The Hindu : Sport : Free-hit rule draws flak from former cricketers

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Monday, Jul 02, 2007
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Free-hit rule draws flak from former cricketers

S. Dinakar

Chennai: The rules for One Day International (ODI) cricket have been changed again.

Under the experimental laws, that would come into effect from October 1, a batsman will be provided a free hit following a front-foot no-ball, an extra fielder will be allowed outside the ring in the second and third blocks of Power Play overs, and the ball will have to be changed after 35 overs.

In 2005, the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced two interesting rules in ODI cricket – Power Play overs and Super Substitute. Only the Power Plays stayed. The Super Substitute rule, opposed by some captains since it tended to favour the side winning the toss, was dumped by the game’s ruling body.

While the prospect of conceding a free hit could force a bowler to be more careful about over-stepping, it could also put him under enormous pressure during the climactic stages of a close contest, affecting the other aspects of his bowling as well. In a run-a-ball situation, a free hit could prove decisive.

The ODI cricket is already loaded in favour of the batsmen. Australia’s bowling coach Troy Cooley told The Hindu, “Let’s keep a balance in the game in the tussle between the bat and the ball. You already have big b ats, fielding and bowling restrictions.”

Rubbish

Predictably, the pacemen would suffer the most under the free hit rule. Fumes pace bowling legend and ace coach Dennis Lillee — “It’s rubbish. Don’t mess around with the rules.” The ICC, obviously, is concerned about the number of no-balls being sent down, which does extend an innings. Resultantly, the skippers struggle to complete the quota of overs within the time allowed. The ICC also wants to send a message to the bowlers.

This apart, the free hit rule could also bring in an element of entertainment to the game.

Former India pace bowling all-rounder and coach Roger Binny does not agree – “I am happy I am not bowling now.” Says former Sri Lankan paceman Rumesh Ratnayake, “It is hard on the bowlers.”

Former India cricketers Aunchuman Gaekwad, Kiran More and V.B. Chandrasekar too oppose the move. “The bowler is already under so much stress. Why are you making things harder for him,” argues More. Gaekwad says a bowler’s morale would be further dented. “The bowler is already punished for a no-ball. Why do you want to penalise him more?” he adds.

The former cricketers, however, welcome the idea of having an extra fielder outside the circle in the second and third Power Play overs. Earlier, only two fielders were allowed outside the inner ring for the entire duration of Power Play overs. However, most captains – Mahela Jayawardene and Ricky Ponting being glorious exceptions – are still predictable in the manner they use the Power Play overs; these overs rarely stretch beyond the first 25 overs. There have been suggestions that the skippers must be forced to take at least one block after the 30th over to break the monotony. Chandrasekhar says there should be a gap of at least five overs between the second and the third sets of power play overs.

The move to change the ball after 35 overs – the white ball can get dirty, dark and become difficult to spot – is an interesting one. Although the ball picked for the last 15 overs has to be adequately old, it is still bound to retain some of its hardness. Both the batsmen and the bowlers could welcome a harder ball; the batsmen do find it difficult to knock a softer ball around. Lillee makes an important point here – “This could take the reverse swing out of the equation.” The ICC has also said that the minimum distance from one end of the square boundary to the other must be at least 150 yards. “This could be hard to implement and could take time as some of the grounds are small on the sides,” says Gaekwad. The spinners would benefit from bigger arenas.

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