Curating wickets that crumble, returning to one ball and reducing bat sizes are among the host of changes former Australian cricketer Nathan Hauritz says must be made in an overhaul of the one-day international format.
The dominance of bat over ball in ODI cricket was on full display as Australia piled up 374 and 389 runs in the first two matches against India respectively, leaving Hauritz shaking his head.
"The wickets are so good, you're using two new balls throughout, the bats are good and the boys and the girls are playing great shots," Hauritz said on SEN's The Jimmy Smith Show.
"I would love to see either the wickets be really dry so they crumble and it's really hard to chase down a score, or even start a score. Go back to one ball and get the ball swinging in reverse early if you're playing on that type of wicket. Get the wicket spiced up a bit more."
Two new balls per ODI innings have been in play ever since the International Cricket Council made a series of rules changes in 2011.
Sachin Tendulkar has since labelled the introduction of two new balls "a recipe for disaster", while fellow Indian batting great Virat Kohli once said it was "brutal" for bowlers.
The fact each ball is never any older than 25 overs means reverse swing, which typically doesn't come into effect until the 40-over mark, is a weapon bowlers can't use.
If implemented, Hauritz believes his suggested rule changes could lead to significantly lower scores, but the former off-spinner doesn't believe that's an issue.
"You might have a game where the side batting first only makes 180, but it's still great entertainment," Hauritz said.
"It's gone the way where we're seeing heaps of fours and sixes, and what it does do is give us slow over rates and you're getting balls from the crowd.
"And it's quite demoralising. I love seeing Australia win – don't get me wrong – but it'd be quite demoralising continually fetching the ball from the boundary and knowing you've then got to go out and score at seven-and-a-half an over just to be in the game. I know people say they could chase it down, but only if Virat Kohli gets 150 off 120 rocks.
"It's getting to the stage that innovation is going a bit too far. I'd love to see the bowlers have a bit more of a crack."
Hauritz played 17 Tests, 58 ODIs and three T20s in the years spanning 2002-2011.
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