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Sydney, Oct 2(ANI): Cricket Australia’s new domestic one-day format which kicks off next week, is likely to be “bit weird” to start off with, Queensland captain James Hopes has said.

In a bid to rejuvenate the dying one-day game, CA has abandoned 50-over cricket in favour of the National One-Day Cup, a format that divides an innings into two blocks, the first of 20 overs and the second of 25 overs.

The new format includes 45 overs per team with a split innings of 20 and 25 overs, with teams able to bat and field any 11 of the 12 players available.

The format will also allow a bowler to bowl a maximum of 12 overs.

“The tactics will be a bit weird to start off with. I think some teams will just try to play it straight down the line the first few games until they get a handle on what stages you can go hard, but you’ve got to keep the momentum in a game that you keep stopping so that will be the challenge, with all the breaks,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hopes, as saying.

“But I think it’s exciting to play a new format, especially for team games,” he added.

Meanwhile, New South Wales captain Stuart Clark believes that the new steps may help boost the popularity of one-day cricket in Australia.

“Over the last couple of months there’s been a lot of talk about whether it’s right or not. It really doesn’t matter any more, it’s giving it a go and seeing what comes of it,” Clark said.

“At the end of the year it will either be a real success or maybe we’ll have to go back to the drawing board,” he added.

The National One-day Cup starts on October 6 when Queensland meet defending champion Tasmania. (ANI)