If the game of cricket remains tilted heavily in the favour of batters, not many youngsters would be lining up to start bowling in a couple of years, fears spin great Anil Kumble, who advocated the need to keep biggest possible boundaries at Indian Premier League venues and use of more pronounced seam to restore the balance between bat and ball.
The score of 250 has been breached as many as eight times this season with shorter boundaries, flat pitches and impact player rule aiding the batting side.
Like the great Sunil Gavaskar, Kumble also feels that keeping the maximum possible boundaries length is need of the hour.
“It’s been really hard on the bowlers, especially the first half of the tournament. I certainly believe that you need to maximize the boundaries at every venue. Try and keep the biggest boundary possible in that venue,” India’s leading wicket taker across formats told select media in an interaction arranged by JioCinema.
“For a start, you could move the dugout into the stands. I know you’ll lose a few seats but so be it. Then the other aspect is to perhaps look at white ball to have slightly more pronounced seam so that there’s a bit more movement.
“We have seen that the ball stops swinging after maybe just the one over or even less than that sometimes. You need a balance between bat and ball. You can’t be running in and just going through the motions where in a couple of years you won’t have too many youngsters lining up to start bowling.
“Everybody wants to be a batter. You need the bowlers also to be a part of this game and the balance is very important. I expect that will also get addressed,” he said.
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As per the playing conditions of the IPL, “The playing area shall be a minimum of 150 yards (137.16 metres) from boundary to boundary square of the pitch, with the shorter of the two square boundaries being a minimum 65 yards (59.43 metres).
“The straight boundary at both ends of the pitch shall be a minimum of 70 yards (64.00 metres). Distances shall be measured from the centre of the pitch to be used. In all cases the aim shall be to provide the largest playing area, subject to no boundary exceeding 85 yards (77.71 metres) from the centre of the pitch to be used.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
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