Making cricket fairer for the bowlers

Over the years, cricket has become commercialised and with it, the rules have also changed. 

From Tests to ODIs to now T20Is, the game has evolved and tried to make itself more accessible to more and newer viewers, to debatable success. 

But in trying to do so, the game has become increasingly difficult for the bowlers with rule changes.

Not only are bats bigger and the boundary ropes shorter, but free-hits on no balls, a limit on bouncers and a strictness over wides have made it increasingly difficult for bowlers in recent years.

Mohammad Salahuddin, a renowned coach in the domestic circuit believes that people want to see runs being scored and that is why the rules have been made so.

"If we see a bowler bowling unlimited bouncers, the batsmen won't get the opportunity to score runs easily and most people won't enjoy viewing it. So that's why I think these rule changes have been made," Salahuddin told The Business Standard (TBS).

Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, who is the cricket advisor at the Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BKSP) and has been in the cricketing arena in a coaching capacity for nearly three decades also felt that bowlers have been marginalised. 

"It's obviously not fair for the bowlers these days, especially the fast bowlers, and I'm certain that rule changes would help in this case," he told TBS.

Take away free-hits

Both Fahim and Salahuddin went about suggesting changes that could better the game and make it a more balanced one. 

Salahuddin believes that too much tinkering would not be needed in cricket but one rule he definitely would want to change is the free-hit rule on no balls.

The free-hit rule is where the batsman cannot be dismissed by the bowler in the next delivery after bowling a no-ball in the previous one.

The batsman can only be dismissed there via a run-out but bowled, caught and lbws are not applicable here. 

"I think the free-hit rule should be looked at and changed back to the way it was. Imagine a bowler running in only to miss the line by the slightest of margins and then ending up being penalised for it by not being able to get the batsmen out the very next ball. That kills the naturally aggressive mindset of the bowlers and it almost means that they have to have a defensive approach in the game," Salahuddin explained.

Change the lbw rule

Fahim however went on to suggest quite a few changes that he feels could make things fairer for the bowlers. 

From the benefit of the doubt being taken away from the batsmen to lbws being given even if the ball pitches outside leg stump. 

"I think batsmen should be given out even if the ball pitches outside leg stump. As a bowler, it becomes almost impossible to get batsmen out if you have to bowl around the wicket to a batsman," he said.

Decrease the number of powerplays

In recent times, we have seen the number of powerplays increased in ODI cricket. 

At first, it was just 15 overs of powerplays but now there are three powerplays in ODI cricket. 

Fahim wanted to decrease the number of powerplays to 10 overs in limited overs cricket. 

"Look at powerplays, where not more than two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle of the field. Have that for ten overs in ODIs and six overs in T20Is but not more than that," he added.

No more benefit of doubt for batsmen

In general, any decision that is difficult to call would go to the third umpire. But even when a third umpire finds it to be a tough decision that could go either way, the benefit of the doubt goes the way of the batsman. 

Fahim believes that benefit of the doubt should not belong to the batmen anymore.

"We have been seeing batsmen getting the benefit of the doubt traditionally when there is a 50-50 decision on a run-out. I think that needs to go away too," he said. 

Allow more bouncers

One of the biggest indicators that cricket is a batsman's game is the limit on bouncers a fast bowler can bowl. 

Just imagine the furore if there was a limitation on the number of pull shots or cover drives a batsman could play per over. 

Fahim also thinks that the number of bouncers a bowler can bowl per over should be increased.

"The number of bouncers a bowler can bowl have also been decreased over the years and that should not be the case. Allow bowlers to bowl two bouncers per over in white ball cricket and three bouncers per over in red ball cricket," he concluded.

Whether these changes ever come to fruition is anyone's guess but they are certainly ones that make us think about 'The gentleman's game' and how things could be made fairer for both batsmen and bowlers. 

Recently there have been talks of taking away the toss from Tests as teams visiting have a bigger disadvantage in foreign conditions. 

We have already spoken about how cricket is not as global as it could be for a variety of reasons including poor decision-making from those that are in charge. 

Here, once again we see some poorly thought decisions that have not benefited the game and one may argue that it has made for poorer viewing too.