Australia's historic series loss to Bangladesh highlights disregard for the bilateral ODI

PL on Bangladesh sealing a win and the series overnight

Australian cricket’s disregard for the bilateral one-dayer has been on full display in Bangladesh over recent days, and in Pakistan before that. The One Day International is, let’s face it, a ghost of its previous self. Once second only to the Test match, it’s slipped down cricket’s list of priorities to find itself a game that finds nourishment once every four years at ICC World Cups.

Speaking of which, the next ODI World Cup will be between October 4 and November 21 at venues across South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Once, one imagines, when the format was in its pomp, fans would block a break from work and take the trip of a lifetime to attend. Australia is the king of the 50-over tournament, having raised the trophy six times back when the format genuinely meant something.

Australia has had more big names scratched from this and the previous series against Pakistan than the Trump administration’s Freedom 250 Concert. Absent are captain Pat Cummins and his mates Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Travis Head. Acting captain Mitchell Marsh is injured, and Steve Smith retired.

Josh Inglis is the interim Australian captain.