"There's Nobody To Hide": Jonty Rhodes On Virat Kohli's Impact On Indian Team, Explains Why

Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes has said there could be fewer bilateral ODI series in the future, but added that it is difficult to imagine cricket without the 50-over format. Rhodes believes fans will continue to turn up to support their teams regardless of the format, while acknowledging that the 50-over game could face challenges in the years ahead. "When T20 cricket first started, people were saying it was going to put pressure on Test cricket and, amazingly, it has not. Some Test cricket looks like T20 at times, with aggressive batting and bowling," Rhodes told the media during the jersey launch of European T20 Premier League (ETPL) team Rotterdam Dockers on Tuesday.

Rotterdam Dockers, co-owned by Rhodes, will feature in the inaugural edition of the ETPL, to be held in Voorburg, the Netherlands, and Dublin from August 26 to September 20.

"For me, it is always about understanding that 50-over cricket might be the one format that could be in trouble in the years ahead because we are bringing in such a fresh crowd and a different perspective to the game.

"From that point of view, we're really fortunate that what 50-over cricket has is a base of really passionate fans who will support their team no matter what format or version it is," Rhodes said.

Rhodes continued: "At this stage, I think there will be fewer and fewer bilateral series, but it is very difficult to think of cricket without the 50-over version."

Rhodes said the growing number of T20 leagues around the world could prompt players to retire from international cricket earlier.

"We've seen in the FIFA World Cup the passion that people have for playing for their country. It's often the case because they don't get to do it that often. So, outside of a FIFA World Cup year, most of those international stars are playing for their clubs and franchises, and you might see more and more of that happening from a cricketing perspective," he said.

"To have three different formats within cricket competing with franchise cricket around the world, players will start making a choice, and that choice could be ending their international careers slightly earlier," Rhodes added.

Rhodes expressed confidence that South Africa can go the distance at next year's ODI World Cup, which the country will co-host with Zimbabwe and Namibia.

"We, as South Africans, are looking forward to hosting it. It's been a while, and it's great that it's come around again. Good timing for us, as the team is playing pretty well," he said.

"There are a few things that we would like to settle, and one of those is obviously winning an ICC limited-overs trophy," Rhodes added.

Rhodes said fielding has evolved significantly since his playing days, with players themselves taking greater initiative to raise standards.

"It actually came from the players themselves, and that, for me, is a real revelation. To see how the players practise these days is incredible. We see some great things happening on the field, and the reason is that they put in the hours during practice doing exactly that," he said.

"The positional play has evolved significantly. Ten years ago, you could have three or four good fielders and hide four or five players. These days, you can't even hide one.

"In the Indian team, Virat Kohli insisted that you had to be fit, a good fielder, athletic and robust in the field, and fitness levels were extremely important. We've seen the evolution in India from a team that had one or two great fielders to a team where there's nobody to hide," he added.

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Jonty Rhodes Virat Kohli India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Cricket