NEW DELHI: Former Team India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, renowned for his insightful cricketing perspectives, has voiced concerns about the balance between bat and ball in One Day Internationals (ODIs).
He argues that rule changes, like introducing two new balls and allowing an extra fielder in the circle, have tilted the game heavily in favor of batsmen.
“Before this Afghanistan versus England match I was wondering whether there is any future for ODI cricket,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “Let’s be very honest with it. In T20Is, there is so much crowd, and consumption is high because it ends inside four hours. I feel Test cricket will excel more once the first-class structure of teams like Afghanistan will improve.”
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Ashwin believes these changes, particularly the two new balls, have diminished the impact of reverse swing and finger spin, ultimately affecting the dynamism of ODIs.
Observing the ongoing Champions Trophy, Ashwin finds the format “monotonous” and questions its relevance in contemporary cricket, saying, “But in ODI there is no contest. Until 2013-14 ODI cricket was played with one ball. Before 2015, the new rule was implemented where five fielders were allowed in the circle and two balls were introduced. I think in many ways that rule was to nullify India’s spin domination. That is just my take.”
“I think that is impacting the game massively. Because reverse swing is gone from the game now. Role of finger spin was also reduced.”
“The 50 over World Cup (2027) in South Africa is going to be a real challenge for the ICC. It is at the brink of a decision being made. Because the game is going so slow. It’s meandering along. I have a question in my mind that is there a place for 50 overs in today’s cricket? Until this Afghanistan vs England game, this Champions Trophy was just so monotonous,” he said.
To revitalise the format, Ashwin proposes a radical solution: using red balls instead of white.
“There used to be a time where one-day used to be play with the red ball. It is time to seriously give it a thought about this particular format of the game,” he added.
