Revolution of ODI Cricket

Change is the only constant they say. Just like life, everything keeps changing and cricket is no exception. The game that originated as early as the 17th century was played in the traditional manner even after the formation of the International Cricket Council in 1909. Initially, it was known as the Imperial Cricket Board and consisted of England, Australia and South Africa. 

As time went by, more and more teams were added to the mix, but the format remained the same. This changed on a fateful January of 1971 when the first three days of an Australia vs England Test were washed away due to rain and the officials decided to have an ODI instead. 

This was the start of a revolution that changed the way the game was played. Let’s have a look at all the factors that revolutionised cricket:

Introduction of Limited Overs

Matches were reduced to a day with both teams playing a set number of balls. Since the number of overs was limited, batsmen had to accelerate their scoring trying to score as fast as they could. This increased the pace of the game significantly.

Day-Night Games

To attract more crowds and make the game more vibrant, day and night games were introduced. White-coloured kits were replaced by colourful clothing, while the colour of the ball was changed from red to white. An afternoon start allowed fans to catch the games after working hours.

Globalisation

As teams from across the globe got added to the mix, the game reached different parts of the world. This provided the associate nations an opportunity to showcase their skills at a global stage and resulted in more than a few upsets at tournaments as big as the World Cup. This made the tournament more competitive and unpredictable, but if you have to be on top of the game when it comes to the biggest tournament in ODIs, you can check Cricket World Cup betting sites.

Fielding Restrictions

The incorporation of fielding restrictions/powerplay resulted in more scoring opportunities for the batsmen and made the teams revise their strategies and increase their targets. High-scoring games became commonplace, and no matter how big the total, it was never out of reach.

Aggressive Batsmanship

The fielding restrictions gave batsmen a free hand to play some aggressive shots. This also paved the way for batsmen to develop some innovative and unorthodox shots like the reverse sweep, scoop, switch-hit, etc.

Innovative Deliveries

To counter the batsmen, even bowlers had to think out of the box and innovate some new kinds of deliveries. Fast bowlers came up with deliveries like the yorker and the slower ball, while spinners added deliveries like the ‘Doosra’ and the googly to their armour.

Fitness and Fielding

Along with batting and bowling, fielding also saw a massive shift. Teams placed special emphasis on fitness and conducted drills to enhance their fielding skills. Fans got to see a lot more direct hits, high-flying catches, lightning stumpings, etc.

Technology Advancement

The introduction of technologies like the Decision Review System and Hawk Eye helped umpires in better decision-making and added a whole new dimension to the game. This also gave the fans an opportunity to watch the game more closely.

All these factors revolutionised the game to an extent no one would have imagined. It turned the sport into a fast-paced and exciting format that continues to attract new fans. The format remains an important part of the game providing a perfect balance between Tests and T20s.