One Day International: Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has suggested trimming the One Day International (ODI) game to 40 overs amid concerns of dwindling crowd interest and sluggish over rates.
Finch’s words echo a growing sentiment among cricketing circles that the traditional 50-over format may be losing its appeal, particularly in comparison to the rapid rise of T20 Internationals (T20Is), which have captured the imaginations of younger audiences worldwide.
“I think the game’s gone too long, in my opinion. In England, they used to have the pro-40 and that was a huge competition. I think the game’s gone too long, in my opinion. The speed at which the teams bowl their 50 overs is so slow, it’s down around 11 or 12 overs/hour and that’s not acceptable. People will argue that maybe it’s a glorified T20 game but it’s about the crowds,” Finch said on ESPN.
However, Callum Ferguson, another former Australian cricketer not convinced by Finch’s proposal, expressed reservations about adopting the 40-over format universally.
“I am not quite sold on that for every series. I think when you’ve got the big dogs all playing against each other, I still think the 50-over game’s electric and the ebbs and flows are wonderful but when they are so one-sided, when you’ve got the West Indies… who are trying to fight their way back into the World Cup, they are so off the track, I think 40 overs might actually suit that type of series, it might bring them closer together,” said Fergusan.