Jonty Rhodes on ODI cricket’s importance and T20 growth

Jonty Rhodes, the South African fielding great, has expressed his conviction that one-day international cricket remains essential to the sport’s future, even as T20 formats continue to expand globally.

Rhodes, who represented South Africa in 245 ODIs during his playing career and is now a fielding consultant for multiple teams, made his views clear while discussing the evolution of cricket’s formats and their place in the modern game.

Rhodes made these comments during an event associated with the European T20 Premier League, where he was involved in a team jersey launch. His remarks reflect broader discussions within cricket about format sustainability and the balance between innovation and tradition.

“When T20 cricket first started, people were saying it is going to put pressure on Test cricket and amazingly it has not. Some of the Test cricket looks like T20 at times, there is some aggressive batting and bowling,” Rhodes was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Why ODI cricket faces unique pressure

Despite recognising T20’s strength, Rhodes identified ODI cricket as the format facing the greatest challenge in coming years. He explained that the 50-over format occupies a unique position in cricket’s ecosystem, vulnerable to pressure from both shorter and longer formats.

Rhodes expressed his perspective on this vulnerability while emphasising the format’s enduring appeal to supporters worldwide.

“For me, it is always understanding that 50-overs cricket might be the one format where – because we bring in such a fresh crowd and a different perspective into the game – possibly 50-overs cricket might be in trouble in the years ahead. From a point of view, we’re really fortunate that what 50-overs cricket has is that you’ve got really passionate fans who will support their team no matter what format or version it is. At this stage, I think there will be fewer and fewer bilateral series. but it is very difficult to think of cricket without the 50-over version,” Rhodes continued.

Rhodes’ position represents a more optimistic view of ODI cricket’s resilience despite acknowledged structural challenges. His assessment balances recognition of T20’s commercial and competitive success with confidence in the 50-over format’s cultural significance and fan loyalty.

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