The Hindu : Sport : Need to dwell on the problems of fast bowlers

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Tuesday, Jun 05, 2007
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Need to dwell on the problems of fast bowlers

The ICC must review all recommendations of the Cricket Committee, writes Makarand Waingankar

The International Cricket Council is 98 not out, having been founded in 1909. The way its cricket committee is recommending changes in rules is similar to the signs of a batsman in his nervous nineties. The committee seems too eager to recommend changes in rules every time it meets and not for a moment does it dwell on the problems fast bowlers face.

The latest recommendations with fast bowlers Michael Holding and Ian Bishop in the committee make a mockery of the fast bowlers. They take up the profession as a challenge and that challenge is supported by the will to fight adverse playing conditions.

Flat pitches, hard outfield and limitations on the number of bouncers are accepted by them. They don't grudge anymore. But to have rules changed frequently to suit batsmen is unfair to the bowlers.

Agreed, spectators would like to watch more strokes. Power Plays ensure that. None of the World Cups preceding the recent World Cup had so many sixes hit as there were no Power Plays and yet there was an even contest between the bat and ball. The Cricket Committee of the ICC while recommending should have thought of maintaining that contest in future matches and not recommended rules that are so one-sided.

There has always been a murmur among the fast bowlers against the leg-byes. A fast bowler runs 20 metres, bends his back, hurls the ball at 145 km, and beats the bat.

But having been hit on the pad allows the batsman not only to get a leg-bye for his team but, more importantly, he gets to the non-striker's end thereby short-circuiting the bowler's plans.

When asked how to face a fast bowler, the late Sir Len Hutton said: "From the non-striker's end." It meant `rotate the strike'. But why through a leg-bye, one may ask. Many a time a batsman is beaten but gets the benefit of doubt when there is a vociferous appeal not upheld by the umpire. We see a batsman steal a single when the fielding side is busy appealing.

Lbw law

As it is, the lbw law has so much of subjectivity that adding leg-byes to a team is ridiculous. If the leg-byes are removed, the batsman will have no option but to stay at the same end, and that means he has to counter the strategy of a bowler.

On turning tracks, a batsman gets an unfair advantage when he gets a leg-bye. In fact, most of the time even at junior level, a batsman is looking for a leg-bye.

In limited overs games (that are generally close games), these leg-byes play a vital part.

With fielders scattered in the 30 out of the 50 overs and batsmen going for big hits especially in the slog overs, leg-byes keep adding to the total thereby throwing out the strategy of the fielding captain. On an average, 10 leg-byes are scored in the slog overs.

If one analyses, most of the leg-byes are taken in the slog overs and that is when a batsman is beaten.

Cricket must be the only game that allows a player and his team to add to the score when he has failed to connect the ball. A bowler has to bowl accurately to avoid bowling wide balls. Add leg-byes and they struggle.

Favouring the batsmen

The ICC must review all recommendations of the Cricket Committee. Spectators are not going to be drawn in to see a one-sided contest. Twenty20 is a game for entertainment. Don't get those rules in a 50-over game. With Power Plays in 50 overs, spectators are ensured of sensible strategic entertainment. Why add a free hit to a no-ball? How will that add to entertainment?

Get rid of leg-byes. That will add to real cricketing entertainment. At the moment, everything is loaded in favour of batsmen who are physically and legally protected. Bowlers are the ones who suffer.

If the game has to survive, the ICC will have to have 40 per cent of rules favouring the bowlers. No fast bowler will be on the scene by 2009 if the present trend continues.

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