ICC World Cup: Showtime in the shadows of T20 overkill, new rules

When India last hosted a 50-over World Cup in 2011, the cricketing ecosystem of the world was much different. The T20 World Cup was barely three editions old, so was the Indian Premier League (IPL), while the scramble to launch a clone of the latter had not begun in all the cricket-playing countries. 

There was still a certain degree of purity about the 50-over format as the quadrennial showpiece was alternated with the ICC Champions Trophy, both providing us with any number of memorable moments over the decades. As the showpiece comes back to India, with the country playing the sole host for the first time, the 50-over format is now in the middle of a losing battle for relevance and commercial viability. 

Swamped by the ever-increasing number of T20 internationals and the mushrooming T20 franchise leagues (not to speak of its domestic avatar in a country like India) and Tests, spectator interest in the 50-over game is at a low ebb. It was hence an ideal time for India to step in as host and if the early clamour for online tickets is any indication (notwithstanding fans’ complaints), then it may survive for some more time.  

There is no doubting the fact that the 50-over showpiece is still the definitive trophy to play for the tag of world champions but over time, it has evolved into a longer version of the T20 game, with higher batting strike-rates and limited captaincy options. Tinkering with the laws — from the use of two balls from either end to bringing in five fielders inside the ring instead of four — has loaded the dice in favour of power hitters more than anything else, with 350-plus becoming almost a par score these days. 

When someone like Sachin Tendulkar rings the alarm bell about this format, there is certainly cause for concern. Named as the global ambassador for the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, the 2011 World Cup winner broke it down eloquently in a recent interview: ‘’When you have two new balls, you have eliminated reverse swing. In the 40th over, it’s just the 20th over with that ball. The ball only starts reversing when it’s around 30 overs old. The game is becoming too predictable. From the 15th to the 40th over, it’s losing momentum. It’s getting boring.’’ 

Add to this the other critical change — only four fielders (instead of the earlier five) outside the 30-yard circle between the 11th and 40th overs simply means there are enough unprotected gaps for batters to guide the ball through, or take the aerial route. 

This has also reduced the role of part-time bowlers, be they spinners or the seam-up variety, as the fielding captain is under pressure of leaking runs for a prolonged phase of the game. Asked why one doesn’t see India’s top batters roll their arm in the middle overs like the 'class of 2011', India head coach Rahul Dravid blamed it on the new rule: ‘’If you notice, the number of part-time bowlers has gone down in other teams as well, not just the Indian team. Partly, this is because of the two new balls. It is becoming more and more difficult for part-time bowlers to bowl.’’ 

It’s against this backdrop that the World Cup gets underway on Thursday, with defending champions England taking on New Zealand in a rematch of the 2019 final. It would have perhaps made little more sense to have the Men in Blue in action in the opener — but one does not have to wait too long as they are coming on over the weekend against Australia. 

Let the action begin…