Now Reading: Harbhajan Singh: No interest in ODIs, T20 leagues dominate cricket
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Harbhajan Singh: No interest in ODIs, T20 leagues dominate cricket
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 269 wickets in 236 ODIs, has declared he has no interest in the 50-over format and warned that T20 franchise leagues are killing bilateral international…
The Story in Brief
Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who took 269 wickets in 236 ODIs, has declared he has no interest in the 50-over format and warned that T20 franchise leagues are killing bilateral international cricket. In a PTI podcast interview reported by NDTV, Harbhajan said 70 per cent of fans now watch club or league cricket over international matches. He noted that only blockbuster series like India-Australia still draw viewership, while matches such as Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan or England vs Bangladesh see little interest.
Harbhajan called Test cricket the ultimate test of skill and urged stakeholders to protect it. He pointed to packed houses in the IPL, The Hundred, and the Big Bash as proof of shifting fan preferences. He also revealed his autobiography will be released later this year.
The Indian Opinion
The 'ODIs are dead' narrative gets a big push from a man who played 236 of them, but Harbhajan's nostalgia for Test cricket is just as sharp. The real story is not the death of any format but the growing gulf between premier rivalries and ordinary bilaterals. Fans still pack stadiums for India vs Australia, but not for England vs Bangladesh. The ICC's next ODI World Cup in 2027 will be the real test: will the audience show up, or will the tournament need a T20 makeover?
Sources (2): sports.ndtv.com, sports.ndtv.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
