Friday 13 August 2010

Keep your hands off the ODIs

You have to feel sorry for the ODI. If you don’t, you’re part of all those over-concerned cricket pundits who think poor ODI is the blameworthy heavyweight on a sinking ship of cricket. Ridiculous.

They’re saying ODI cricket is boring. I don’t get it, I used to know cricket as the ODI and grew up watching this format. Unsurprisingly, I’m not going to be happy when they take this candy away from me.

They’re also saying that three formats can’t exist together. As if a piranha, a whale and a guppy are living together in one bowl. The thing is, they are not going to do away with Tests. Tests are too royal. Even though it’s pretty obvious interest in Tests is diminishing (yes it is, who’s still got the time to watch a full five days?). It doesn’t mean I don’t like Tests. I do, but prefer to catch the most of an ODI anyday.

Twenties won’t be going away either; they’re the adorable new born baby. Just see how these DLF bosses and Allan Stanfords of cricket will throw a tantrum if they do. But why take the ODI to the gallows for it? Are you really so sure everyone has got enough of them?

I think ODIs are nice because they’re in the middle. They aren’t as long as Tests and not as fast as Twenties, so they can give you a kind of pleasure from both. Additionally, what’s going to happen to the World Cups if the ODI is finished? World Cups are pinnacles of sporting events right, so why abolish the format in which they’ve always been played?

New innovations such as split-innings and stuff aren’t really cool either I think. The format isn’t the problem, the problem is when you play superstrong side A against whollyweak side B. Who likes seeing a mean truck chauffeur trampling over a group of little ducks? Also, for God’s sake do away with dead rubbers. They’re often good for nothing.

I don’t think the ICC will care much for what I think, but poor ODI will.
Don’t cry ODI, don’t cry. If they do kill you, remember that Sunny will come and scrape your sliced bits together and hold a funeral. All alone if it has to be.

19 comments:

Purna said...

You got it spot on Sunny. People can't stand ODI's because some sides are tooo, tooo tooo good at it and others just downright suck. There is no middle ground. That's hardly the format's fault. See, I like ODI's. Problem is I don't actually know why I like them. Probably because any cricket makes me happy.

sunny said...

I know, and the fixtures don't help either. How long has it been since SA played Sri Lanka or NZ? Or Pak played England in an ODI series? There's just way too less competitive cricket these days.
Hehe, I've got a similar confusion, I love ODI cricket most of all but can't say why. ;)

Anonymous said...

There is that period from about 30 - 40 overs when things get a bit tedious and you start to think "this is tedious", but then it gets all good again.

Generally, if the teams are good the match is good - but you can say that about most team sports, can't you? I like ODIs, but that probably won't last. With Australia's new domestic setup we should be extra shit in about 2 years and I'll stop liking it.

Stani Army said...

Sid, that middle period is food time init? You can get a cuppa, some nibbles....and bubblegum.

I think the problem with ODI's is that the result is usually obvious too early on.

But, for some reason, and it may be because of my fond '92 world cup memories, pre-1996 ODI's were much better....the days when 250 was a good total.

sunny said...

They are tedious Sid, but that's just about the time then when I decide to switch the tv off for a while, I mean you can't keep watching for 8 hours. But considering the early overs and the last ten are pretty interesting, I can't understand what people keep whining about. I mean come on, how many hours of a Test match are really interesting?
Do you seriously think CA's crap will be introduced at international level too?

sunny said...

Stani, you should get your pack of bubblegum ready before the match, not during it. Tea is alright though. ;)

This predictability in ODI can be removed if the sides are evenly balanced. If you remember both series between SA and Aus in 2009, almost every game was close there and the competition was good.

Pitches are blamed for 250 totals not being good enough these days.
And don't get started on the cricket of those days Stani, I didn't start watching cricket eagerly that long ago. :P

Anonymous said...

"Do you seriously think CA's crap will be introduced at international level too?"

Um ... no, I don't think that? And I didn't say that I did.

sunny said...

Oh sorry Sid, I just realised the tone of that comment might have come across as a bit offending.
It was meant to be inquisitive, scrap that 'seriously'.

Stani Army said...

If there's fight going on, can I just say I hate both of you. What? want some? Come on then! [runs off]

Anonymous said...

There's not fight going on, behave Stani!

No, it wasn't the tone Sunny, don't worry about that - I'm curious why you think I think that, though. I've never said it.

sunny said...

Typical cowardly behaviour from Stani. Yeah behave or we'll send you to a bull fight in Spain.

Sid, that's exactly why I asked, I wanted to know what's your take on the thing.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I see. I read you all wrong, I thought you were asking me why I thought that.

Are we talking the ODIs or the new Aussie setup? Because I think my thoughts on the latter are pretty clear - bad idea: how do we get 50 over practice and how do we choose future players if we don't see them play the 50 over game at state level?

As for ODIs - I love them. As I said, there are those ten overs but I can put up with those for the fun of the rest of it. I'll go get my beer in that time while Stani gets him bubble gum.

Tests are still the purest form of cricket for me, though.

Anonymous said...

And, no I can't imagine CA's crap being introduced at international level or by any other cricketing nation. It's too stupid. We can only hope that it won't last more than two or three seasons in Australia.

Stani Army said...

Success!

See, I have this idea, If I can get the whole world to hate me, then everyone will have something in common and something to like about one another i.e. a shared hatred of me :) The whole world will unite! Genius plan right?

Now I got you two monsters detesting me, I'm gonna go work on the other 6 and a half billion, starting with my own mother.

Stani Army said...

UPDATE: She says she already hates me. This job's easier than I thought!!!

sunny said...

Stani, I have to love your mother.
But how are you going to get the other 6 billion to hate you? Not that you're not hateable, but how will you approach them?

sunny said...

I see Sid.
It's just that I was a little bit worried that the ICC might get it in their heads to introduce the new thing at international level too.

Stani Army said...

I will make a special mask of someone who looks a cross between Broad and Watson (unavoidably hateable), wear it and then film myself and interrupt the broadcast of every tv channel out there. I will also project the image onto clouds for people who don't have tvs.

sunny said...

Very very smart Stani.
When should I look out of my window to see the thing?