Pakistan legend Wasim Akram wants ODI cricket to be scrapped permanently since it has become a "run-of-the-mill" thing and wants the administrators of the game to make suitable changes in the format now. Akram's comments come on the backdrop of Ben Stokes announcing his retirement from ODIs.
"I think so (ODIs should be scrapped). In England, you have full houses. In India, Pakistan especially, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, one-day cricket you are not going to fill the stadiums."
Wasim Akram was quoted as saying on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast
"They are doing it just for the sake of doing it. After the first 10 overs, it's just 'OK, just go a run a ball, get a boundary, four fielders in and you get to 200, 220 in 40 overs' and then have a go last 10 overs. Another 100. It's kind of run-of-the-mill," added Akram.
Backing Stokes' decision to announce retirement at the age of 31, the former Pakistan speedster said, "Him (Stokes) deciding that he is retiring from one-day cricket is quite sad but I agree with him," said the left-arm pacer.
"Even as a commentator … one-day cricket is just a drag now, especially after T20. I can imagine as a player. 50 overs, 50 overs, then you have to pre-game, post-game, the lunch game," added the cricketer-turned-commentator.
Akram also stated that the ODI format has no future in comparison to the ever-growing T20 format.
"T20 is kind of easier, four hours the game is over. The leagues all around the world, there is a lot more money – I suppose this is part and parcel of modern cricket. T20 or Test cricket. One-day cricket is kind of dying.
"It is quite tiring for a player to play one-day cricket. After T20, one-day cricket seems it is going on for days. So players are focussing on a shorter format. And longer format obviously (with) Test cricket," he concluded.
Cricket has always been a bridge across cultures, a phenomenon that connects players with fans from all around the world. Situations often force people to migrate from one country to the other. There have been instances when cricketers were born in different nations but ultimately played for a different country.
Let's take a look at the cricket facts of cricketers who didn't play for their country.
Cricket Facts | Cricketers who didn't play for their country
5. Glenn Phillips (South Africa-born)
New Zealand cricket all-rounder Glenn Philips moved from East London, South Africa to New Zealand at the age of five. He pursued his education in New Zealand, where he began his cricket journey. Having made his domestic debut with Auckland, he signed with Otago to play alongside his brother, Dale Phillips, in 2022. Interestingly, he made his international debut against South Africa, the country where he was born.
4. Ish Sodhi (India-born)
Inderbir Singh 'Ish' Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India, on October 31, 1992, and spent his early years in New Zealand. He made his New Zealand debut as a leg-spinner in 2013, and since then, he has been a reliable performer in limited-overs forms, contributing significantly to the country's T20 World Cup campaigns.
3. Devon Conway (South Africa-born)
After playing for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions, Devon Conway moved to New Zealand in 2017 and made an immediate impact. He was the leading run-scorer in both the 2018-19 Plunket Shield (659) and 2018-19 Super Smash (363). Conway became eligible to play for New Zealand in August 2020 and has since become a key player for them across all formats. He averages 36.72 after 27 Tests and has also made 36 ODI and 50 T20I appearances.
2. Marnus Labuschagne (South Africa-born)
Marnus Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa. His family moved to Australia when he was 10. Labuschagne made his Australia debut in Tests in 2018, after Steve Smith suffered an injury during the Ashes tour. Since then the prolific batter has emulated the batting prowess of his best friend and has not looked back.
Speaking of his impressive international cricket career for Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has played 57 Tests, scoring 4396 runs with 11 centuries, and played 63 ODIs, scoring 1869 runs with two centuries. He has also played one T20I match.
Ben Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June 1991. His family moved to Cumbria when Stokes was 12 years old after his father was appointed head coach at Workington Town Rugby League Club.
Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.
After the Champions Trophy 2025, India's target in ODI cricket will be the ODI World Cup 2027. In such a situation, know what is Team India's ODI schedule till the World Cup 2027. The Men in Blue have to play a total of 9 series in the next ICC ODI tournament, which includes 27 matches.
Apart from this, some more ODI matches can be scheduled near the tournament. So, know what is the ODI schedule of Indian Cricket Team till 2027 and when India will face which team.
The ODI World Cup2027 will be held around October to December. Before this, the Indian team is going to play a lot of matches. India have to play 3-match ODI series against 8 teams. They will play series twice against one country.
India will play New Zealand twice
India will play Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka once each in the upcoming ODI series, while it will play New Zealand twice. Out of the nine series, India will play six series at home, while the rest will be held outside the country.
It will start with the tour of Bangladesh in August, which will be played this year. In October-November 2025, India has to play a three-match ODI series on its tour of Australia. South Africa's team will tour India in November-December.
India will host Sri Lankan team in December 2026
In January 2026, the New Zealand team will play an ODI series in India. After this, India has to play a three-match series against Afghanistan in June. In July 2026, Team India will have to play the same number of ODI series on its tour of England.
The West Indies team is scheduled to tour India in September-October. There will be an ODI series against New Zealand at home in October-November. India will host the Sri Lankan team for an ODI series in December 2026.
ICC Anounces Venue and Key Dates for The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 England
ICC has confirmed seven venues that will host the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 in England next year, with the Lord's Cricket Ground set as the venue for the Final.
The ICChas officially announced that the Final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5th July. The news was shared during a special launch event at Lord’s on 1st May.
