ODIs should only occur during World Cups: Mark Nicholas

Mark Nicholas, a former England international, thinks that only World Cups should be used for ODIs cricket. Notably, after some notable players declared their retirement from the format, there have been numerous discussions in the recent past over the future of ODI cricket. The 66-year-old said that ODIs cricket isn’t currently filling stadiums and that the government needs to take quick action.

The ex-cricketer also painted a clear image of the market, indicating that players are more likely to play franchise cricket and T20 cricket in general. According to him, the nature of the game has altered, and the shorter format currently appears to be preferable to the 50-over format.

“We firmly feel that ODIs should only be played during World Cups.

We believe that it is now challenging to bilaterally justify them. Many nations do not fill up their fields. Additionally, T20 cricket currently has an almost magical power. More than just ticket sales are involved. It’s the number of people who want to own franchises, the number of nations that want to host tournaments, and the number of players who want to participate in a global market.

“The one with the most money wins in a free market. And that’s only the final result. The players want to be a part of that because they can see it bubbling up. As a result, T20 has enormous potency, and I believe pairing it with 50-over cricket only serves to further the narrative of the ODI game’s demise, as Nicholas said to ESPNcricinfo.

In the meantime, the ODI World Cup 2023 will begin on October 5 in Ahmedabad. On October 8 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the host nation, India, will play Australia, while the defending champions, England, will play New Zealand. In their initial matches, former champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka will compete against the Netherlands and South Africa, respectively.