Excitement aplenty: The Champions Trophy, returning after an eight-year hiatus, has provided the much-needed attention on one-dayers.
| Photo Credit: AFP
In psychology, there is a theory called the ‘middle-child syndrome’. One of the inferences is that the middle child in a family — stuck between the older and younger siblings — feels neglected or starved of parental love and attention.
In recent times, the ODI game has become cricket’s middle child caught between the classical Tests and the fast-paced T20Is. It has been denied love and proper care from the players and administrators except once every four years when the 50-over World Cup occurs.
After the inaugural World Cup in 1975, ODIs helped grow the sport over the next three decades, raking in the moolah and helping cricket join the big league in terms of commercial value despite its relatively small footprint and reach.
Confluence of events
During the final decade of the 20th century, the format breathed fresh air into the sport thanks to a confluence of events led by the sub-continental teams. Some factors include India’s booming economy, Pakistan (1992) and Sri Lanka (1996) becoming world champions, and Bangladesh qualifying for its first World Cup in 1999.
To capitalise on the success, the International Cricket Council started another multi-nation tournament, the ICC KnockOut Trophy or the ‘mini World Cup,’ in 1998 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) to fill its coffers and spread the game.
After the second edition (Kenya 2000), it was renamed the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. The event was held every two years until 2006 and became a quadrennial event from 2009 to 2017 before being discontinued.
Following the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, it became evident that T20s would be the future of cricket. The Indian Premier League, which started in 2008, further shifted the audience to the three-hour version of the game, leading to the mushrooming of similar leagues across the cricket-playing world.
At a time when the one-day format was and is fighting for relevance, the Champions Trophy suffered an identity crisis. Eight years ago, the apex body pulled the plug because it felt there wasn’t a need for two ICC events in one format.
However, in 2021, the governing body reversed course and revived the tournament in a bid to get the ODI version back on its feet. The bilateral ODI series, once the cash cow for cricket boards, has become meaningless sans context. But over the last few months, teams scrambled to play some ODI games to prepare for the Champions Trophy in front of packed stadiums.
Key factor
Recently, England skipper Jos Buttler said for ODIs to thrive, the presence of top players will hold the key. A world event once every two years, alternating between the CT and World Cup, could keep the big stars invested.
Over the last three weeks, a tournament that once symbolised the sport’s health has potentially shown a way for the survival and future of the 50-over format.
Published – March 10, 2025 12:42 am IST