R Ashwin has levelled serious allegations against the International Cricket Council (ICC), saying the rules to have five fielders inside the 30-yard circle and two balls in ODIs were introduced to nullify India’s dominance in the format. Ashwin demanded that the second new ball rule be ended and that the practice of having an extra fielder in the circle be stopped to restore the balance between ball and bat in the fifty-over format.
He also spoke about the monotonous nature of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 games. “Before the match between Afghanistan and England, I was thinking about the future of ODI cricket,” Ashwin said.
“T20Is attract a crowd, and the consumption is high because the match gets over in four overs. I feel Test cricket will grow once the first-class structure of a team like Afghanistan improves,” he added.
Ashwin mentioned that new ODI rules were introduced to end India’s spin advantage. “Earlier, only one ball was used in ODIs, and no extra fielder was placed in the circle. The ICC introduced new rules to nullify India’s spin domination in ODIs.
“I think it has impacted the game. The reverse swing has gone missing. Role of a finger spinner has been reduced.”
He urged the ICC to play ODI cricket with red ball. “ODI cricket was played with red ball in the past, and it is time to bring it back to save the format.”
