London: Tall scores in T20s and ODIs and even mishits from batsmen landing in the galleries have been a cause of concern for the experts who feel that cricket is increasingly becoming a batsman’s game. The ICC Cricket Committee, chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, has suggested that Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) should “strongly consider” limiting the dimensions of bats to restore balance in the game.
“MCC sought the committee’s guidance on the desirability of making changes in order to redress the balance between bat and ball. The Committee received a research paper from MCC citing a wealth of scientific and statistical evidence showing bats have become more powerful in recent years, primarily due to having larger sweet-spots,” a release stated detailing the deliberations by the Cricket Committee at the Lord’s. “The committee’s view was that MCC should strongly consider limiting the dimensions of cricket bats to help achieve a better balance between bat and ball.”
Concerns over home advantage in tests
Test teams are excessively exploiting ‘home advantage’ by preparing pitches that favour the strengths of the host nation, an ICC panel representing various stakeholders within the sport said on Friday.
India manipulated conditions to thump South Africa 3-0 last year amid dissatisfaction over the nature of the turning tracks used in the series, including the strip in Nagpur which was rated ‘poor’ by match referee Jeff Crowe.
The ICC Cricket Committee, headed by former India captain Anil Kumble, is unhappy with the quality of test pitches “and in particular the common practice of home countries overtly preparing surfaces to suit their own teams”.
Helmet concern
The committee consisting of former international captains like Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardene, Andrew Strauss also expressed concerns that a lot of batsmen are not using helmets which conform to British Safety Standard (BSS).
“The committee considered the matter of helmet safety following a presentation on injury surveillance trends by ICC medical consultant Dr Craig Ranson. The committee expressed concerns that there were still too many instances of international cricketers wearing helmets which did not meet the latest British Safety Standard (BSS). It recommended that the ICC should enforce the wearing of the latest BSS compliant helmets in all international cricket.”
24.5 million in India watched Women’s World T20
The ICC on Friday stated that the 2016 Women’s World T20, which was being parallely held with the men’s edition, attracted 24.5 million viewers in India alone with an average audience of 100,000 in the United States region. “The committee received a report from Clare Connor, the Chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, on the impact of the recent ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in India, which showed the women’s event received greater exposure than ever before and attracted 24.5 million TV viewers in India alone, as well as generating an average audience of 100,000 in the USA on Willow TV,” stated an ICC release.
Trial of subs rejected
A recommendation for a concussion substitute trial suggested by Cricket Australia has been rejected by the ICC’s cricket committee. The recommendation came out of a review into the November 2014 death of Australian test cricketer Phillip Hughes from a short-pitched delivery during a first-class match in Sydney.
It suggested trialing short-term concussion substitutes for two seasons in the Sheffield Shield so that batters or bowlers hurt during a match can be replaced while they’re being medically assessed. While it acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, the ICC’s cricket committee said after a two-day meeting in London that the existing laws and playing conditions allowed players to receive the “best possible medical treatment,” and further change to the regulations were not required “at this time.”
Suspect bowling
The member countries were praised for their work on suspect illegal bowling actions. “The committee noted considerable progress in policing suspect actions in international cricket and encouraged all countries to continue their efforts to screen bowlers in domestic competitions before they reached international level.”
