With totals of 350 being chased down with consummate ease,it seemed only a matter of time before the bowling machine suggestion propped up. Ironically it came from the skipper whose team had cruised to the third-highest winning chase in ODI history,less than 10 days after they had achieved the second-best. MS Dhoni minced no words in Nagpur while berating the recent field restriction rules,insisting that captains were rendered helpless.
Shane Warne had also voiced his reservations about allowing only four outfielders in the 35 non-powerplay overs back in April. Warne had recommended a drastic rule alteration,asking for a complete de-regulation of ODIs. Get rid of the fielding restrictions and empower the captains to be innovative,he said. No powerplays,no 30-yard circle confinements. Not only will it bring more parity between bat and ball,but abolishing the restrictions will also prove to be a real test of a captains skills.
But why stop with fielding. Why not eliminate a few bowling restraints as well. Increase the quotas for a fixed number of bowlers already tried in Indian domestic cricket and elsewhere. Allow bowlers to bowl as many as they want. Probably someday a brave team might go into an ODI with eight batsmen,a wicket-keeper and just two lead bowlers who will bowl 25 overs each. Let the fielding team decide whether they want to go in with two new balls or one. Rather than design inexplicable rules like the present fielding restrictions,the ICC could well leave it up to the teams to be inventive. Nothings going to stop the modern-day batsmen from taking risks even when there are nine fielders on the boundary.
The restrictions were conceived during the eighties to separate ODIs from Tests,speed it up and give it individuality. We already have the T20s to see batsmen smash fours and sixes aplenty. In the present scenario,like Dhoni said,ODIs are nothing more than an extended form of the slam-bang T20 format. More than ever,50-over cricket is now in desperate search for individuality. Having teams chase down 350-plus totals week after week certainly cannot be the way forward.
(Bharat is a principal correspondent based in Mumbai) bharat.sundaresan@expressindia.com
