World Cup 2015 de-stresses the distressed ODI cricket

World Cup 2015 de-stresses the distressed ODI cricket: 38 Tons, 2 double tons, 2 hat-tricks and 454 sixes and in the end without any doubt the most deserving team lifting the trophy the World Cup, the 11th World Cup exceeded the expectations of fans as well as of the governing body ICC which termed it as the ‘most popular World Cup ever’.

43 days of highest order of 50 over cricket has reinstated the lost trust in this format. There has been a constant threat to the future of ODI cricket ever since the inception of the T-20 format but those dark clouds of danger over the 50 over format have vanished away at least for a while after an immensely successful World Cup 2015. The fans filled the ground to raptures in almost every match of the home team but the thing that captured the attention of one and all was the presence of more than 86,000 people in a neutral match between India and South Africa, it epitomized that ODI is going nowhere and it is here to stay.

There are multiple reasons for which this World Cup be remembered, but the most prime one is the rebirth of the high quality fast bowling, in the last two World Cups fast bowling gone off the boil a bit but BWOY the fast bowlers have came back with a bang in this tournament as the prowess which Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult showcased were comparable with the all time greats like Wasim Akram and Glenn McGrath.

The fearless power hitting of the Brendon McCulum at the top of the order against some of the best bowlers around will long live in the memories of the followers of the game. If McCulum lit up the starting over’s then the likes of Glenn Maxwell and AB DE VILLIERS displayed brute force and fineness in the finishing over’s of the innings. The 400 became the new 300 as the batsman made full use of the just four fielders outside the 30 yards circle.

The four high quality fast bowlers of the Australian team gave us a clue of the difficulties that the batsman would have had in facing the immaculate generation of West Indian fast bowlers of the 70’s and 80’s as the combination of Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, Josh Hazelwood and James Faulkner were a potent force right through the tournament  and the aggressive captaincy of Brendon McCulum was breathtaking to watch; at times he had four slips and a gully for his fast bowlers which was a staggering site in this den age of ODI cricket. This tournament proved that there is no place for average bowlers to fill in for the fifth bowler as part timers trying, as they kept disappearing in the crowd.

This World Cup has verified that the One Day format still holds an imperative position between the purest form Test cricket and glamorous T-20. In the years to come this tournament will be remembered for the rejuvenation of the middle child of cricket.