The game of One Day cricket has come a long way since its inception. The game has attracted millions of eyeballs across the globe and continues to do so. There has been a constant shift in the balance of the power within the game. Till the 21st century, it were the bowlers who had their way in the game. With ODI cricket being relatively new, the batsmen got to totals in excess of 300 rarely. But now, with the turn of the century and by altering the rules to a great extent, the batsmen have simply dominated the game. The birth of numerous lucrative T20 leagues across the globe has meant that the batsmen have innovated themselves to a humungous extent.
Since November 2012, the bowlers have literally become a rare breed. With two new balls from each end, and just four fielders outside the circle, the batsmen have taken run making to a great high altogether. It is an obvious theory to state that presently, 350 is the new 300! The 2015 World Cup was another instance when golathian totals were piled up by South Africa and Australia. Some unique batting talent, combined with powerplays, shorter boundaries and meatier bats has meant that the bowlers simply have no backing!
One can understand the dilemma of the bowlers through numbers. From November 2010 to October 2012, when there were five fielders outside the circle, the average run rate was 5.06 runs per over. From Nov’ 12 to the present day, the same figure mounts to 5.31. In the first period, there were just 50 games, in which totals in excess of 300 were scored. Since Nov’12 though, there were 113 games when totals above 300 were scored! The average first innings score too rose from 238 in the first period to 252 in the second period. These numbers surely depict the bowlers to be a breed which is nearing extinction!
Nevertheless, with things looking utterly bleak for the bowlers, there has finally been a breakthrough. The ICC, after being criticized, has tweaked the rules yet again, this time though for the bowlers. The new rules will come into effect soon, and below is the list of the new rules meant for ODI cricket:
1. No batting powerplay
2. Five fielders allowed outside the circle after 40 overs
3. Free hit on any no ball
These rules have been welcomed by the stakeholders of the game. Munaf Patel, the discarded Indian seamer and India’s unsung hero of the 2011 World Cup was optimistic about the new rules. Patel said, “The four fielder rule was in play only for two odd years. This change will help in bringing the totals down. If the teams who were reaching 325-350 will now have to settle for 300.”
Patel further added, “If someone gave 60 runs in 10 overs, it was considered decent. As a bowler you felt helpless. But with five fielders outside, the bowlers will get a little more security. During the World Cup, more runs were scored because the bowler and the captain had no cover in the deep.”
Patel is spot on in analyzing the changes which will be seen due to the new rules. With the new rules coming into the fray, there will be an added security for bowlers. In the death overs (40-50), the batsmen simply go wild at anything when they have wickets in hand. They play all the possible shots such as the cheeky scoops and the reverse paddles. The absence of a fifth fielder outside the circle too helped their cause as there was a clear gap. But now with a fifth fielder present from the 40th over, the batsmen will have to be far more careful. There will be fewer gaps in the field and more protection on the boundary. The batsmen will have to think twice before playing an elevated shot, and this will play on their minds. This might push the batsmen on the defensive, thus helping bowlers.
Due to the batting powerplay being abolished, it will further help the bowlers. On most of the occasions, batting teams took the powerplay from the 36th over. Doing so extended their death overs from the 36th over till the 50th over. But now, there will be no such luxury for the batting side. Thus from now on, there will be fewer scores in excess of 350 or even 325 for that matter. This will further result in the game being more competitive as the bowlers too will have some reward for their hardwork.
As a consequence of the new rules, the batsmen will not get runs on any “X-Y-Z” shot where they can just turn their willow to earn a boundary. The batsmen will now have to literally strive hard for their boundaries, and to do so, we might witness some clean hitting rather than some cheeky dabs. The role of the captain too will become far more significant. An innovative skipper will place the fifth fielder on the best possible position according to the batsman. This will therefore be a healthy challenge for the skippers.
Another rule though, which the ICC could have changed could have been the two balls rule. In the subcontinent, the only possible venom for the pacers is reverse swing. But with two balls in existence, they hardly get any reverse swing, which made life incredibly hard for them. With two new balls around, the spinners struggled as well. It becomes profusely difficult to turn the ball which is comparatively new.
However, something is surely better than nothing. With the new rules soon coming into effect, viewers can brace themselves for more competitive games.