ICC rule change impact: No more trolling Ashwin, close games to get interesting, reverse swing may become extinct

A proud Indian, Sunil Gavaskar always got furious whenever anyone around him uttered the word ‘Mankading’ as he felt it was an insult to Vinoo Mankad, one of the first superstar cricketers of the country. In the 1948 tour of Australia, Mankad had run out home team keeper Bill Brown, who often left his crease at the non-striker’s end to gain a few yards.

Mankad had warned Brown twice before setting out for trying to “gain ground the wrong way”. This was a completely legal method of dismissal, but Australian media dubbed it ‘mankding’.

First World countries – England and Australia – adopted the term and said the practice was against the spirit of the game.

“Why do we call it Mankading and not Brown?” Gavaskar once asked.

Kapil Dev was banned for running out Peter Kirsten in an ODI in 1992, while Murali Karthik faced wrath several times during his career for Railways and English county cricket, simply for playing by the rule book. For.

When Ravichandran Ashwin ran out Jos Buttler during an IPL game, all hell broke loose with Jimmy Anderson putting a picture of the Indian off-spinner in a shredder. To play with the spirit of the game Ashwin tearing apart figuratively.

After the ICC finally termed it as ‘run out’ and removed ‘unfair play’ in its rule book, the stigma of players being run out on non-strikers has started.

The change in the playing conditions of the ICC will come into effect from October 1.

PTI looks into each rule and its impact on the teams.

rule 1. Batsmen returning when caught: When a batsman is caught out, the new batsman will come at the striker’s end, regardless of whether the batsman crosses before taking the catch.

Implication: In close matches this rule will be gold dust for the bowling teams. Often when the last two wickets are left and there is at least one established batsman on the non-striker’s end, the crossing over set during the catch usually gives the batsman a distinct advantage. But the change of rules means that number 11 will have to take the strike due to a catch in the fall of the ninth wicket.

Rule 2: Use of saliva to shine the ball: This ban has been in place in international cricket for more than two years as a temporary measure related to Kovid, and it is considered appropriate to make the ban permanent.

Implication: Saliva is heavier than the body’s sweat and, for decades, it has helped bowlers use it as one of the ways to maintain shine on the one hand and make it heavier when sore on the other. Similarly reverse swing came into play and if we look at Test matches in the last two years, traditional swing is taking reverse overs in the red ball format.

Rule 3: Coming batsman ready to face the ball: An incoming batsman now needs to be ready to take strike within two minutes in Tests and ODIs, while the current limit of ninety seconds in T20Is remains unchanged.

Meaning: This is done deliberately to avoid a time-wasting strategy, especially in close Test matches on the fifth day, when the team batting in the fourth innings tries to delay proceedings during the final leg.

Rule 4: Striker’s right to play the ball: This is restricted so as to require some part of their bat or person to remain within the pitch. If they overtake, the umpire will call and signal a dead ball. Any ball which forces the batsman to leave the pitch is also called a no ball.

Meaning: is of no importance as it is very rare at the highest level.

Rule 5: Improper act by the fielding side: Any improper and intentional act by the bowler while bowling may result in the umpire awarding five penalty runs to the batting side, also known as a dead ball.

Meaning: Fielders usually back up and cover some ground, but it would now be considered unfair if this happens before the delivery is complete. A few quick singles inside the circle that used to be saved might not be otherwise.

Rule 6: Run out by a non-striker: The playing condition obeys the laws in transferring this method of effecting a run out from the ‘Unfair Play’ section to the ‘Run out’ section.

Implication: The rule has always been there, but it is the bowler that has got the stick from the cricket community as the Australians and the English see it as going against the spirit of cricket. Bowlers have been judged for years by what is considered legal but not in spirit. This will change now.

Rule 7:Bowler throwing towards the striker’s end before delivery: Previously, a bowler who saw the batsman going down the wicket before entering his delivery stride could throw the ball in an attempt to run the striker out. This exercise will now be called a dead ball.

Implication: Most bowlers are not seen using this trick. Fast bowlers in particular are in motion, and even if they find the batsman charging while loading, it is difficult to get out of action as it can lead to injury.

Rule 8: In-match penalty introduced in T20Is in January 2022 (whereby a fielding team fails to bowl its overs by the stipulated end time, bringing an extra fielder inside the fielding circle for the remaining overs of the innings), 2023 After the completion of the ICC Men’s World Cup Super League in ODI matches will also be adopted.

Implication: Teams are now taking about four hours to complete 50 overs, knowing that only a nominal financial penalty is applicable, and that too is paid by the boards. This rule would mean that a low fielder outside the 30-yard circle in the last two or three overs could affect the game widely. Especially for the defense.

Originally published at Pen 18