Cricket legend Ian Chappell has expressed concerns over the diminishing popularity of 50-over cricket, especially after Cricket Australia’s decision to convert the traditional Chappell-Hadlee Trophy into a T20I series between Australia and New Zealand. Chappell’s worries about the future of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) seem to be validated by the move, indicating a growing inclination towards T20 cricket in the cricket administration.
In a conversation with World Wide of Sports, Ian Chappell criticized the trend, stating, “They certainly have T20 cricket at the top of the pole, and there’s more and more T20 cricket being played and less and less 50-over cricket. Anyone who thinks T20 is a better game than the 50-over game is off their rocker. The administrators have let 50-over cricket go, and I think they’ve let it go to the point where they may not be able to resurrect it.”
Chappell underscored the significance of the 50-over format, ranking it second only to Test cricket. Despite the success of major events like the ODI World Cup, he cast doubt on whether the format would maintain its importance in the future.
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“I’d like to think that you’ll get good crowds at the 50-over game because it’s a very good game of cricket – the next best thing to a Test match. But it’s not in the mind of the administrators at the moment, and whether you can turn the clock back, I’m not so sure,” said Ian Chappell.
Addressing the ODI World Cup, Ian Chappell expressed skepticism about its future importance, stating, “I don’t see the World Cup going up in smoke, it’s too important and it’s still pretty well attended. But if you’re going to have the World Cup, you’ve got to have the players playing some matches. But will it have the importance that it used to have? I’m very doubtful.”
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Chappell even questioned whether shorter formats like T10 could become the norm if T20s lose their appeal, raising concerns about the potential dilution of the game. The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is set to commence on 21st February in Hamilton, featuring three T20Is and two Test matches between Australia and New Zealand.
