Ashwin is scared for ODIs’ future; offers a solution to revive the 50-over format

Veteran India off-spinner R Ashwin too is anxious about the existence of one-dayers, but has a plan to make the 50-over format competitive.

Speaking on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast, Ashwin said bringing back the single ball per ODI innings could offer a solution.

From 2011, two white balls have been using in the ODI format, one new ball each at the start of two innings.

Ashwin said going back to single ball policy would help spinners and will bring back reverse-swing, there by restoring the ebb and flow of the format.

“I’m an absolute cricket badger, a nut, and I switch off the telly after a point of time, watching the one-day game,” Ashwin said.

“That’s frankly very scary for that format of the game, I think. Those ebbs and flows, when they go missing, it’s not cricket anymore, it’s just an extended format of T20.

“I think one ball per innings is something that would work and even the spinners would come into play. You’d have a lot more spinners bowling at the back half of the game.

They are bowling right now but you might see a little more slowing of the pitch or whatever it is, and the reverse-swing might come back into play which I think is very crucial for the game.

“I think one-day cricket, the beauty of one-day cricket is – sorry, was – that there was a lot of ebbs and flows left in the game. Somebody needed to just bide their time, take the game deep, and the ball would be reverse-swinging.

“At one point, 60 balls, 60 to get, with seven wickets in hand, and you’re backing the bowling team to win. Not any more: that’s going to be a canter now,” Ashwin said in the show.