The World Cup, starting on Thursday, will focus specifically on one-day international cricket and provide a chance to showcase how the 50-over game has evolved since India last hosted the tournament in 2011.
One of the criticisms of ODIs, once the economic driving force of global sport, is that they are often reduced to ‘meaningless’ bilateral series.
The format is also seen as too pedestrian in the slipstream of the high-velocity, smash-and-grab Twenty20 format.
“ODIs have become almost dependent on the World Cup year for its importance,” former Australia captain Ian Chappell wrote in a recent ESPN Cricinfo column.
Meanwhile, 2011 World Cup-winning India great Sachin Tendulkar believes the format has now become too formulaic.
“The game is becoming very predictable,” he said.
“From the 15th to the 40th over, it’s losing momentum. It’s becoming boring.”