R Ashwin is always known to speak his mind, and he has become even more active on various issues, ever since his retirement from international cricket during the Australia Test series. This time, Ashwin opened up on the real reason for the decline of the ODI cricket.
R Ashwin Questions Two-ball Rule in ODIs
The ongoing Champions Trophy is a classic example where the hosts Pakistan failed to fill the stadium, despite country hosting an ICC tournament after a gap of 29 years. “Before this Afghanistan versus England match, I was wondering whether there is any future for ODI cricket. Let’s be very honest with it. In T20Is, there is so much crowd engagement, 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 improves,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel on on Friday.
“But in ODIs, 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 meant to nullify India’s spin domination. That is just my take,” Ashwin added.
Aimed at Ending India’s Dominance?
Ashwin added, that in a bid to nullify India’s advantage, it has negatively impacted the game. “I think that is impacting the game massively because reverse swing is gone from the game now. The role of finger spin has also been reduced. The 50-over World Cup (2027) in South Africa is going to be a real challenge for the ICC.
“It is on 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: is there a place for 50-over cricket in today’s game?” Ashwin added. “There used to be a time where one-day used to be played with the red ball. It is time to seriously give it a thought about this particular format of the game,” he said.
