Michael Clarke predicts an ODI triple hundred in near future

Michael Clarke won’t be surprised if a batsman soon makes a triple hundred in ODI cricket

Australian skipper Michael Clarke has said that he wouldn’t be hugely surprised if a batsman smashes a triple hundred in One-Day International (ODI) cricket in the near future. Speaking after his side’s thumping 275-run win over Afghanistan at the WACA in Perth on Wednesday, the 33-year-old felt that the barrier could be broken by players like David Warner, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers on smaller-sized grounds and if they bat for the majority of the allotted 50 overs.

“In this game at the moment who knows, we are seeing so many different shots, different deliveries, so much power.There is handful of players around the world who probably could do it,” Clarke said.

"Someone like Davey, or Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers ... on a smaller ground I think they possibly could. You probably have to open the batting so you have the full 50 overs,” he added.

There have been some astonishing innings that have already been played in the current edition of the World Cup. Gayle lit up the Manuka Oval last week with his 147-ball 215 against Zimbabwe, while de Villiers hammered the West Indian attack to all parts of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday, scoring an unbeaten 66-ball 162.

Warner, meanwhile, made full use of some loose bowling from the Afghanistan bowlers yesterday, scoring a 133-ball 178 that included 19 fours and 5 sixes and looked well on course to reach the 200-run mark before getting out in the 38^th over.

Just in November last year, Rohit Sharma tore into Sri Lanka’s bowling attack at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and scored a 173-ball 264, breaking the record for the highest individual score in ODI cricket. A year before that, Shikhar Dhawan scored 248 against South Africa A in List A cricket, stretching the boundaries of what is possible in ODIs.