Published: Jun 28, 2011, 11:02 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 21, 2014, 07:36 PM (IST)
By Nishad Pai Vaidya
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 may have been a success at a time when the 50-over game was said to be losing its popularity. The fact of the matter is that the World Cup was held in the cricket-crazy sub-continent which led to its success and it didn’t have much to do with the format. Thus, it was important that the International Cricket Council (ICC) didn’t assume that the one-day game would sustain itself in its current format. If the ICC wants the 50-over format to continue, then innovation is the way forward.
The recommendations made by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee to make the One-Day game more interesting are really positive and look very promising at the outset. These changes in rules will help make One-Day Internationals (ODIs) more interesting and will help reduce the monotony currently plaguing the 50-over game. The recommendations will only come into force if they are approved by the ICC Executive Board. Nevertheless, one must have a look at these recommendations as they may become rules some day. Some of the recommendations made by the Chief Executives’ Committee are as follows:
1. New balls to be used from both the ends.
2. The window to opt for the batting and the bowling powerplays shall span between overs 16 to 40.
3. Runners shall not be permitted to the batsmen in any situation.
4. A captain would be suspended after two over rate breaches made in a year (The current limit is three breaches)
In this article we shall have a look at the first two recommendations and what they hold in prospect.
New balls from both ends
The use of new balls from both the ends in One-Day Internationals brings in a refreshing change to the game. Currently, there is a mandatory change of the ball after 34 overs, a rule that was implemented in the year 2007. It is a well-known fact that the white ball loses its color during the course of the game, which makes it extremely difficult for batsmen to see it. The mandatory ball change was brought in to help solve this problem. However, after the 34-over mark, the batsmen had the advantage as they not only could see the ball better but could exploit the harder ball to their advantage.
If new balls are used from both ends, then the bowlers will have a better chance to make an impact in the batsman dominated modern game. The powerplays, bigger bats, smaller grounds etc. have made life easier for the batsmen and the bowlers really needed something in their favor. If this recommendation becomes a rule, it may not change things drastically for the bowlers but it would be a positive step towards giving them a better chance. This would allow them to prolong their control over the swing as the ball they would use at say over number thirty would be in a better condition than a ball used today at a similar stage. Thus, with a fresher ball in hand, the bowlers can make it swing more which would help them trouble the batsmen a little more than they currently do. However, this is from a fast bowlers’ point of view as the spinners may find it a little tougher to grip the ball and extract the turn they would like. We have spinners who bowl early on, sometimes even open the bowling, but if you ask any of them they would prefer an older ball to optimize their skills.
Nevertheless, one shouldn’t rule out the fact that if this comes into effect, the balls would last longer which means they would be harder at the end of the innings than they are now. Thus, this recommendation may even help batsmen as putting away a harder ball in the slog overs is a cinch for them these days. There are two sides to a coin, but in this case it may be tilting a little towards the bowlers as this rule would benefit them more and would help bring a little more balance to the game.
Powerplay restrictions
The powerplays were introduced to spice up the game, but over the years they too have acquired a monotonous tone. The bowling side would opt for their powerplay generally at the start of the 11th over or before 20 overs are bowled. The batting team, on the other hand, would save their powerplay for the last 10 overs to give it a slog.
A common complaint among cricket lovers is that the one-day game becomes very one dimensional in the middle overs as the batsmen try to consolidate and build a platform for the assault at the end. The new recommendations suggest that the bowling and the batting powerplays can only be taken between over number 16 and 40. Thus, in this 25-over period, there would be 10 overs where only three fielders would be permitted outside the inner circle. In effect, it would be an invitation to the batsmen to clear the infield in the traditional period of consolidation.
Fielding captains would prefer to get over and done with the bowling powerplay as soon as possible. Thus, most captains may prefer to implement the bowling powerplays in the 16th over itself. However, the use of the batting powerplay may become flexible as it would depend on many factors such as the batsmen at the crease, the number of runs scored in the bowling powerplay, wickets lost etc. The batting sides may have to scratch their heads a little more while deciding when to take their powerplay. Thus, if this recommendation is considered, the one-day game will head towards a very interesting phase.
In the next part we shall have a look at the remaining recommendations.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya, a 20-year-old law student, is a club and college-level cricketer. His teachers always complain, “He knows the stats and facts of cricket more than the subjects we teach him.”)
