"It has stayed for 50 for too long" - Ravi Shastri agrees with Shahid Afridi on reducing ODIs to 40 overs per side

Former Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri is among those who feel that ODI cricket is gradually starting to lose its relevance. With the rise of T20Is and a number of cricket boards prioritizing their respective T20 leagues, many cricket experts feel one-day cricket might be nearing a dead end.

Ben Stokes' retirement from the ODIs also suggested how difficult it has become for the players to remain sustainable across all three formats with packed scheduling.

According to Shastri, reducing the number of overs per side from 50 to 40 will only make the middle overs a lot more interesting. Here's what he said on air with Fancode during the second India vs West Indies ODI:

"When we won the World Cup in 1983, it was of 60 overs. After that, people thought that 60 overs were a bit too long. People found that span of overs between 20 to 40 hard to digest. So they reduced it from 60 to 50. So years have gone by now since that decision, so why not reduce it from 50 to 40 now? Because you got to be forward-thinking and evolve. It has stayed for 50 for too long."

Shahid Afridi on the future of ODI cricket

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi had first raised the point about the reduction of overs in one-day cricket. After Stokes' retirement, he explained in an interview with Samaa TV last week how important it was to make the game watchable and entertaining for fans around the world. He had stated:

"One-day cricket has become quite boring now. I would suggest to cut ODI cricket from 50 overs to 40 overs in order to make it entertaining."

The ongoing series between India and West Indies, however, has provided two absolute humdingers so far. Whether the rules are tinkered with to keep ODI cricket relevant remains to be seen.