'It's Really Important That..'- Cricket Australia Calls For 'Context' To Bilateral ODIs 

Australian team in action in 2023 WC [AP]

Amidst widespread debates on the future of One-Day Internationals, Cricket Australia (CA) has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide "context" and "jeopardy" to bilateral 50-over arrangements between full-member nations. 

CA's chief executive Nick Hockley said it's critical for the game's custodians to sit together and identify means to make the ODI game relevant to the growing T20-loving populace with fans losing the appetite to sit through long hours for a One-Day fixture. 

The ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 has seen heightened discussions about the future of the 50-over format. As skilful and challenging the format remains, the lack of close-fought encounters and thrillers in a long-drawn league stage has dissuaded crowds from turning up in large numbers at Indian grounds. However, empty seats are also down to the bigger capacity of stadiums here. 

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A dwindling number of ODI games played between World Cups with extensive focus attached to successive T20 World Cups at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and zero publicity provided to the promising ICC Super League before it was eventually disbanded have made the 50-over format an afterthought for the audiences. 

CA Chief Asks For 'Context' To ODIs 

CA chief Hockley believes is the best form of defence for the game's governors hoping to sustain all three formats at the international stage. 

Hockley cited the example of how the World Test Championship (WTC) has helped reinvigorate interest in Test match cricket and how the eyeballs generated by the critical ICC World Cup global qualifier in Zimbabwe were high despite no superstar presence. 

Context, CA chief Hockley, believes is the best form of defence for the game's governors hoping to sustain all three formats at the international stage. 

Hockley cited the example of how the World Test Championship (WTC) has helped reinvigorate interest in Test match cricket and how the eyeballs generated by the critical ICC World Cup global qualifier in Zimbabwe were high despite no superstar presence. 

"It's really important that there's context for those bilateral series. We've seen with the introduction of the World Test Championship how that works, we've seen with the qualification through to this World Cup with major nations [like] West Indies missing out, Netherlands coming through," Hockley said after CA's Annual General Meeting (AGM)

"So really creating jeopardy in those bilateral series. That's something we'll be discussing when we are in India towards the end of the tournament with the ICC," he added. 

The best means could be to rethink the option of disbanding the Super League, which contextualised One-Day matches played between the two World Cups and aligned all fixtures towards a common goal: World Cup qualification. 

If revived and gradually expanded, Super League could prove to be a game-changer for cricket's lower-ranked and associate sides facing the dearth of opportunity to take on the game's heavyweights.