I see no relevance of ODI cricket, it's there for the sake of being there: Lalit Modi

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is underway in India as fans are getting to see some breathtaking action unfold in the cricketing extravaganza. Ahead of the tournament, there were widespread talks about the relevance of ODI cricket with the franchise T20 leagues filling the major part of the cricketing calendar.

Speaking on the issue, former IPL (Indian Premier League) commissioner Lalit Modi also echoed the same thoughts and felt that the death of ODI cricket is imminent. Modi also suggested changing five-day Test cricket to four-day fixtures with more emphasis on day-night games to attract more crowd.

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"Where do I see cricket in India? I see 50 overs going, completely. I see no relevance to it. It's there for the sake of being there. I see relevance in a four-day Test, not five days, and a day-night Test because people don't have the luxury to sit from morning to evening. If it's a day-night Test, they might go after office hours to watch the game," Modi said while speaking to Revsportz.

Further speaking ahead, Modi revealed that he would’ve launched a second tier of IPL if he was still a part of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) consisting of 20 teams.

"I'm not part of the BCCI. If I was there, I would definitely be thinking of launching a second tier, with ownership coming in - not at the valuation of a billion dollars, but at valuation of 60 to maybe 100 million. This was the valuation of the IPL in year one. That can be up to 20 teams, coming into the secondary league, and two teams are relegated [from the IPL]. Instead of four foreign players, you'd have two. Or maybe you'd need four because you need more talent to be trained up. What the foreign players do is bring in locker-room discipline, and provide the experience that made them what they are today,” he added.

Also Read: Lalit Modi clarifies why he left India after receiving 20,000 questions on LinkedIn

Modi served as IPL chairman for first three seasons

Notably, Modi was the founder, first chairman and league commissioner of the IPL and served his role for the first three seasons till 2010. After the end of the third season in 2010, Modi was suspended from BCCI and was accused of misconduct, indiscipline and financial irregularities. He was further banned for a lifetime by the BCCI following an investigation which found him guilty of these charges. He now lives in London as a fugitive.