Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland feels that the ongoing series against India could be one of the last five-match rubbers in the ODI format as efforts are on to introduce a global league, PTI reported.
According to a report in cricket.com.au, Sutherland has confirmed that if the proposed introduction of a 13-team ODI league goes ahead, then future bilateral ODI series are unlikely to exceed three matches.
However, individual boards are free to chalk out their own bilateral programmes.
“I don’t think you’ll see any country playing more than three one-day matches in a series in the future,” Sutherland said.
“They might intersperse them with some Twenty20 matches as well, but I don’t think you’ll see many five-match one-day series,” he added.
Sutherland said if the proposed ODI league table goes ahead, it will provide context to 50-over cricket in the years between the quadrennial ICC World Cup.
Earlier this year, a meeting of the ICC’s Chief Executives Committee had outlined a draft schedule for a 13-team ODI league that would begin in 2020. It will run across two years with two mandated series of three matches to be played at home and away basis.
“If the plans at ICC level unfold for a Test championship and a one-day league, the contemplation around one-day cricket in the future is that each country hosts six one-day matches and plays six away matches as part of that league, so that’s likely going to be the limits of it,” Sutherland added.
