1st Match - Pakistan v New Zealand

[Srinath P]

The main issue with ODIs is simply that the middle overs are way too boring and they occupy around 60% of the game. Like 60% of the game just knocking the ball around for singles.

 

[King Kane]

The Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.

Those were the days, back when there were ciggie sponsorships, NZ wore the brown and beige and a score of 225 was seen as being very competitive.

 

[Moss]

The main issue with ODIs is simply that the middle overs are way too boring and they occupy around 60% of the game. Like 60% of the game just knocking the ball around for singles.

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, especially if the pitches have something in them for bowlers. I quite enjoy seeing batsmen having to work for their runs and be at least a bit mindful about conserving wickets. If it’s all 4s and 6s (without any major cost to losing your wicket) the boundaries stop becoming something you can savour.

I think 50 over cricket’s bigger problem today is that best players in the world don’t play it much anymore. I’d be a lot less keen on watching a high profile AUS game with none of Starc/Cummins/Hazlewood playing.

 

[Silver Silva]

The main issue with ODIs is simply that the middle overs are way too boring and they occupy around 60% of the game. Like 60% of the game just knocking the ball around for singles.

People fail to understand the importance of singles and would rather call it boring instead of trying to appreciate the skills on show. Manipulating gaps , turning ones into twos , building partnerships, even displaying solid defense off the front and backfoot are fundamental cricketing skills that separate fluke innings from quality innings. Cricket is a very insecure sport where it constantly has to appeal to people who don't like skills that make cricket a great game in the first place it's weird.

 

[Neil Young]

The main issue with ODIs is simply that the middle overs are way too boring and they occupy around 60% of the game. Like 60% of the game just knocking the ball around for singles.

Attention spans are literally being reduced to nothing. What must you make of test cricket? All those dot balls!

 

[Srinath P]

I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, especially if the pitches have something in them for bowlers. I quite enjoy seeing batsmen having to work for their runs and be at least a bit mindful about conserving wickets. If it’s all 4s and 6s (without any major cost to losing your wicket) the boundaries stop becoming something you can savour.

I think 50 over cricket’s bigger problem today is that best players in the world don’t play it much anymore. I’d be a lot less keen on watching a high profile AUS game with none of Starc/Cummins/Hazlewood playing.

True. That's exactly why ODIs were great before the 2010s.

The 2010s saw some of the greatest ODI batters ever all at once. Warner, Kohli, AB, Rohit, Dhawan, Dhoni, Root, Sangakarra, Faf, Amla, Taylor etc. All of them absolutely brilliant. That made ODIs quite interesting to watch in the 2010s too, and seeing 300+ scores being chased for fun for the first time was nice to watch.

What happened in 2020s was the reduced importance of bilaterals and ODI cricket becoming too friendly for batting. Also, modern ODI batters just can't make runs under tricky conditions like the ones of the past used to. The only modern ODI batter I rate really highly is Shubman Gill and Daryl Mitchell. All others seem like guys who can make runs on just flat tracks.

 

[Srinath P]

People fail to understand the importance of singles and would rather call it boring instead of trying to appreciate the skills on show. Manipulating gaps , turning ones into twos , building partnerships, even displaying solid defense off the front and backfoot are fundamental cricketing skills that separate fluke innings from quality innings. Cricket is a very insecure sport where it constantly has to appeal to people who don't like skills that make cricket a great game in the first place it's weird.

You're misinterpreting my point. I love watching Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Steve Smith bat in ODIs. These guys are pristine gap finders in the middle overs. That isn't the issue.

It's quite similar to why test cricket was dying towards the early 2010s. You know what is going to happen. There is a sense of predictability.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Who knew Babar was such a divisive character.

Yeah Celeste was the peace keeper.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

People fail to understand the importance of singles and would rather call it boring instead of trying to appreciate the skills on show. Manipulating gaps , turning ones into twos , building partnerships, even displaying solid defense off the front and backfoot are fundamental cricketing skills that separate fluke innings from quality innings. Cricket is a very insecure sport where it constantly has to appeal to people who don't like skills that make cricket a great game in the first place it's weird.

And likewise the fielding and fielding setting (captaincy) skills to stop singles.

