Advertisement
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has suggested a reduction in the length of One Day Internationals (ODIs) to 40 overs, citing concerns about declining crowd interest and slow over rates.
Finch’s sentiments align with a prevailing view in cricketing circles that the traditional 50-over format may be losing its appeal, especially in comparison to the growing popularity of T20 Internationals (T20Is) among younger audiences worldwide.
“I think the game’s gone too long, in my opinion. In England, they used to have the pro-40, and that was a huge competition. The speed at which the teams bowl their 50 overs is so slow, it’s down around 11 or 12 overs/hour, and that’s not acceptable. People will argue that maybe it’s a glorified T20 game, but it’s about the crowds,” Finch remarked during an interview with ESPN.
Advertisement
However, former Australian cricketer Callum Ferguson expressed reservations about Finch’s proposal, stating, “I am not quite sold on that for every series. I think when you’ve got the big dogs all playing against each other, I still think the 50-over game’s electric and the ebbs and flows are wonderful. But when they are so one-sided, when you’ve got the West Indies… who are trying to fight their way back into the World Cup, they are so off the track, I think 40 overs might suit that type of series, it might bring them closer together,” said Ferguson.
-IANS
