Amid the echoes of roaring crowds and the exhilarating cricketing showdowns of the World Cup, the future of the one-day international (ODI) format remains a contested domain. The grandeur of the tournament finale, with Australia securing a six-wicket victory over India at the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium, couldn’t obliterate the persisting reservations regarding ODIs’ relevance outside the mega event’s sphere.
In a disappointing turn for Indian fans and neutrals alike, the final clash was a rather lopsided affair. Contrastingly, the tournament had its fair share of nail-biters. Highlights included Afghanistan’s stunning 69-run triumph over the defending champions, England, and the commendable feat of the non-Test nation, the Netherlands, ousting the formidable South Africans.
The ODI platform notably enables epic sporting resurgences, aligning it closer to the classical Test matches but with the assurance of a result within a day’s play. Despite the ever-growing commercial allure of the fast-paced Twenty20 format, demonstrated by ventures such as the Indian Premier League, it seldom rivals the depth and evolving narratives that the longer versions of the game offer.
One cannot ignore Australia’s breathtaking win against Afghanistan in the group stages, where Glenn Maxwell’s monumental double century materialized victory from the jaws of defeat. Australian pacer Pat Cummins, part of the unshaken 202-run stand in that clash at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, had his love for ODIs reignited by the World Cup, despite the ambivalence that plagued him before the event.
Cummins, who displayed a remarkable bowling performance during the final, opined that the competitive edge of each World Cup game lends a distinct gravitas to matches — a difference from commonplace bilateral ODIs. Following the victory that halted the trend of host nations triumphing since 2011, Cummins reflected on Australia’s deep-seated history with the World Cup, signaling his faith in the tournament’s continuity and significance.
Indeed, Australia’s eighth appearance in a World Cup final can be traced back to the inaugural 1975 event. Nonetheless, outside this high-stakes competitive environment, the regular ODI encounters struggle to pull crowds and adapt to the meteoric rise of T20 cricket.
The newly inducted MCC president, Mark Nicholas, advocates for a radical shift — abolishing all ODIs save for the World Cup matches. His views are predicated on the apparent decline in spectatorship for ODIs and the undeniable momentum that T20 cricket has gained, a sentiment echoed within the broader cricketing community.
Yet, Nicholas, with his dual insight as a past cricketer and commentator, holds an admiration for the infrequent World Cup upsets and the tales spun from such encounters. This appreciation raises pertinent questions: in the absence of bilateral ODIs, how will emerging cricketing nations like Afghanistan or the Netherlands nurture their caliber to compete effectively in the 50-over format?
As the World Cup fades into memory and the cricketing landscape ponderously shifts towards the shorter format’s lure, one contemplates the landscape that awaits ODIs in the interim. The transition phase prompts scrutiny — can the ODI format evolve to coexist with its brisker counterpart, or will it recede, only to surface at the quadrennial events? The Champions Trophy in Pakistan, set for 2025, may offer a glimpse into that future, but for the moment, the debate on the relevance and structure of ODIs remains alive and seminal in cricket’s corridors.