Thank you Davenell

Finally there's one person who agrees with me. Dav Whatmore, one of the men responsible for the change in approach to one-day cricket in recent times, has said the rules were fine, and it's the players that are making the game tired and boring. Whatmore used the aggressive pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana at the top of the order with amazing results, forcing people to re-evaluate the tried and tested strategy of beginning slowly and keeping wickets in hand for the death. Now virtually every team plays like that.

Speaking to the Melbourne Age, Whatmore said, " ... making big rule changes is not the answer. It just so happens that the tri-series you had over there was drab because players didn't perform well." This comes as a breath of fresh air amidst calls from experts around the world to make wholesale changes to the format of one-day cricket. Whatmore, however, does think one tweak may help. "If there was one change I'd make, it's that you could take to the field with 11, but your 12th man could be a replacement and come on to bat and bowl," he said, suggesting the substitute be given full empowerment, just like in the case of football or basketball.

Whatmore stressed the point that it was unimaginative bowlers and captains that made games dull, not the format itself. "I was watching a game this week, which was a perfect example of that," Whatmore said. "Ashley Giles was bowling, a new batsman at the crease and both mid-on and mid-off were back and there were just four in the ring ... it was crazy. You've got to think on your feet and be flexible."

Call me a traditionalist, but one-day cricket is pretty much fine as it is. There's room for all sorts of players, even bits-and-pieces cricketers, and to me this just adds to the charm of the game. There's only so much you can optimise excellence without losing out on relaxation and joy.

Thank you Davenell Frederick Whatmore for striking one blow for us chaps from the other side of the fence.