Highlights
- Having enjoyed 40-over games in England, Khawaja feels a reduction in overs is the way to go.
- Leg-spinner Zampa agreed with Khawaja's observation.
- The calls to make some changes to the format have been on the rise.
Keeping in mind the popularity of T20 cricket, Usman Khawaja feels that the ODI format should be reduced to 40-overs-a-side in order to make it more relevant and interesting.
"50 overs is just that little bit too long now. Take out that little middle bit, you'd get to 25 overs and you'd look up and 'oh crap, there are only 15 overs left, let's go again'," he told ABC Sport.
Having enjoyed 40-over games in England Cricket Board's 40 league, Khawaja feels a reduction in overs is the right way to go.
"So you don't have that little lull. That's my only objection to one-day cricket."
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Leg-spinner Zampa agreed with Khawaja's observation, saying a few adjustments can make 50-over cricket relevant again, with the ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in India next year.
"(They) either need to be scrapped or something needs to be done with them," Zampa said.
"Bonuses or extra free hits or something, make it a bit more interesting," he suggested.
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar said 50 overs was "just enough time to do enough".
"Ten overs is a lovely amount of bowling time, 50 overs is a good time to bat; it gives guys down the order a bit of time if a few wickets have fallen," said Agar, who represented Australia in 46 T20Is and 18 ODIs.
"I think people get frustrated that maybe it takes a bit too long, but I think that's just because of the advent of T20 cricket. I like ODI cricket."
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey said, "there's still lots of room in the game for one-day cricket for sure".
Australia Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon suggested using one ball from both ends to make it create a level playing field for both batters and bowlers.
"I'd love to see one ball come back into it," Lyon said.
"One ball from both ends, stop giving batters a brand new ball to hit. I'd like to see (them) bring reverse swing, bring spin back into it."
The calls to make some changes to the format have been on the rise. While there is a section of players and fans that support it, there definitely are a lot of spectators that want this format to be untouched.
(Inputs PTI)
