Harbhajan Singh: ‘I have absolutely no interest in ODI cricket’

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has expressed his disinterest in One Day International (ODI) cricket and would even pay to attend Test cricket matches. The 45-year-old believes that Test cricket should be the primary focus of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and that more attention should be given to it. Harbhajan stated that international cricket, especially matches featuring top teams like India, Australia, England, or South Africa, is where he would like to watch the sport in action.

He has no interest in ODI cricket and feels that it is over after having experienced it. Harbhajan also pointed out that the game is increasingly moving towards franchise cricket, and the overall viewership, excluding marquee series, is declining. According to him, 70 percent of the transformation has already occurred, and international cricket has taken a backseat in comparison to other formats.

He mentioned that while there is viewership for Test matches whenever India plays against top teams like Australia, the interest is lacking for matches against other teams like Sri Lanka or Afghanistan. Harbhajan also noted that events like The Hundred and the Big Bash League (BBL) have captured fans' attention, but ticket availability for IPL matches is limited.

He believes that the shift towards shorter formats has already taken place and that reviving interest in international cricket might be challenging. In a similar vein, another former off-spinning great, Ravichandran Ashwin, expressed doubts about the future of One Day Internationals after the 2027 World Cup in Africa. He is uncertain about the format's relevance post the 2027 World Cup and finds it difficult to follow the Vijay Hazare Trophy compared to the more popular Smat series.

However, he believes that the involvement of top players like Rohit and Virat Kohli in domestic competitions can help revive interest in the sport.