Harbhajan Singh, the former India off-spinner who played 236 ODIs and took 269 wickets, has expressed his lack of interest in the one-day international format. Harbhajan's last ODI appearance came on October 25, 2015, against South Africa. The veteran cricketer has now offered his perspective on the current state of international cricket and the challenges facing the sport's traditional formats.
Harbhajan believes that Test cricket should hold the top position in the sport's hierarchy. According to the former spinner, the shift in audience attention away from international cricket towards league-based competitions has fundamentally altered the landscape of professional cricket. He pointed to the growing dominance of franchise leagues as a key factor in this transformation.
"If there is an India-Australia, India-South Africa or India-England series, I'd love to watch it. I would pay to watch Test cricket. I have no interest in ODIs. I have seen it, played it," Harbhajan said as quoted by NDTV Sports.
Viewership patterns in international cricket
Harbhajan highlighted how viewership patterns in international cricket have become selective and dependent on the teams involved. The former spinner observed that marquee matchups between traditional rivals attract substantial audiences, while contests between less prominent nations struggle to generate comparable interest.
"If India plays Australia then there is good viewership but if India is playing Sri Lanka or Afghanistan, the viewership is not there. Australia playing England, the viewership is there but not for an England Bangladesh series," Harbhajan said.
Harbhajan emphasised that league cricket has created a cultural shift in how audiences consume the sport. The packed stadiums at franchise tournaments stand in stark contrast to the challenges facing international cricket in retaining viewer attention.
"...you see The Hundred, the grounds are packed, BBL the grounds are full. In IPL, you can't find tickets. Already that culture has developed that two months of IPL is a festival...a carnival," Harbhajan said.
League cricket's dominance and the challenge of restoring international appeal
Harbhajan acknowledged the difficulty in reversing this trend, given the scale and appeal of league competitions. He recognised that franchise cricket offers a unique spectacle that international cricket struggles to match in the current landscape.
Harbhajan attributed the shift in audience preferences to the evolution of T20 cricket and its influence on player mindsets and public perception. The shorter format has reshaped how cricketers approach the game and what audiences expect from professional cricket.
"It would be difficult to (for international cricket to get) back to its former stature because the leagues have become so big. In the league, the fans get to see a mixture of everything, competing with each other, so that's a different spectacle. The way things have changed with the T20s coming, the mindset of batters has changed, the public's perception has changed. There's lack of time, so people want to see a shorter format," Harbhajan said.
Harbhajan stressed that Test cricket deserves greater protection and promotion from all stakeholders in the sport. He argued that the longest format represents the truest test of a cricketer's abilities and should remain the pinnacle of international cricket.
"Test cricket is main cricket. All the stakeholders of the game should protect Test cricket and promote it. Because Test cricket is the best cricket, it tests you in every possible way as a cricketer," Harbhajan said.