If ever there was a sign that modern cricket is a batsman's game, it came on Monday at the launch of the new MTN40 competition, South Africa's new and slick domestic one-day tournament which Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola believes will be the way of the future for the ODI game.
Five less overs, one more player and more overs with fielding restrictions will make for intriguing viewing and, according to players, for a game that will provide a proper test of skill.
"We are going to see guys coming out of their shells more. Guys will come up with new and different shots and bowlers with more variation. Guys are going to have to be more skilled now," said the Highveld Lions' Vaughn van Jaarsveld, 2008's second-highest run scorer when the event was called the MTN Domestic Championship.
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The 45-over competition needed spicing up, according to the sponsors and CSA, which has seen crowds for domestic one-day cricket dwindling in recent years.
"The 50-over game is definitely under threat," Majola said. "The ICC know this and they and other affiliates are looking closely at how this competition will go. I definitely see the 50-over game not lasting. The next World Cup in 2011 will be the last to be played with the 50-over format. After that, I see something like this new MTN40 format replacing it."
The changes certainly are radical and were done in consultation with broadcasters and the players through their union, the SA Cricketers Association.
"It's definitely an attempt to bring the crowds back and the way to do that is to have a format that is closer to pro20 cricket," said Titans all-rounder Albie Morkel. "And if everyone buys into it then it could be successful."
Power Plays have been increased to 20 overs, the first 10 being compulsory and then two sets of five overs - with restrictions of three and four players on the boundary - which will be solely for the batting team to use, but which they have to use by the 35th over.
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