Published: Jun 27, 2015, 09:55 AM (IST)
Edited: Jun 30, 2015, 02:23 AM (IST)
Based on the recommendations of International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee, the governing body of Cricket decided to change the playing conditions of limited over’s (ODIs and T20Is) matches on Friday. Sandipan Banerjee discusses the benefits of the new rules for the shorter formats.
Limited-overs cricket is going to see few major changes in playing conditions from July 5. There are two aspects of these changes. On one hand, the bowlers will get some respite in the death overs of One-Day International (ODIs), while on the other; the margin for error will be very less for them. READ: ICC scraps batting powerplay in ODIs among other major changes
The modern cricket is a batsman-dominated game, as the batters get all kind of liberties. Even the rules and playing conditions also reflect this fact. Scores of 400 have been achieved quite frequently of late. Probably this was reason why the ICC decided to bring back some kind of equality towards bowlers in the rule books. The recent changes have given the bowlers and fielding captains some breathing space. READ: ICC panel suggests removing batting powerplay
Lets have a look at the recent changes in playing conditions.
1. No compulsory catchers in overs 1-10 (ODIs)
2. No batting Powerplay between overs 15-40 (ODIs)
3. Five fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle in overs 41-50 (ODIs)
4. All ‘no balls’, not just ‘foot faults’, to result in a free hit (ODIs & T20Is)
Scrapping the batting powerplay, which received a lot of criticism internationally in the recent past, was a very good decision. Also, allowing five fielders outside the 30-yard circle between 41 to 50 overs is a huge relief for the fielding captains. This will give them some opportunity to protect the boundaries in the final overs of an innings. READ: ICC has reduced cricket to a sport that survives, not thrives
Getting away with the rule of having two compulsory catches between overs 1 to 10 is also a well-thought decision. A captain now has the freedom of setting field according to the match situation and batsmen’s strengths and weaknesses.
Cricket is a game of bat and ball. It should not bestow only the batsmen with all the privileges, while the bowlers get hammered all over the park. There should have been a balance between bat and ball, and the new rules will ensure precisely that. READ: Should there be room for human errors by umpires
However, allowing free-hits for all no balls will ensure very little margin for mistakes. Bowlers need to be very careful. After gaining so much from these latest rule changes, bowlers should not complain about this.
Clearly, June 26 was an excellent day for the bowler. Cricket is now their game too.
 (Sandipan Banerjee is a reporter at CricketCountry. Cricket has been the biggest passion for him since his childhood. So, when it came to choosing his career, he chose to turn his passion into his profession. Apart from cricket he likes mountain trekking, river rafting, and photography. His twitter handle is @im_sandipan)