Alongside this major reveal, it was confirmed that the matches will also be played at other popular venues across England, including Edgbaston, the Hampshire Bowl, Headingley, Old Trafford, The Oval, and the Bristol County Ground.
The tournament is set to kick off on 12th June and will run for 24 days, featuring a total of 33 matches leading up to the highly anticipated final at Lord’s. The complete match schedule is expected to be released soon.
All the confirmed venues for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026. Image | ICC
Featuring a record 12 teams, the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be the biggest edition in the tournament’s history. With two more teams than the previous edition, fans can expect fierce competition as the world’s top sides battle it out for the title.
Qualified Teams for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026
England (Host)
Australia
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Four additional teams will join them through the Qualifier scheduled next year.
The 12 teams will be split into two groups of six for the group stage, followed by the knockout rounds and finals.
Official Statement
ICC Chairman Jay Shah opened up about the tournament, saying, "The confirmation of venues represents a defining moment as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026"
"The sell-out Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s in 2017 remains a landmark in the rise of the women’s game, and I cannot think of a more fitting stage for the final."
"As we turn our focus to preparing for the tournament, we are excited by the promise of thrilling T20 action that will not only captivate fans here but also serve as a showcase for cricket’s return on the Olympic stage in Los Angeles 2028."
Legacy
New Zealand Women's Cricket Team celebrating their 1st title defeating South Africa in the final. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Moving on from the most recent edition, hosted by Bangladesh in the UAE in 2024, saw New Zealandclaim their first-ever title, defeating South Africa by 32 runs in the final.
The 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup will mark the milestone 10th edition of the tournament, which began in 2009.
Here are all the England white ball captains (ODIs and T20Is) in men's cricket since 1971, as Harry Brook became the most recent player to become a permanent England white-ball captain.
Harry Brook was recently named England's white-ball captain, succeeding Jos Buttler, who stepped down in February 2025 following a disappointing Champions Trophy campaign. Brook now has become the 38th ODI captain for England and 15th to be named as T20I captain of the country as well.
Ray Illingworth was the first-ever ODI and white-ball captain of England, who was also part of the first-ever men's One-day cricket match in 1971. Mike Denness and Tony Greig followed him on the list.
Michael Vaughan was the first T20I captain of England as he led the team in the shortest format of the game for the first time in 2005. Stuart Broad and Craig Kieswetter are a few of the players who captained the team only in T20Is. In the meantime, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, and Jos Buttler led them in both ODIs and T20Is.
Indian Men's Cricket team have won a total of 7 ICC trophies so far in their history. Here is a detailed article on India's performance in every ICC tournament.
India's performance in the ICCevents has been mixed in recent years. The title win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought after it last won a global tournament back in 2013 - the ICC Champions Trophy.
Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
So far, India have collected 7 ICC trophies including two 50 over World Cups, three Champions Trophy, and two T20 World Cups in 2007 and 2024.
Mahendra Singh Dhonihas won 3 ICC events as a captain and Rohit Sharma has 2 in those 7 ICC trophies that India won so far. In this article, SportzPoint will give you details on India's performances in every ICC tournaments so far.
ICC Cricket World Cup (1975 - 2023):
India lost the 2023 ICC World Cup final against Australia.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) started the ODI World Cup back in the year 1975. From then, ICC organized the tournament a total of 13 times. Australia are the most successful in the format as they won 6 titles so far.
India won their first World Cup under Kapil Dev back in 1983 and next under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011. With 2 titles India are the second most successful team alongside West Indies in the 50 overs format after Australia.
Indian Men's Cricket team also lost two ODI World Cup finals, one under Sourav Ganguly in 2003 and another one under Rohit Sharma in 2023. Here is how India performed in the each of the 13 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
India's performance in every ICC Cricket World Cup
Year
Result
1975
6th
1979
7th
1983
Champions
1987
Semi-Final
1992
7th
1996
Semi-Final
1999
6th
2003
Runner's up
2007
9th
2011
Champions
2015
Semi-Final
2019
Semi-Final
2023
Final
ICC Champions Trophy (1998 - 2025):
ICC started a new tournament of the 50 overs format in 1998 called the Champions Trophy. It was also referred as a "Mini World Cup". Till 2006 the Champion's Trophy was held every two years. After that, it continues with a gap of 4 years from 2009.
In 2003, India reached the Finals of the tournament along with Sri Lanka. As the match got washed out and India were declared joint winners.
However, India finally won the ICC Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013 after defeating England by 5 runs.
In 2025, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai to lift the trophy for the third time. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.
Let's take a look at India's performance in the tournament so far.
India won their latest ICC T20 World Cup in 2024. Image | ICC
International Cricket Council introduced a new format marquee tournament in 2007 as T20 Cricket started to grow globally. ICC started the T20 World Cup in the year 2007. India defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the final that year and won the inaugural T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni.
ICC World Test Championshipstarted in the year 2019 as New Zealand won the inaugural WTC after defeating India in the ICC World Test Championship 2021 Final.
India once again qualified for the Test Championship final in 2023 and this time, it was Australia who challenged them. India bottled their chance to win an ICC trophy after waiting for a decade and lost the match by a huge margin of 209 runs.
In 2023-25 World Test Championship, India failed to qualify for the final.
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