T20s: Is the threat to ODIs real?

The age of change is upon us. At least, for now, it seems as if it is. What started out as merely an offshoot of the one day format of cricket has now turned into a major threat to its own very existence. There is not a shadow of doubt that Twenty20s are here to stay. However, seeing them bloom and thrive at the expense of One Day Internationals (ODIs) is disturbing. I understand It's still quite premature to announce the demise of ODIs. But going by the trends and behavioral shifts in the attitude of fans, it doesn't look that far off either.

Sample the latest on TV ratings. Overnight Indian TV rating agency aMAP has already brought out the verdict in favor of sharply falling TV audience for ODIs. According to a news report published in one of the top national dailies in the context of ongoing Champions trophy, the highly publicized encounter between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan, too, failed to rekindle any hope for the re-invigoration of ODIs.

So what has gone wrong? What has caused the once enthralling format of cricket to become boring and stodgy ? For the uninitiated, it could be the raw, fast and furious nature of T20s. Not to mention that T20 is still a new kid on the block and it still has the novelty factor working to its advantage. But then, one might argue that ODIs would perhaps have posed the same threat to Test cricket three decades back. But instead of knocking Test format off the high horse, ODI format coexisted with Tests and in the process, both formats reinforced each other and grew stronger. By the same token, the new format of T20s can happily go along with ODIs and Tests. I would say, "Affirmative with an asterisk sign." To resurrect the interest of fans in 50 overs cricket, a few structural changes need to be brought about. Legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar have already suggested tweaks to the format and their suggestions have found both endorsers and detractors. Amidst all this debate and perplexity, comes a sweeping statement from another stalwart. Shane Warne propounds to put an end to ODIs for good. I think there is more than meets the eye here.

Let me put things in perspective. T20 is an extraordinary product, lapped up by one and all and has a huge demand. How much popular this format has become since its inception in 2003 can be gauged by the ground-audience and TRPs (TRP is a currency to measure the extent of TV audience a show/event has been able to reach). Over the time, TRPs of T20 format have shot through the roof, whereas those of ODIs have been on a path of progressive decline. Quite logically, advertisers have also shifted their focus away from one day cricket to T20s. Going back to the huge demand for new format, I would say, ICC and the respective cricket boards of all cricket-playing nations consciously need to strike the right balance between the three formats. At present, an average tour itinerary comprises 3 tests, 5 ODIs and at max, a couple of T20 games squeezed in. See the point here is that T20s despite being a great product and despite being in demand are in short supply. A T20 today generates drastically better ratings and better ground attendance than an ODI because of a plain, simple reason and that is that our want for T20 is still far from reaching satiation levels. Let me put this via an example here. Inaugural T20 world cup of 2007 surprised everybody  with the on-ground excitement and TV ratings. Inaugural season of IPL in 2008 went a step ahead in ratings and overall frenzy for twenty-overs cricket. Notably, there were only a few T20 matches between the two tournaments. Then came IPL 2009, which, quite unexpectedly, witnessed a slight slump in ratings, though still remaining better than ODIs. IPL 2009 was immediately followed by T20 world cup and surprisingly, world cup's ratings failed to match the IPL's ratings and even those of inaugural edition's. Reason could be given - India dropped out early of T20 world cup. However, an underlying reason could also be a slew of twenty-over cricket played within a two months time frame. Point is that adequate dose of twenty-over cricket to the adventure-starved fans could save ODIs from an untimely demise. Instead of stuffing the itineraries with one-day matches, give the fans what they want. Cut down upon the number of ODIs played and increase the supply of twenty-twenty matches. Consequently, the popularity of T20s, which right now is tending towards the outliers, would gradually regress to the mean.  

And ODI format, with some tweaks, may again get to live its past glory.