Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is known for voicing out his opinion quite freely. He often puts hard-hitting views on various topics and speaks with a bold attitude. The Chennai-born has now raised concerns on the future of One-Day International (ODI) cricket, stating the format has to find its relevance while admitting that he switches off the television during an ODI fixture.
“It’s a question of relevance, and I think ODI cricket needs to find its relevance. It needs to find its spot,” Ashwin, who himself has 151 wickets in 113 ODIs, said on the ‘Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket club podcast’.
Ashwin said that despite him being a passionate fan of the game, he often switches off the TV after a point. The Tamil Nadu cricketer felt it is not a good sign for the future of the 50-over format as it is becoming like an extended form of T20 cricket.
“The greatest beauty of one day cricket is – sorry was – the ebbs and flows of the game. People used to bide their time and take the game deep. 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 is just an extended form of T20,” the 35-year-old added.
Ashwin further stated that the ODI format could become interesting once again upon returning to one ball throughout an innings instead of the current two new balls rule.
“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!,” Ashwin added further.
