English
New Delhi: Ben Stokes’ bat is something to cherish for English cricket. After all, it was a deflection off it that eventually somehow contrived to give England the ICC World Cup title, close to three years ago. But then, as the same bat didn’t quite manage to connect to a reverse-sweep and the all-rounder was dismissed for just five runs in what was to be his last One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa on Tuesday, it would be safe to say that England would miss him in the 50-over format. If it lasts, of course.
Stokes’ retirement from ODIs is something that could well become a fashion. While the International Cricket Council (ICC) doesn’t yet acknowledge it, the 50-over format is looking progressively more remote and uninspiring.
The middle over of any ODI can be quite engrossing, or boring, depending on where you learned your cricket. For the old-timers, the chess game of the middle overs still holds some allure, but unfortunately, the current fan base is nourished more and more on the 20-over format, with the ICC and individual boards adding to the menu by the year.
Reports of the Indian Premier League possibly having a two-and-a-half-month window from next year means only one thing – reduction in the number of bilateral series. Ravi Shastri has already gone on record asking for lesser number of bilateral TO International series, but our humble opinion is that if any format will take a hit, it will be the ODIs.
Look at the manner in which it is handled even now. India are sending a team to Zimbabwe for three ODIs, with many top players not in the fray.
Same is the case with the team going to the West Indies. It is practically an A team for the ODIs, while the cream (with some notable absences) is reserved for the T20Is.
Even without the T20 World Cup, it is fairly evident that the international board and also the national ones give more priority to T20Is.
Franchise 20-over tournaments are dime a dozen now, and every country has one, or more, such tournaments every year. So where is the time for the rest?
For sure, Test cricket will stay. It may become a clash between the top few teams, but that sheer class of rivalry that Tests provide cannot be matched.
At the same time. T20Is attract fans like nothing else, and you can play so many more, simply because of the time factor.
There is definitely need to figure out how much T20 is too much, but it is here to stay. By the simple process of elimination, 50-over cricket will be the casualty.
Boards still play this because it provides for a longer period for the broadcasters to initiate Return on Investment, but one still gets a feeling that even their RoI would be more effective in the longest or shortest formats.
Sadly, the ODI format, and the experiments of four innings of 25 overs each with breaks in the middle and such have not really caught people’s imaginations. Significantly, such experiments have also stopped in a hurry.
So, Stokes may be thinking ahead of the rest. Smart cricketer he always was, so don’t be surprised if there are more who go that way, soon.
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