The word around ICC’s scheduling being very tight and ODI games lacking relevance have taken over the cricket community. As mentioned earlier the retirement of an in-form Ben Stokes from the ODI format threw light onto the tight scheduling of games of the ICC. The ICC however has taken measures to keep ODIs relevant and to keep the players as fresh as possible. Are we ignoring these measures? If yes, we are ignoring them, then what are these measures? Let’s throw light on them. Here is an in-depth look at it:
Ben Stokes’ Game Time in 2022:
All of us were shocked by the decision of Ben Stokes to take a break from ODI cricket. This also would further mean that the English Cricket Board is less likely to consider him for the T20s as well. With that being said, the reason for his retirement was the fact that the England Cricket team is always on the road and it will not be sustainable for his body in the long run. But is Ben Stokes actually overloaded with games? Here is a look at a few numbers and facts:
- Ben Stokes did not play franchise cricket in any of the leagues.
- Ben Stokes was not a part of the IPL 2022 season.
- Stokes was a part of 3 out of 8 Series Played by England after the 2019 World Cup.
- Ben wasn’t a part of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021.
- He has played only 3 T20I series in the last 4 years.
ICC Actually Under the Scanner:
The ICC has been wrongfully put in the court of public justice. The ICC earlier approved of the England and Wales Cricket Board and their rotation policy of players. The rotation policy basically meant that the players would be rotated and used effectively. Not every player will be used in every game. The changes made will be like to like. For instance, if Sam Curran has to be rotated, he will be replaced by Chris Woakes. If Jonny Bairstow has to be replaced, he will be replaced by Jos Butler. If James Anderson is to be replaced, Stuart Broad will play.
But just in a matter of a few weeks of criticism, the ECB was forced to take back the rotation policy. The ECB was criticized as in the crucial games the main players were rotated. The ECB dropped the rotation policy after the England Tour of India 2021.
ICC Requests the Boards to Cut Down on T20 Leagues:
The ICC had one of its meetings recently. The CEO of the ICC, Geoff Allardice made a gesture to the cricket boards to cut down on the T20 Leagues. The problem of ODIs and their relevance were also discussed. Allardice said, “ODI Cricket is the only cricket format that has a champion every 4 years.” This shows that the ICC intends to effectively continue with the ODI format.
To know more go to Neeraj Chopra Injured: Olympic Gold Medalist Ruled out of Commonwealth Games 2022.
Read more at Dinesh Karthik: Will He Play the ICC T20 World Cup 2022?
To know more go to the official website of the ICC.
