ODIs will survive despite T20 popularity: Haroon Lorgat

ICC chief executive Lorgat allays fears by stressing that one-day international cricket will survive despite t20 popularity

ODIs will survive despite T20 popularity: Haroon Lorgat

ICC chief executive Lorgat allays fears by stressing that one-day international cricket will survive despite t20 popularityu00a0

The cynical view was supported in a way when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently announced their decision to scrap the 50-over competition from their domestic calendar from next year to accommodate a revamped Twenty20 programme.

But the International Cricket Council (ICC) did not believe ECB's step is a setback for the future of ODIs. "I think the ECB has gone with a decision that suits their domestic format. They've switched from 50-over to 40-over cricket. Internationally, we still have the 50-over format," ICC Chief Executive Officer Haroon Lorgat said yesterday at a function to announce nominations for the ICC Awards in the presence of India opener Virender Sehwag and former skipper Ravi Shastri.

"I have just heard Viru talk about it. I have heard other players talk about the 50-over format. It was very refreshing to hear Michael Clarke's views after the ECB decision. I think domestically, a board can go ahead with a format that suits a particular environment. It will be interesting to see what comes out of that. But I am still sure that the 50-over format will survive," Lorgat added.

Sehwag's pick
Sehwag made a case for 50-50 cricket when he said, "I would like to play more Tests and ODIs than T20 games which I know have become extremely popular."

The Indian cricket fraternity, however, seems to be divided on whether one-dayers can cope with the T20 onslaught. "If Test cricket can survive, then 50-over cricket can too," said former India bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu who famously clean bowled Gordon Greenidge in the 1983 World Cup final. "I don't think there will be that much of a problem with sustenance of one-dayers. Just because ECB has scrapped their tournament, it doesn't mean that they are going to dictate terms to the rest of the world."

Opening batsman Aakash Chopra, however, disagreed. "In current shape and form, I don't think 50-over cricket will survive," said Chopra, who has also represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

Needs modification
"It will have to be modified to be made more exciting. Once people have seen the excitement of Twenty20 cricket, there are moments in the existing 50-over format which are stale and predictable. And that is the reason people are going away from the format."

Chopra also felt that the change in spectators' attitude reflects the changing social structure.

"In this day and age, our society's attention span is not as long as it used to be. So, in the current form, the 50-over format is going to find it very difficult to find a similar audience that a Twenty20 match attracts," the Delhi batsman added.

We will probably have a fair idea on whether ODIs are indeed on a diminishing path on October 5, the day of the Champions Trophy final.

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