A triangular tournament that would have been termed an insignificant one a few seasons ago, will be more in focus now, though not for a reason that will please die-hard fans of the original short form of the game.
The relevance of ODIs in the times of T20 has been quite the topic of debate lately. It will be interesting to see whether the tournament will excite fans and prove to be more than just a practice event for the season ahead as trends across the world suggest a preference for the 20-over format not only by fans, but also some administrators.
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who just led his team to two consecutive wins in Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka, feels there is quite some time to go before the shortest format actually becomes the top one. “Australia and New Zealand are going to host the 2015 World Cup. From what I know, a lot of people are waiting for it and it is too early to pass judgments,” Vettori said here ahead of the tri-series that also features India.
Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara agrees with Vettori. “One day cricket is definitely there to stay and I am sure this tournament will be interesting. It will take time to strike a balance between all three formats of the game, and the administrators, public, television channels and players will all combine to decide its fate,” he said.
As for this tournament, India have a lot at stake because the former world champions are eyeing the opportunity of making a bid on the Champions Trophy in South Africa as the top-ranked side in the world. India have never been on the summit since the present system of rankings was introduced seven years ago, and if Mahendra Singh Dhoni is able to lead the side to three consecutive wins (two in the league apart from the final), it could be yet another memorable achievement in his impressive stint as captain.
But one will also have to wait and see how much lady luck supports Dhoni. Premdasa Stadium, where all matches will be held, is known to hand out a clear advantage to team batting first, just one of those venues that prompted Sachin Tendulkar to suggest a tinkering with the format.
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