India skipper Shubman Gill is not in favour of pruning ODIs to 40 overs, and instead suggested to hold more triangular and quadrangular series to revive the struggling format.
When there is a much wider acceptance and popularity of T20 cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling the idea of moving towards a 40-over ODI format during its recent Annual Conference at Edinburgh.
“I don’t think it should be 40 overs,” Gill began when the question on 50-over cricket’s future was posed to him ahead of India’s first ODI against England in Birmingham on Tuesday.
India’s Test and one-day captain then suggested the option of triangular and quadrangular series, a steady feature till mid 2000s, to generate public interest.
“We used to play a lot of triangular series and it was a lot of fun to watch. We used to play in Australia – India, Australia, Sri Lanka. You’re not playing with just one team. You’re playing with two different teams. You’re playing in different venues.
“So, I think, if we want to make this (ODI) format interesting, instead of having bilateral series, we should have triangular series, maybe quadrangular series. Let’s do something like that, so that will be interesting to play and to watch,” Gill said.
The 26-year-old emphasised that the 50-over World Cup holds a special place for him and remains the ultimate prize in cricket.
“I grew up watching 50-over cricket a lot and it remained a very integral part of my childhood. Whenever I think of the World Cup, the first thing that comes to my mind is the 50-over World Cup.
“So, in that sense, the most prestigious World Cup for me, if you want to win one, it will be the 50-over World Cup,” he noted.
Gill also said that this ODI series against England is an important one keeping in mind the upcoming World Cup next year in South Africa.
“The preparation for the World Cup (2027) is very important. Our mindset is that what kind of combination and the wickets we will get in South Africa will be close to what we will play here.
“So what kind of combination we can try and which combination is good for us. So in that sense, it is a very important series (vs England) for us,” he said.
Gill was also looking to expand his captaincy experience in the three-match series against the Three Lions.
“Definitely, it (learning as a skipper) is very important. I think any series that we play from here on as a group, as a captain, is going to be very important for me.
“All the learnings that I am going to have and all the experience that I am going to have leading up to the World Cup is going to be very crucial.”
He said it was important for the management to give as many opportunities as possible to young players in the lead-up to the ICC showpiece.
“You know, in such a series, it doesn’t feel like an unsettled XI. You have to give a chance to the new players. You have to give them experience as we were talking about experience, the more pressure situations they are in and the more they do well, and the better it will be for us before the World Cup,” he added.
“You play 11 matches in the World Cup and, usually, the bilateral series we play is five or three matches. Usually, it is three matches. So, playing three matches and playing 11 matches makes a big difference.”
Gill said injuries to players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana forced the think tank to make changes in the playing XI but insisted that it has not led to vulnerability.
“We were a bit unfortunate. Reddy got injured before the series. Harshit Rana is injured. So, you know, players like these, we wanted to play them as many matches as possible before the World Cup, so that when it is their turn, they feel settled. So, in that sense, we felt a bit unfortunate. So, we had to play a different combination. But it is not that it is an unsettled XI.”
Gill hoped that players will gain some valuable experience from the series against England.
“But obviously, there are some areas where we wanted our players to get more experience in such a big series, the England series or the upcoming New Zealand series.
“So, if the players get more chances in this big series, they will get a better chance to perform in pressure situations,” he said.
