DUBAI: There has been a sense of unease within the International Cricket Council (ICC) over how ODI cricket is being played over the last few years. It’s the only format which sees changes in the playing conditions by the time a World Cup arrives in four years. While ICC has invested heavily in the machinery to popularize T20s and Test cricket, ODIs are struggling to strike the balance between being entertaining and competitive.
The statesmen of the game – ranging from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli – have been particularly vociferous against two balls being used in an ODI innings during matches played on benign pitches. This has put the ICC in an awkward situation.
ICC CEO David Richardson said that there is very little scope of going back to playing with just one ball but mentioned that ball manufacturers have been asked to work on the quality of the balls. “We have mandated manufacturers to come up with a ball that can last the entire 50 overs without getting invisible. Ideally, there should be one ball but right now we can’t go back to that,” Richardson said.
Richardson further claimed that there has been varying feedback from current players on this issue. “It depends who you ask. Some spinners say the ball stays hard and it allows them to get more bounce and get-through off the pitch. Some would deny that,” he claimed.
There have been doubts over the relevance of bilateral ODI cricket too. ICC has formulated an ODI league that would determine the qualification for the World Cup due to be held in 2023. “The bilateral series will be sorted by the ODI league – a 13-team tournament. That will create a lot of context. Besides qualification to World Cup, it will generate understandable interest. As far as ODI cricket is concerned, our research says it’s still a very popular format,” Richardson said.
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