Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has proposed a unique idea to revitalise the One-Day International (ODI) cricket by reducing the number of overs from 50 to 40. Finch suggests this change could attract more audiences and rejuvenate interest in the format.
He argues that the current 50-over format can feel lengthy, especially when matches are affected by slow over rates.
Despite the success of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, concerns persist about the format's relevance and popularity. T20 cricket, known for its fast-paced action and the popularity of franchise leagues, has overshadowed ODI cricket in recent years.
The 37-year-old Finch believes that adopting a format similar to the NatWest Pro40 League could help bring excitement back to ODI cricket and reignite its popularity.
People will argue that it's a glorified T20 game: Aaron Finch
"I think it goes to 40 overs, I'd love to see that…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 told ESPNcricinfo.
The Pro40 League was a one-day cricket tournament held for first-class cricket counties in England and Wales. It adopted a 40-over format, with provisions to shorten matches to a minimum of 10 overs per team in the event of delays.
On the other side, another former Australian cricketer, Callum Ferguson, who was also involved in the conversation, proposed that Finch's idea would primarily benefit teams with a low success rate in ODIs and may not be advantageous for others.
"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 suit that type of series, it might bring them closer together," Ferguson said.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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