In the main the
laws of cricket apply, but with each team batting for a fixed number of
overs. In the early days of ODI cricket the number of overs varied from 40 to 60 overs per side (or 35 to 40 eight-ball overs), but it has been uniformly fixed at 50 overs since the mid-1990s. Simply stated, the game works as follows: and
Pakistan in
Edgbaston • An ODI is contested by two teams of 11 players each. • The Captain of the side winning the
toss chooses to either bat or
bowl (field) first. • The team batting first sets the target score in a single
innings. The innings lasts until the batting side is "all out" (i.e., 10 of the 11 batting players are "out") or all of the first side's allotted overs are completed. • Each bowler is restricted to bowling a maximum of 10 overs (fewer in the case of rain-reduced matches and in any event generally no more than one fifth or 20% of the total overs per innings). Therefore, each team must comprise at least five competent bowlers (either dedicated bowlers or all-rounders). • The team batting second tries to score more than the target score in order to win the match. Similarly, the side bowling second tries to bowl out the second team or make them exhaust their overs before they reach the target score in order to win. • If the number of runs scored by both teams is equal when the second team
loses all its wickets or exhausts all its overs, then the game is declared a
tie (regardless of the number of wickets lost by either team). Where a number of overs are lost, for example, due to inclement weather conditions, then the total number of overs may be reduced. In the early days of ODI cricket, the team with the better run rate won (see
Average Run Rate method), but this favoured the second team. For the
1992 World Cup, an alternative method was used of simply omitting the first team's worst overs (see
Most Productive Overs method) but that favoured the first team. Since the late 1990s, the target or result has usually been determined by the
Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS, formerly known as the Duckworth–Lewis method), Previously, in October 2007, the ICC sanctioned that after the 34th over, the ball would be replaced with a cleaned previously used ball. Before October 2007 (except 1992 and 1996 World Cups), only one ball would be used during an innings of an ODI and it was up to the umpire to decide whether to change the ball.
Fielding restrictions and powerplays The bowling side is subjected to
fielding restrictions during an ODI, in order to prevent teams from setting wholly defensive fields. Fielding restrictions dictate the maximum number of fielders allowed to be outside the thirty-yard circle. Under current ODI rules, there are three levels of fielding restrictions: • In the first 10 overs of an innings (the
mandatory powerplay), the fielding team may have at most two fielders outside the 30-yard circle. This allows only attacking fields to be set during the powerplay. • Between 11 and 40 overs four fielders will be allowed to field outside the 30-yard circle. Either an Attacking or Normal Field can be set in the second powerplay. • In the final 10 overs five fielders will be allowed to field outside the 30-yard circle. All three types of fields (attacking, defensive and normal fields) can be used in the third powerplay. The three powerplays are referenced by P1, P2 and P3 respectively, usually displayed near the score in modern scorecards.
History Fielding restrictions were first introduced in the Australian 1980–81 season. By 1992, only two fielders were allowed outside the circle in the first fifteen overs, then five fielders allowed outside the circle for the remaining overs. This was shortened to ten overs in 2005, and two five-over powerplays were introduced, with the bowling team and batting team having discretion over the timing for one-one each. In 2008, the batting team was given discretion for the timing of one of the two powerplays. In 2011, the teams were restricted to completing the discretionary powerplays between the 16th and 40th overs; previously, the powerplays could take place at any time between the 11th and 50th overs. Finally, in 2012, the bowling powerplay was abandoned, and the number of fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle during non-powerplay overs was reduced from five to four. ==Teams with ODI status==