meeting will take place from Wednesday in Edinburgh. The game’s governing body will sit down with the 12 full member nations to discuss the game’s biggest issues, including the state of ODIs.
