As Australia grapples with a good worldwide schedule, cricket legend Mark Waugh foresees a future the place One-Day Worldwide (ODI) cricket is essentially reserved for main tournaments just like the ICC World Cup and Champions Trophy. Waugh, reflecting on Australia’s latest 1-2 ODI collection loss to Pakistan with a second-string facet, has voiced a practical but bittersweet prediction: that the normal 50-over format could also be squeezed out in favour of the shorter T20 format and Take a look at matches exterior of high-stakes competitions.
The Australian facet, lacking star Take a look at gamers Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, struggled within the absence of its senior gamers. After Cummins’ heroics within the first ODI helped clinch an in depth win, his subsequent relaxation, together with different Take a look at stars, left an inexperienced lineup that suffered back-to-back crushing losses, marked by poor batting show’s which noticed the WC winners being dismissed for simply 163 and 140 runs respectively within the second and third ODI respectively.
It was Australia’s first ODI dwelling collection defeat to Pakistan since 2002, and the efficiency spurred cricket commentators Ian Healy and Michael Clarke to counsel that Cricket Australia could also be dropping curiosity in low-stakes bilateral collection.
For Waugh, certainly one of Australia’s best ODI gamers with 18 worldwide centuries, the format’s dilution by bilateral collection has develop into obvious.
“I believe you are spot on. The World Cup and the Champions Trophies are nonetheless nice occasions. The final World Cup in India was an incredible match, not simply because Australia gained. I nonetheless assume it is a unbelievable match and it is an amazing format as a result of it combines a little bit of T20 and Take a look at match cricket within the 50-over recreation. You do not need to lose the 50-over recreation fully,” Waugh informed information.com.au.
However with an ever-packed calendar, notably with T20 leagues and tournaments increasing globally, Waugh believes the worth of 50-over bilateral collection could also be dwindling.
“However given the scheduling of all these T20 tournaments round now and with scheduling, it is squeezing out 50-over bilateral collection. Clearly it is an amazing factor to play in your nation, you do not need to disrespect that. However by the identical token, you need to be taking part in for one thing that is a bit greater than only a three-game collection thrown in the course of all these different tournaments and collection. I believe it is going to get phased out. I believe that is most likely the way in which to go,” added Waugh.
At the moment, the ODI format’s future could lie in unique occasions just like the ICC World Cup and Champions Trophy. Waugh envisions a mannequin the place bilateral ODIs may function warm-ups to bigger tournaments, however in between, they might lack endurance.
“While you get in direction of these huge tournaments like a World Cup, then you definitely may introduce some extra video games as lead-ups,” he added. “However…the three-match collection – nice for Pakistan clearly to win…however I do not assume it may be the spotlight of the cricket season,” he concluded.
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