Anyone who thinks T20 is a better game than the 50-over game is off their rocker: Ian Chappell

Former Australian cricket captain Ian Chappell has voiced his concerns about the decline of 50-over cricket. After Cricket Australia decided to change the traditional Chappell-Hadlee Trophy to a T20I series. Chappell's apprehensions regarding the future of One-Day International (ODI) cricket seem to be warranted.

Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, historically contested in the ODI format, is transforming as Cricket Australia has opted for a T20I series between Australia and New Zealand. This move shows that the cricket administration is looking at T20 cricket as the future of the game. 

"They certainly have T20 cricket at the top of the pole, and there's more and more T20 cricket being played and less and less 50-over cricket. Anyone who thinks T20 is a better game than the 50-over game is off their rocker. The administrators have let 50-over cricket go, and I think they've let it go to the point where they may not be able to resurrect it," said Chappell while speaking to the World Wide of Sports.

Ian Chappell opens up about the future of 50-over cricket

Moreover, Chappell emphasized the importance of the 50-over format, ranking it second only to Test cricket. Despite the success of major events like the ODI World Cup, Chappell doubts whether the format will retain its significance in the future.

"I'd like to think that you'll get good crowds at the 50-over game because it's a very good game of cricket – the next best thing to a Test match. But it's not in the mind of the administrators at the moment, and whether you can turn the clock back, I'm not so sure," stated Chappell.

"I don't see the World Cup going up in smoke, it's too important and it's still pretty well-attended. But if you're going to have the World Cup, you've got to have the players playing some matches. But will it have the importance that it used to have? I'm very doubtful," he added.

Also read: T20Is added to Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, point structure to decide winner

 He even questioned whether shorter formats like T10 could become the norm if T20s lose their appeal. "T20 leagues are popping up everywhere, and now you've got a few T10 leagues … what are you going to do if the crowd gets bored with T20? Are you going to cut it back to T10 and then T5? How are you going to play a T5 game, walk off the field, and think you've earned your beer?" Chappell concluded.

The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy is all set to kick off on 21st February in Hamilton. Both teams will be playing three T20Is and two Test matches.

Also read: David Warner calls out New Zealand spectator behavior towards Aussies