Lorgat rejects Tendulkar's proposal of ODI format change

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The ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat here on Wednesday shot down Sachin Tendulkar's proposed changes in the ODI format making it a four innings 25-over-affair rather than current 50-over format.

"There is no need to change the format," Lorgat told reporters here at a breakfast interaction.

Tendulkar, a prolific run-scorer in ODIs with over 18,000 runs, 48 centuries and 95 half centuries had written a letter to Lorgat, seeking a radical switch from two 50-over innings to four phased out innings of 25 overs each -- method tried in Australian domestic cricket.

"We did receive a written proposal from Sachin, but that was a long time back. I myself have spoken to him many times about it, the last one as recent as during the World Cup in April. The success of the tournament showed that the 50-over format was sound in health and there was no need for dramatic changes," Lorgat added.

He further added," The executive board meeting after the World Cup decided that the present format was doing well. That has not changed," Lorgat stressed.

The senior batsman had argued that four alternate innings of 25 overs would be a fair way to balance the advantage gained by the team which won the toss in conditions such as bad weather, sub-quality pitches which historically had proven that a match can virtually be decided by the toss of a coin.

Lorgat also commented on another point of contention with India -- the DRS. He thought the system was working well despite Indian dislike towards it.

"Even the best of umpires have a success rate of 95 per cent. We see a five per cent improvement because of the UDRS while there can be 1 per cent margin for error. The question is if we want to sacrifice 5 per cent for 1 per cent?," Lorgat questioned.