Sachin Tendulkar suggests tweak in ODI format to keep it interesting

Mumbai : It is not a hidden secret that 50 over game is continuously losing interest from the viewers and needs to be reformed to keep audiences intact. Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has suggested some tweaks to the format.

According to a report by The Times of India, Sachin Tendulkar has suggested to change the game to "25-over innings with a 15-minute break between each innings"; with this contest will regain the interest and also avoid the dew factor.

"The 50-over format is the first thing that needs a look-in. As I had suggested, the format needs a tweak of two innings of 25 overs per side with a 15-minute break between each innings (a total of four innings between two teams). The number of innovations that can be brought in are huge.

"Let's say there's a 50-over-a-side match between Team A and Team B. Team A wins the toss, bats 25 overs; then team B bats for 25 overs; Team A resumes innings (with whatever wickets left) from the 26th over; Team B then resumes the last innings to chase the target. If Team A has lost all their wickets within the first 25 overs itself, then Team B gets 50 overs (25 overs plus 25 overs with a break) to chase the target," Tendulkar told The Times of India.

"There's always a chance to come back into the game. In a regular 50-over format, if a side wins toss and there's dew, the side bowling second has no chance. The wet ball just skids on to the bat and it's never a fair battle," Tendulkar added.

Sachin Tendulkar is expected to make a return on the playing field next year when he will play matches for the Road Safety World Series.

The world series will be annual tournament to be played between retired cricketers from five countries - Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and India.

Other great players who will be joining the league are India's Virender Sehwag, Australian Brett Lee, Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan and South Africa's Jonty Rhodes for the tournament from Feb. 2-16 across India.

Tendulkar, 46, is the world's leading scorer in tests and one-day internationals, amassing more than 34,000 runs and 100 centuries in a 24-year career that ended in 2013.