three innings and 40 overs

Splitting up the 50 over game to 25 over innings might just catch up after all. It doesn't seem so long ago, that watching a 50 over game did not appear to take for ever. But its come to that - what with 20-20 becoming so hot. I think the shorter multiple innings could make the one day game a tad bit more interesting - considering we add a few more options and convert it to a 40 over a side game.

This is what i have in mind:

- It is a 40 over game - with the possibility of at most 3 innings per team. the first innnings is always a minimum of 20 overs and the other innings can be 10 or 20 overs.

- The team batting first bats at least 20 overs before the other team can bat for the first time.

- the batting team can decide to keep going after the first 20 or hand over batting to the second team.

- Once the second team bats, it has to bat for at least 20 overs and can ask the second team to bat again.

- From here on the teams can decide to take 10 over innings or finish the remaining 20 overs.

Overall, the batting team has the right to decide to keep batting or hand over batting to the other team.

- [Optional Rule] Each team has to inform the umpire at least 2 overs before a hand over. This can be overridden by a rule that says, handover's can be made at the 20 over, 30 over mark only.

Example: India vs. Pakistan

India bats for 20 overs makes 108/3

Pakistan bats for 20 overs makes 90/1

Pakistan decides to keep batting: after 30 overs the score is 180/3

Pakistan hands the batting to India: after 30 overs India are 177/5

India continues and finishes with 260/8 after 40 overs. India's batting is over.

Pakistan bats to finish at 248/7 after 40 overs.

India wins by 12 runs. [Come on: India's going to win every time i get to make up the scores.]

This format, i think, will give the captains a little more to think about and add a little bit more drama to what is becoming a boringly long monotonous one day game.