Is ODI cricket on the decline? ICC plays down threat to shorter format

The debate regarding ODI cricket's relevance in the present era continues. Over the past few weeks, many former, as well as active cricketers and experts of the game,have opined on whether ODI cricket is losing its sheen and feel it cannot be compared to the shortest format in terms of entertainment value.

When it comes to T20 cricket, it is continuing its rapid rise with each passing year as many non-cricketing countries have also taken a liking to the sport by investing their time and energy in the format. On the other hand, Test cricket has seen some humdingers in the last few years and the emergence of the ICC World Test Championship has acted as a huge boost for the purest form of the game. Amid all this, ODI cricket remains stagnant and many feel several bilateral 50-over series need to cut down or the format can exist only in the form of the World Cup.

Amid all this, Ben Stokes' shocking ODI retirement -- citing difficulty in sustaining himself at the top level by playing all formats -- has intensified the whole debate. On Wednesday (July 27), ICC chief executive George Allardice said the structuring of the game's three formats was part of the discussionat the governing body's annual general meeting in Birmingham, where the Future Tours Programme (FTP) 2023-27 got finalised.

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"I think at this stage there is some discussion, not specifically about ODIs, but about the mix of formats within the calendar," Allardice said in a video conference as per a report in Sky Sports. "Countries have been, in their FTPs, are still scheduling a healthy number of ODIs as well."

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Further, Allardice stated that some members put "particular attention on their domestic leagues" but insisted that their commitment to international and bilateral cricket remains "as strong as it's ever been".

"Each of them has to manage that balance between domestic competitions, their international schedule and the management of their players. Each of those boards is in a slightly different situation. So there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to that balancing issue," he added.

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Recently, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri said 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 of 60 overs. After that, people thought that 60 overs were a bit too long. People found that span of overs between 20 to 40 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,” he added.

Meanwhile, the likes of Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi and Usman Khawaja have also echoed similar sentiments whereas the likes of Quinton de Kock and Eoin Morgan have continued to back the 50-over format.