Former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram on Saturday suggested a change in the ODI format as he believed that 50-over cricket is losing its essence as the major part of a 50-over match is of no significant interest.
Akram believes that the format is no longer the way it used to be because of the ever-changing nature of cricket as the former left-handed pacer stated that it is different from T20 and Test cricket.
“There’ll be another 50-over World Cup? God, do something about ODIs,” said Akram during commentary of first Test between Pakistan and Australia.
“It’s just too long. The format has disappeared, especially the bilateral series. It’s a very different format from T20 and Test cricket, it’s kind of in between. You have to be a specialist," he added.
“The only problem is that ODI cricket, for me, is from the 10th to the 40th over, most of the time nothing happens. Teams are going at four-an-over and the bowling side is saying, okay, we will give you four-an-over. The last ten and the first ten overs, the powerplays, are more exciting and that’s where something has to be done, I think.”
He then went on to advise the change he would like to see in the 50-over cricket.
“I’ll probably go 40 overs instead of 50 because the attention span is gone. It’s disappearing a bit because of the T20 format. Test cricket is the ultimate, no doubt.”
In the past, India’s Sachin Tendulkar suggested changing the 50-over format by splitting it into four innings of 25 overs each. Akram also shed light on the cricket’s great saying it would be too long.
“Somebody mentioned, the great Sachin as well, to play four innings [of 25 overs each], that means the whole game will go on for probably three days. I did play one game in 2001 in Cardiff of two innings, 25 overs each, it was too long. It was interesting, but it was too long, the changeover and everything.”
Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of the Indian cricket team, echoed Akram’s views: “We had a great World Cup in 50 overs, so it could stay, but the future would be, I reckon, 40 overs.”
