2023 ODI World Cup Discussion

[Kriterion_BD]

The World Cup table continues to be blown wide open. Good stuff. And Bangladesh and Sri Lanka haven't even gotten in on the action yet! Kudos to Afghanistan and Netherlands.

Top 7-8 sides all with a shot at making the semi-finals.

[andrea lanzoni]

I think ODI cricket is in severe trouble. There is one format too many and ODIs are the odd one out. I loved the ODI-age of the 1990s and 2000s but I guess the world has moved on? I wouldn't be surprised to see the format killed off altogether. It makes zero sense to only play the format every four years.

Indeed ODI is in a crisis.

it doesn't have, it never had, it won't ever have the beauty of Test cricket.

On the other hand it can't compete against T20s as a large audience attraction.

More likely future is that ODI will disappear leaving only T20s and Test cricket.
Farnchise leagues and Olympics will continue to attract fans.
Test cricket may defend its niche (provided it concentrates all Test matches in a defined period of the year). International audience can welcome a couple of months a year fully dedicated to World Test Championship.

[eugene]

I much prefer ODIs to T20s as good ODIs can still ebb and flow like tests, although players seem less and less suited to the format these days. The fiddling with rules also seems to have turned ODIs into longer versions of T20 which is pointless.

[TapsC2]

I much prefer ODIs to T20s as good ODIs can still ebb and flow like tests, although players seem less and less suited to the format these days. The fiddling with rules also seems to have turned ODIs into longer versions of T20 which is pointless.

Your last point is on the money and that's what will probably kill ODIs. The scores we are seeing these days make it seem like a long T20. I don't know how they can fix that. More protection for bowlers? Get rid of the first power play maybe?

ODIs are my favourite but they will most probably rather protect test matches. It also affect hundreds of players who are not suited for T20s but don't play enough Test cricket

[eugene]

Having a new ball from each end hasn't helped I don't think. The pitches seem to rarely favour an even contest, and the boundary ropes are always brought in also. It is possible batsmen have just got a lot better than most bowlers also which has upset the dynamic. I miss the days of 250 or so being a competitive score.

[TapsC2]

I saw some people also suggest that maybe they make it 40 overs instead of 50 and allow 4 bowlers to bowl 10. I'm not completely against this. I think a way of balancing it out would be to allow the better bowlers to bowl more overs at the batsmen who clearly have an advantage right now.

The more I think about it the more agree that something has to change to make it more unique. Some have also suggested substitutes although I don't think I'm a fan of that. The thinking being a 13 a-side game would bring in more bowlers.

[sam_ahm]

Death of ODIs will actually mean more franchise stuff and international cricket taking a back seat... Slowly the interest in so many leagues will also fade, they can never go football way.

ICC and cricket boards are shooting themselves in the foot by killing ODIs.

Not many boards can afford to play test cricket. ODIs they still can... So such boards will focus only on T20s, further reducing the quality of international cricket.

[Kriterion_BD]

Good PP from the Tigers.

SA 56-2 after 13

[sam_ahm]

If there any team that looks like Challenging India for the title, it's got to be South Africa.

And it's not just about their batting, their bowling is bloody good too... They can also rotate Coetzee and Shamsi based on the pitch.

[Kriterion_BD]

From what I have seen actually India's bowling looks the best.

South Africa have the best batting though, and by some distance.