One day international

What is an ODI?

One Day Internationals (ODIs) are 50-over matches played between international teams. Each team bats once, facing a maximum of 50 overs, and matches typically last up to 9 hours. ODIs are also referred to as Limited Overs Internationals (LOIs), though that term can also include Twenty20 Internationals.

The ICC Cricket World Cup, held every four years, uses this format. ODIs are considered the highest standard of limited-overs cricket, classified under List A status.

A brief history of ODIs

ODI cricket emerged in the 1970s, with the first match played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

In the late 1970s, Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket introduced many now-standard features:

– Coloured uniforms
– White balls with black sight screens
– Day/night matches under floodlights
– Multi-camera broadcasts, pitch microphones, and graphic overlays

The first coloured-kit ODI was held in 1979 between WSC Australia and WSC West Indies. White flannels and red balls were phased out entirely by 2001.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) manages ODI rankings across teams, batsmen, bowlers, and all-rounders. As of now, New Zealand is ranked No. 1 in ODIs.

One day international history

The international one day game is a late-twentieth-century development. The first ODI was played on 5 January 1971 between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the late 1970s, Kerry Packer established the rival World Series Cricket competition, and it introduced many of the features of One Day International cricket that are now commonplace, including coloured uniforms, matches played at night under floodlight with a white ball and dark sight screens, and for television broadcast, multiple camera angles, effects microphones to capture sounds from the players on the pitch and on-screen graphics. The first matches with coloured uniforms were the WSC Australians in wattle gold versus WSC West Indians in coral pink, played at VFL Park in Melbourne on 17 January 1979. Matches played with coloured kits, and a white ball became more commonplace over time, and the use of white flannels and a red ball in ODI’s ended in 2001.

The ICC international cricket’s governing body, maintains the ICC ODI Rankings for teams, batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders. Currently, New Zealand is the top-ranked ODI side.

One Day International teams – spotlight profiles

Here’s a look at some of the Full Member national teams participating in ODIs:

🟡 Australia

The oldest cricket nation, playing the first ODI in 1971.
Also played and won the first-ever T20I in 2005.
Players are drawn from its strong domestic system.

🔵 England

Represents both England and Wales.
Played in the first Test (1877) and ODI (1971).
One of the ICC’s founding members.

⚫ New Zealand (Black Caps)

Played their first ODI in 1973.
Known as the “Black Caps” since 1998.
Consistently competitive across all formats.

🟢 Pakistan

Known as the Shaheens or Men in Green.
Played their first ODI in 1973.
Gained Test status in 1952.

🟣 West Indies (Windies)

Represents multiple Caribbean nations.
Once the dominant force in world cricket.
Known for flair and power-hitting.

🔵 India (Men in Blue)

First ODI in 1974.
Won their first Test in 1952.
The most commercially influential team globally.

🦁 Sri Lanka (The Lions)

Played their first ODI in 1975, gained Test status in 1981.
Famous for their 1996 World Cup win.

🟢 South Africa (Proteas)

Known for their consistency and talent.
Played first ODIs post-apartheid in the early 1990s.

🔺 Zimbabwe (Chevrons)

ODI debut in 1983, gained Full ICC membership in 1992.
Known for developing talented all-rounders.

🐅 Bangladesh (The Tigers)

First Test in 2000, first ODI win came shortly after.
Rapid improvement since the 2000s.

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

Joined ICC as a full member in 2017.
A rising force with world-class spinners.

🇮🇪 Ireland

Gained ODI status in 2006, became a Full Member in 2017.
Known for their giant-killing wins in World Cups.