Sachin Tendulkar, the World Cup-winning Indian cricketer, is generally regarded as one of the greatest hitters in history and one of the best players to have ever played the game. His record also speaks for itself; despite having a stellar ODI record, Tendulkar recently spoke out against the 50-over format.
Tendulkar believes that the usage of two new balls, as well as current fielding rules, are making the game ‘boring’ and too predictable. He also discussed how the new restrictions are making the format too challenging for the bowlers.
“Without a sure, it’s becoming tedious. There are two sections. The first is the existing format, and the second is how I believe it should be played. Let me first discuss the present format, which has been in place for some time. The backward swing is eliminated when you have two fresh balls. Even though we’re in the 40th over of the game, that ball is really in the 20th over “Tendulkar made the remarks during the India Today Conference 2023.
Tendulkar discussed how tough the ODI format has become for bowlers, as well as how the structure and modern-day regulations are harming bowlers, and offered a remedy to make the ODI format more attractive. Tendulkar seems to favour breaking the game into shorter periods every innings in order to make the game more equitable for both opponents, which is influenced by the dew factor.
“Going to the second piece, we should be playing 25 overs initially. As in Test cricket, divide it into four halves. In Tests, there are 20 wickets; here, there are just ten. You are out of the game for the following 25 overs if you are dismissed. “You can’t come back and bat,” Sachin said again.
“Why I am saying this because we played a competition in Sri Lanka where we played 118 overs without any result. Sri Lanka batted first on the first day, and after 10 overs, the match was called off due to rain. The match was called off again the next day. We nearly played 118 overs without a result,” the Bombay native added, offering his idea to modify the ODI format.
Moreover, the great hitter was a strong spinner who provided some remarkable performances for India with the ball throughout the years. When speaking in favour of spinners and how they are being influenced in a negative way under the current ODI format.
“In terms of spinners, I’ve talked with a handful. With 5 fielders in the ring, I was attempting to comprehend their attitude. The bowlers claim that we are not allowed to adjust our lines. Even if we know that, there is a chance that the batter may make a mistake, and if we adjust our line, we may have to pay a high price. They currently lack protection in the existing configuration “He said.
