Jonty Rhodes says fans are keeping ODI cricket alive but format faces challenges
Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes said fans are keeping 50-over cricket relevant but warned the format could be in trouble, speaking at the jersey launch of European T20 Premier League team Rotterdam Dockers in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Rhodes, who co-owns Rotterdam Dockers, made the comments at the jersey launch in Mumbai. He delivered his views as national associations are playing less ODI cricket against each other and amid broadcaster complaints that the middle phase of ODIs can be unappealing for viewers who do not have seven hours to watch a match. Rhodes spoke against a backdrop of expanding franchise T20 tournaments and a crowded international calendar.
Rhodes said passionate supporters are sustaining the format and voiced concern about its longer-term prospects. "For me, it is always understanding that 50-overs cricket might be the one format where, because we bring in such a fresh crowd and a different perspective into the game, possibly 50-overs cricket might be in trouble in the years ahead," Rhodes told the media during the jersey launch of European T20 Premier League (ETPL) team Rotterdam Dockers in Mumbai on Tuesday. He added that the growth of franchise T20 cricket was creating increasing challenges for the 50-over game.
He pointed to supporters as a key asset for the format. "From a point of view, we're really fortunate that what 50-overs cricket has is that you've got really passionate fans who will support their team no matter what format or version it is," he said. Rhodes linked that fan base to the persistence of ODIs despite the shifting schedules and formats.
On the relationship between formats, Rhodes rejected the notion that T20 had necessarily damaged Test cricket. "When T20 cricket first started, people were saying it is going to put pressure on Test cricket and amazingly it has not. Some of the Test cricket looks like T20 at times, there is some aggressive batting and bowling," he said. The South African added that while the landscape of international cricket could change, the 50-over format remained too deeply embedded in the sport to disappear easily.
Rhodes also addressed the structure of international fixtures. "At this stage, I think there will be fewer and fewer bilateral series... but it is very difficult to think of cricket without the 50-over version," Rhodes said. His remarks coincided with wider discussion about a packed franchise schedule and the proliferation of T20 leagues offering players more opportunities to play shorter-format cricket around the world.
Rotterdam Dockers will take part in the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League, which will be held in Voorburg, the Netherlands, and Dublin from August 26 to September 20.