 

[Skyliner]

Test cricket is always being described as ‘dying’, and yet 2024 was one of the best years ever for test cricket - capped off with a record crowd for a test match in Australia. The grinches who have been deathriding test cricket for years must be as frustrated as hell.
It’s the meta-narratives around old and new rivalries and the gripping storylines that keep the sport healthy. Nobody had ever dreamt that New Zealand could beat India 3 - 0 in a series in India, but it happened. Test cricket continues to evolve with new storylines that will keep it interesting and relevant.
ODI cricket is the same. I saw joyful Pakistani people on my TV screen last night, people excited that an ICC tournament was being played in their country. And now NZ seemingly has the wood on Pakistan in Pakistan - what a turn up for the books. Now the heat is on Pakistan to perform well in ‘their own tournament’. People with their eye on’ the bigger picture’ will be interested in the storylines the tournament throws up, regardless of the mechanics of run scoring during a particular set of overs in any given match.

 

[Skyliner]

Tom Latham was superb last night, coming in at a difficult time when the batting could very well have crumbled and cementing things together with Young, and then propelling NZ to a big total in partnership with GP. Total vindication.

 

[jcas0167]

Tom Latham was superb last night, coming in at a difficult time when the batting could very well have crumbled and cementing things together with Young, and then propelling NZ to a big total in partnership with GP. Total vindication.

Yes, a few people are tasting it I'm a Latham supporter but even I was starting to have doubts. Must be one of his finest knocks. Meanwhile this must be the season of Will Young's life. The performances in the India series and now a ton to open the Champions Trophy. Phillips has hit form at the right time too.

 

[Skyliner]

I'd be looking at bringing KJ in for Smith: he has the psychological wood on India & I don't think the Bangas would enjoy facing him either.
Certainly looking like a very strong top line-up once Ravindra comes back, with most players in good form - touch wood.

 

[Moss]

I'd be looking at bringing KJ in for Smith: he has the psychological wood on India & I don't think the Bangas would enjoy facing him either.
Certainly looking like a very strong top line-up once Ravindra comes back, with most players in good form - touch wood.

Yes, despite the batting that Smith offers, have a feeling he’ll be cannon fodder with the older ball on these sorts of pitches. Opposition batsmen will certainly look to target him. I’m very much in the “preserve KJ for red ball” camp, but would be interesting to see how he goes.

 

[Nintendo]

Did they? My bad. But I remember him not going for a lot. He's one of the best atheletes in the game, underrated spinner and a clean hitter of the ball. I was surprised there was no bidding war for him.

100% agree.

 

[Nintendo]

On the plus side, assuming no injuries where very close to seeing nz field a 4 man pace atrack of jamieson-henry-o'rourke-shipley in red ball cricket. Can't wait.

 

[honestbharani]

Possibly, but Crowe turning to gentle medium pace plus Patel was also because the likes of Morrison were getting hit around just before that tournament. Guess it's a big what if, but Inzi and Miandad were freakishly good that day.

I honestly think Moin's knock was the game changer that day.

 

[honestbharani]

People fail to understand the importance of singles and would rather call it boring instead of trying to appreciate the skills on show. Manipulating gaps , turning ones into twos , building partnerships, even displaying solid defense off the front and backfoot are fundamental cricketing skills that separate fluke innings from quality innings. Cricket is a very insecure sport where it constantly has to appeal to people who don't like skills that make cricket a great game in the first place it's weird.

I think the problem is that, unlike tests, where most of the pitches do have something in them for bowlers, a lot of the ODIs always have flat enough wickets where the rotation of strike does not really require that much skill. If we are to have more test like pitches, then yes, ODIs will surely be more interesting, IMO.

 

[SteveNZ]

I just watched a 42 minute highlight package in which the first scoring shot from GP was the single he got to reach 50

I honestly don't know how they get this **** so wrong

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I think the problem is that, unlike tests, where most of the pitches do have something in them for bowlers, a lot of the ODIs always have flat enough wickets where the rotation of strike does not really require that much skill. If we are to have more test like pitches, then yes, ODIs will surely be more interesting, IMO.

it's primarily the balls rather than the pitches. The white ball is painted not lacquered/dyed so doesn't keep moving like the red/pink balls do. Like the white ball truly sucks as a solution - LO games should really adopt the pink ball sooner rather than later.