India’s cricketer-turned-commentator, Ravi Shastri, has backed Shahid Afridi’s proposal to reduce the ODI format to 40 overs per side, saying there is no harm in doing so because it was reduced from 60 to 50 overs decades ago.
Commentating during the ODI series between West Indies and India, Shastri stated that the 1983 World Cup had 60-over games, but the games were a little too long, so the format was trimmed by 10 overs.
The debate about the ODI being an exhausting format in today’s cricket erupted after England’s Test captain, Ben Stokes, abruptly announced his retirement from ODI cricket, and the majority of former cricketers and analysts backed his decision.
Last week, former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram, the leading wicket-taking pacer in ODI cricket, asked the ICC to scrap the ODI format because he believes it is too exhausting for a player to play one-day cricket.
A former Indian batter responded to the discussion by stating that the 50-over ODI format has been used for decades and that it is time to change it to 40 overs.
Since the 2019 ODI World Cup, all cricket boards have ignored the ODI format, and earlier this month, Cricket South Africa canceled a three-match ODI series against Australia to host its franchise tournament.
I hate T20s. I love Test matches and ODI. Please Scrap T20s and all these franchise leagues. Long live ODI and Test Cricket. Kill T20s.