The new rules in one day cricket have indeed come as a breath of fresh air. The pattern of play was really getting predictable with slam bam action in the first 15 and last 10 overs and a lull in the middle period. Also with the 20-20 cricket getting international status, time had come for ICC to make some changes to keep general public’s interest in the one day version alive.
The 2 main changes made are really interesting. The power-play will make the game less predictable and captain will have to be on his toes for full 50 overs. The idea of substitution will also most welcome. In spite of the fact that the recently concluded series between Aussies and England did not show the magic of the changes in the format in its full colors, the changes will surely make the game more interesting.
The rule of having 3 power-plays seems to be absolutely fine. The idea of the rule of substitution is also perfect, however there is a major glitch in this rule the way it has been implemented. According to this rule, the team has to give their playing 11 and the 12th man before the toss. Here is where the problem dwells. Instead of making the game more square, it gives an added advantage for the team winning the toss. For instance suppose that a track is perfect for batting first. England have Simon Jones as substitute who will replace say Solanki after the innings change. Aussies have Brad Hogg as substitute who will replace say Hayden after the innings change. Now if England wins the toss then their substitution will work perfectly fine but for Aussies the substitute will be absolutely futile since replacing Hayden before he bats will be a more than just a gamble (that is if Aussie bowling is in trouble). This is exactly what happened in the last match of the 3-match series with England being the sufferers. The solution to this problem is quite simple. The teams should name a 12 member squad before the toss and name the player who will be the substitute only after the toss. Due to this both the teams will be able to use their substitutes to the fullest.
Hope that ICC makes this one change after 10 months of trial period.
1 comment:
salil,
the rule doesn't necessarily give an advantage to team winning the toss. it influences the decision of the toss winning captain. i mean he will now make a decision based on the constitution of him team & who his supersub is rather than the nature of the pitch & all.
if the environmental factors are inline with his team structure(say conditions are suitable for bowling first & supersub is a batsman or the other way round)then it would have helped the toss winning captain.
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