This thing in Bangladesh is actually quite enjoyable. But
lets be clear - a game of cricket that
lasts 20 overs per side is not a game of cricket. Its fun, sure, but its not
‘cricket’. It should be called Wallop Ball. Basically you need to be a big
bloke who can slug it over the boundary, or a wee fella who is capable of
bowling little dibbles. Ive exaggerated slightly, but Im essentially right.
‘Rotating the strike’ is only good batting if your partner is more likely to
hit it higher and further than you are. Otherwise you have scored either 5 or 3
runs less than you could have done.
But what Wallop Ball has done is speed up the innovation of
the game: Switch Hit (formally called taking the p1ss), slower ball bouncer
(formally a slower ball gone wrong), slog sweep (slog), yorker outside off
stump (misguided yorker), low full toss (crap ball), Suresh Raina as a bowler
(batsman taking the p1ss), etc. But what may be the next things we see? Here’s
a few thoughts:
- Mystery Quickie – A quick bowler who bowls doosras or leggies. Someone like Afridi comes quite to close it. Malinga is a bit of a mystery quickie because his action so weird and he bowls so fast, it’s a mystery as to where, and when, the ball is going to land. But what if there was someone who could bowl upwards of 80mph and the stock ball is an off-break.
- Backstop - I spent a season maybe 17 years ago playing exclusively as a back stop for Andy Moore who was keeping wicket to Ali Gohar, a Wick Overseas opening bowler who played regularly with Wasim Akram. He was stupid quick and you can understand why I was positioned where I was. But in Wallop Ball someone directly behind the keeper may become an important fielding position as Dilshan scoops become more the norm, and the frequency of fine edges through or even over the keeper increases. Or…what if the keeper stood on the boundary? If there is no value in taking a wicket, but all you need to do is stop the ball, then there may be occasions when the keeper will be on the ropes.
- Standing at the crease – Normally you stand on the crease. You can charge the bowler (Matty Hayden in his pomp), step back in the crease to give you more time (Flintoff did this quite a lot). You can also back away (MattyD in the nets) or step to the off side and play it on the leg side (Immo in the nets). What about standing behind the stumps, or even alongside them? If you know the ball isn’t going to hit the stumps, then why not give yourself even more time? Don’t ask me how – just take the blue pill and open your mind.
- Two 10 over innings per side. But you only have one chance to bat – so if you’re out in innings one you don’t get a go second time around. I’ve noticed quite a few games recently when teams simply aren’t losing enough wickets, meaning that after 15 overs both teams are doing equally well. You could be 150-1, or 150-5 after 15 and in effect you are in the same position because the team 5 down still have loads of betting to come.
- Fielding rules. One bowler, 10 fielders - half allowed on the boundary, half have to be in close – for all 20 overs. End of. I have to be honest I don’t even know what the rules currently are for Powerplays as they change all the time.
