With the evolution of the T20 format, many thought that Test cricket will slowly go out of fashion. But, the red-ball format has managed to be alive and is kicking. Instead, the debate surrounding the ODI format has begun, with many believing that the format is dying. Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri reckons that the ODI format needs to be revamped so that it does not fade away. He has suggested shortening the overs to 40 from 50, to make the format more interesting.
Recently, Ben Stokes announced his retirement from 50-overs international cricket. He cited the hectic cricketing calendar and workload management as the reason. This has given rise to a debate over the relatability of ODI cricket in today’s times. Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi had earlier shared the same suggestion about ODI cricket. Ravi Shastri echoed Afridi’s thoughts stating that reducing the overs will be beneficial for the format.
“One-day cricket has become quite boring now. I would suggest to cut ODI cricket from 50 overs to 40 overs in order to make it entertaining,” said Afridi during his interview with Samaa TV.
No harm in shortening the span of the game: Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri second Shahid Afridi’s suggestion to shorten the overs from 40 to 50 in ODI cricket. He cited examples from the 1983 World Cup when the tournament was played for 60 overs per innings. Shastri added that it’s time to think forward as ODI has been played for 50 overs for a long time now. He said during the second ODI between India and West Indies on Fan code,
“There is no harm in shortening the span of the game. When one-day cricket started, it was of 60 overs. When we won the World Cup in 1983, it was 60 overs. After that, people thought that 60 overs were a bit too long. People found that the span of overs is between 20 to 40 and hard to digest. So they reduced it from 60 to 50. So years have gone by now since that decision so why not reduce it from 50 to 40 now. Because you got to be forward-thinking and evolve. It stayed for 50 for too long.”
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