The World Cricket Committee is considering to introduce the shot clock in the game. Therefore, there would be a stipulated time to complete one over. If the bowling team fails to achieve the target of the allotted time, then a penalty of runs would be levied on the fielding team.
In fact, this move is considered because the Test cricket over-rate is at an 11-year low. Furthermore, the shortest format of the game is played at the slowest in the recent past. Therefore, the shot-clock concept will help in delivering of quick overs.
This could be an interesting addition to the game.
Ricky Ponting who is part of the World Cricket Committee said shot clock will help in getting the players back into their respective positions.
“We talked about the idea of a shot clock,” Ricky Ponting said. “That’s basically the dead time in the game. So the end of an over, the fielders and bowlers have to be back in positions and ready to bowl in a certain amount of time. That’s non-negotiable. The same with the new batsman coming to the crease”.
Ponting said they discussed the kind of penalties they can come up with. The former Australian skipper went on to add that the fielding captain will have to take more responsibility in such a case.
“We talked about different penalties and what they might be, we didn’t come to a conclusion on what was right and wrong. I think we are of the belief that a-there-and-then run-penalty in the game would be something worth looking at. You’d imagine that the captains then would take a huge responsibility in making sure that their players are ready to go.”
87% of people want to see cricket in the Olympics.
Meanwhile, we have seen the International Cricket Council imposes a fine on the fielding captain in case of a slow over-rate. On the other hand, Ricky Ponting said 87% of people want to see cricket in the Olympics. Therefore, the MCC and ICC are trying their best to introduce the game in the mega sports event.
“87% of people wanted to see the game in the Olympics. And that’s something this panel has been talking about, ever since I’ve been on it – last 2/3 years. We are thinking about what other markets can open up as result of the game being in Olympics. Obviously there are a number of challenges – amount of teams, amount of athletes, venues are all concerns. But it’s one thing that the fans want to see and it’s upto us. The ICC to do whatever we can together to give cricket its best chance of bursting onto the scene in the Olympics. All of us would love to see that at some stage,” Ponting said.