Ravichandran Ashwin Feels ODI Cricket Needs To Find Its Spot

India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin feels the one-day format is in risk of becoming unimportant and claims he turns off 50-over matches when they are on television. 

Although the World Cup is in October, T20 is now the major emphasis of the white-ball game, England is currently playing India in a three-match ODI series. 

Ravichandran Ashwin Worried About ODI Cricket

Additionally, with Test cricket seeing a rebirth as a result of England’s thrilling run-chases under the leadership of new head coach Brendon McCullum, Ashwin has expressed his concerns about the 50-over game’s future. 

“The greatest beauty of one-day cricket is – sorry, was – the ebbs and flows of the game,” Ashwin, who has participated in the current Test lineup and has played 113 ODIs for India, said on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast. 

“People used to bide their time and take the game deep.” 

And Ashwin, who is regarded as one of India’s all-time best spinners and has 442 Test wickets to his credit, thinks the 50-over format no longer maintains a balance between the bat and the ball. 

“The one-day format used to be a format where bowlers had a say. Even me, as a cricket badger and a cricket nut, I switch off the TV after a point and that’s frankly very scary for the format of the game. When those ebbs and flows go missing, it’s not cricket anymore. It’s just an extended form of T20,” said Ashwin. 

“It’s a question of relevance and I think ODI cricket needs to find its relevance. It needs to find its spot.” 

Ravichandran Ashwin Wants One Ball Per Inning In ODI’s, Shares It’s Advantages

The 35-year-old off-spinner thinks that keeping only one ball every inning would make the match more competitive. 

“I think one ball is something that would work and spinners would come into the game to bowl more at the back end. Reverse swing might come back in, which is crucial for the game. 

“I would also say we need to go back to the ball we used around 2010 – I don’t think we use the same ones anymore! As I grew up, I watched the one-day sport and, although Glenn McGrath was an amazing bowler, the ball is definitely not doing as much as it used to!” 

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