Image courtesy of: The Guardian
“Generally in one-day cricket we try to favour the batting team and we look for totals between 230 and 260”
International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richarson has defended the new ODI rules, stating that they have made “the game more attacking and more exciting”.
He also noted that the rules are not responsible for the drastic increase in team totals.
“Overall, we are seeing that the total runs scored in an innings have more or less remained constant,” Richardson said in Mumbai. “The average runs in a one-day innings is about 250 and the data shows that the only change is that a higher percentage of those 250 is scored in boundaries, as opposed to ones and twos. This is one of the reasons why we introduced the fielding restrictions in the first place, to try and make the game more attacking and more exciting. There are more wickets falling and more boundaries being scored and the totals on an average are remaining the same.”
Numerous players have criticised the use of two new balls from both ends and the fact that only four players can remain outside the 30-yard circle at any given time.
“Conditions vary across the world and certainly in the subcontinent where you find yourself on a good batting pitch that is taking no spin, no seam movement, the bowlers really have their hands full,” Richardson said. “If you look at the results all over the world in other conditions like England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, you will find that the new fielding restrictions have worked well. Also the fact that we are using two new balls as opposed to one has allowed the bowlers to take more wickets, especially in the first 10 overs when the seam bowlers are at the batsmen. This has also worked well.”
Richardson added that the ICC will instruct Australia and New Zealand to prepare balanced pitches for the 2015 World Cup.
“Certainly for ICC events, we do give directions to the host countries as to the preparation of the pitch,” Richardson said. “It will be the same as the World Cup that was held in the subcontinent.
“The difference being that in Australia and New Zealand, conditions tend to be more seamer-friendly as opposed to spin-friendly. So our direction would be we want a pitch thatprovides good bounce but not too much lateral movement, in this case seam movement. Generally in one-day cricket we try to favour the batting team and we look for totals between 230 and 260.”