Last Updated on 2 minutes ago by Charbel Coorey
Birmingham will be the venue for the first One Day International between India and England today but the future of the 50-over format is already being discussed again before a ball has been bowled.
During the pre-match press conference yesterday, India captain Shubman Gill was asked about the state ODIs. In recent years, some cricket experts and ex-cricketers have expressed the view that the current bilateral format has become outdated. They have also asked how long fans can be kept interested in a full day of cricket, with calls to reduce the number of overs. However, the ICC is said to keep ODIs at 50 overs, according to reports.
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Shubman Gill calls for the return of the triangular series
Gill did not suggest shortening the overs but suggested a more vintage way to make the ODI game more attractive to players and spectators.
The Indian skipper said a tri-series between multiple teams should return. In this way, the format can maintain its originality without failing in generating drama and excitement among the fans.
“I don’t think he should be 40 overs,” he said. “We used to play a lot of triangular series and it was a lot of fun to watch. We used to play in Australia, India, Australia, Sri Lanka. You’re not playing with just one team. You’re playing with two different teams. You’re playing in different venues.
“So, I think, if we want to make this (ODI) format interesting, instead of having bilateral series, we should have triangular series, maybe quadrangular series. Let’s do something like that, so that will be interesting to play and to watch.”
Hoopla Around ODI Cricket Format Continues
Questions about the future of ODI cricket have been more frequent in recent years. But with the growth of T20 cricket and the packed international calendar, many former players have proposed changes that could help keep the format relevant.
There have been calls for shorter matches, plus changes to conditions of play and tournament formats. But Gill has been adamant that it is not the format that is the problem but rather the scheduling of bilateral cricket.
His proposal has offers an alternative that retains the traditional 50-over game and gives the format some additional context.
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