New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believesnext month''s cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of thedemise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that allthree formats can co-exist.
Buzz up!
"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket isoverstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game(Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive atinternational level," Lorgat told Espnstar.com.
"I hope that the ICC Cricket World Cup, being the game''sflagship event and cricket''s biggest prize, will add toreversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some ofthe recent matches already have.
"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricketis way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players,spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see greatvalue in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sportto have three viable formats that are so popular in their ownways. I can''t think of any other sport that enjoys such anembarrassment of riches in that way," he added.
Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open andunpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.
"This year''s event promises to be one of the most openand unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the topteams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present andthere is precious little to decide between them," he said.
"The Australians could make history by becoming the firstteam to win four in a row but they will be challenged as theyare not as dominant today as they were four years ago. Theother teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle ''TheCup that Counts'' from their tight grasp," he added.
The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn''t have plans totinker with the format of the game but it is ready to considerchanges if it is good for cricket.
"There are no plans to dramatically change the format ofthe 50-over game at international level. That said, weencourage our Members to experiment with different formats andinitiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," hesaid.
"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to whatit was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971.
We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. Ifit''s good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.
The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, SriLanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 inDhaka.
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