Strategic Changes for batsmen and bowlers to adapt to recent rule changes

An India-Australia match underway at the MCG

Ramps, paddles, reverse sweeps, scoops, upper cuts – cricket became turbo-charged since T20 waltzed into the traditional ballroom with a boom-box on its shoulders. And then, cricket confuses, like love. Not only does it have three formats, unlike most other forms of sport, its rules, keep changing fairly often as well.

More than a century and a quarter of evolution and cricket is still trying to find its identity. Some ODI rules have been tinkered with yet again, but this time for the better of the game. Based on the recommendations of a committee headed by Anil Kumble, these changes were meant to rein in the direction in which ODIs were drifting towards – the annihilation of bowlers.

The England New Zealand ODI series showed how 350 wasn’t safe anymore. Bats are big, biceps are bigger. Bowlers are smart, but shots are smarter. Amidst all the hoopla, a few good men, decided to change the rules to make sure that league of extraordinary gentlemen called the bowlers, don’t call it a day.

With the new rules come new challenges but one can be assured, record books will less frequent entries now. Before we take a look at the four critical rule changes and how batsmen and bowlers need to adapt, here are some subtle shifts that could happen in cricket:

1. More protection in death overs and no batting power-play means best bowlers are freed up to bowl anytime, thereby influencing the game more in the beginning
2. Five fielders in the outfield means batsmen who run better can score more than batsmen looking for big shots
3. No batting power-play and more protection for bowlers means batsmen who can score 360 degrees will be more fluent than batsmen who are conventional or strong on only one-side.
4. 300 could be a really tough target once again.
5. Batsmen will need to play more ground shots to survive and score.

Rule change 1 – No compulsory close catchers in overs 1-10

What it might achieve – As many as seven fielders could be placed on the edge of the circle in the first power-play, means fewer wickets for bowlers, but fewer runs too.

This is a very strange rule change. Most captains will love it though. The reason is simple. Two close-in catchers within an imaginary 15-yard circle was an attacking move. It made ODIs exciting. There were chances of batsmen getting out with those fielders who could be stationed at slips, short extra cover, leg slip, short midwicket or any of the other interesting and innovative positions that skippers like Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni could conjure. However, sometimes, when batsmen are going all guns blazing, skippers might want those fielders on the edge of the circle to save more runs.

For batsmen, this means that they need to work on their aerial shots to clear the circle as there could be as many as seven fielders on the edge of the circle in the power-play overs along with two fielders allowed outside the circle, the bowler and wicket-keeper.

For bowlers, this means they have a choice – they could go for wickets and have as many close in catchers or go for tightening the screws by securing the perimeter of the 30-yard circle. This means though that they have less chance of getting wickets unless they attack. So they must work on their line and length to get intentional wickets and have to bowl exactly to their field.

Rule change 2 – Maximum five fielders outside 30-yard circle in overs 40 – 50

What it might achieve - In a subtle way, it will make batsmen take more risks before the death overs - something the batting powerplay was originally meant to do.

Earlier this was four. If you divide the ground based on common outfield positions, you have third man, deep point, deep extra cover, long off, long on, deep midwicket, deep square leg and deep fine leg – that is eight positions. No matter how hard skippers tried, there was always a big vacant space batsmen could target.

Now, batsmen have to really work on their all-round game. If a batsman doesn’t have innovative shots he will be easily tied down with five fielders mostly taking up the following positions – long on, long off, deep midwicket, deep point and deep square leg. Players like AB de Villiers, who can hit it 360 degrees will not be as affected as the more orthodox ones like Hashim Amla or Ajinkya Rahane who play technically sound, but conventional shots, more often.

Batsmen also have to work on their running between the wickets now. With an extra fielder in the deep, there is more scope for twos and threes in the outfield. Quick batsmen will cash in while slow batsmen will miss out.

Bowlers don’t need to adapt. In fact, they have more leeway with this rule. Good bowlers will really benefit from the rule change because if they could be disciplined enough to bowl on only one side of the wickets consistently, they can virtually dry the boundaries for any batsman in the death overs. A very common death-over problem is skippers having to bring in either third man or fine leg up, sometimes bleeding and demotivating the bowler. That needn’t happen anymore.

Rule change 3 – No batting power-play between overs 15 – 40

What this might achieve – Batsmen have to be extra aggressive in the first power-play between 1 - 10 overs, an old technique used by batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya and Kris Srikanth – drifting away from the present practice of trying to double the score after 30 overs.

Truth be said, this was a chance for skippers to improvise and bamboozle their opponents. However, most skippers used this mechanically and predictably. Four out of every five games approximately saw the batting power-play being taken in the 35th – 40th overs. In many ways, skippers used the last 15 overs to get as many runs as possible instead of calling for an early batting power-play and losing wickets.

Fundamentally, the batting power-play therefore had a flaw and it is a good thing that batsmen don’t have the luxury of it anymore. Yes, batting powerplays used to make things exciting, sometimes initiating batting collapses as batsmen went for quick runs.

Batsmen will now have their work entirely cut out for them. Earlier, they had five overs where only three fielders were allowed outside the circle and then 10 overs where four fielders were allowed. Instead, they now have to deal with four fielders outside the circle up until the 40th over and then suddenly, they’ll find an extra man out. Batsmen have to adapt to this by actually going for their big shots before the death overs start. In many ways, this rule change does what the batting power-play couldn’t, in a very subtle beautiful way.

Bowlers can now breathe easy. What this does is that skippers can attack whenever they want, instead of saving their best bowlers for the batting power-play and the death overs. If anything, with more protection in the death overs, the best bowlers could be bowling more in the middle, thereby influencing the game throughout.

Rule change 4 – Free hits for all no-balls

What it might achieve – All undisciplined bowlers will be penalised equally. Fewer number of fielders inside circle leads to a no-ball and hence a free hit too. So, skippers need to be alert as well.

Steven Finn and Lasith Malinga hit the stumps on the non-striker’s end too often. Now they are facing the prospect of having to bowl a free hit for that. Bowlers have to be as careful of the non-striker’s stumps as they are of the popping crease.

In other words, they cannot get perilously close to the stumps while delivering the ball. It is a good thing for batsmen who are tied down by bowlers who stick to a very tight line. Bowlers cannot afford to bowl high full tosses either. A beamer for example, could now potentially cost 13 runs – a six hit of the high full toss and then another six hit off the free-hit.

Similarly, if there are more than the stipulated number of fielders outside the circle at the time of delivery, umpires call it a no-ball. Now it is a free hit too, which means that the skippers and fielders have to be really alert. Batsmen don’t need to adapt to this rule, besides just practicing their big hits to cash in when the free hit arrives.