NEW ODI RULES - A BRIEF REVIEW

The rise of several T20 tournaments coupled with several other factors has resulted in the declining popularity of the longer formats especially ODIs.Audiences for one day cricket slumped by 17 per cent during 2009-10.A  match between Australia and the West Indies in 2010   returned the lowest audience seen for a day-night game in 5 years, with an audience of just 625,000




In the past five years, audiences for the one-day games have been in a slow downward spiral, losing between 5 and 6 per cent each year from an average of 1.18 million in 2005,


There is a plenty of evidence which highlight the fact that ODIs have lost a good number of viewers/spectators


Probably these are some reasons which prompted the ICC to make a few changes in the ODI format. ICC's new ODI rules came into effect from October 1, 2011, . Here's a crisp segmentation of the set of new rules: what each rule actually means, ICC’s intention behind these rules , and how these rules are likely to affect ODI cricket


RULE 1. Two new white balls to be used for each innings , instead of one.


In Detail:  Two white cricket balls will be used from the start of each innings, bowled from either ends.


ICC’s objective behind this rule- It has been very frequently noticed that the white ball accumulates a plenty of wear and tear by the 35th over of the match and it becomes difficult for the batsmen to spot the ball..Hence the umpires go for a change of the ball in the 34th over.The ball which is handed to the bowler after the 34th over is not a new one and in the process of changing the ball we lose a few valuable minutes.To remove this mandatory ball change  drama in 34th the new rule was made.


Its Effect- Pace bowlers who love bowling with the new ball will relish this, since the ball will remain new till the 20-22nd over of the innings. The rule is not expected to help the spinners one bit.Spinners prefer bowling with a relatively old ball i.e. by the 17th -18th  . to bowl with a older ball they have to wait till the 35th over of the match.On another note the rule will help a lot in negating the dew factor , since both the balls will be exposed to the dew/grass ,alternatively and it will be relatively easier for the bowler to grip the ball even if there is a good amount of dew on the ground. In my opinion the rule has both  pros and cons ..On seaming and bouncy tracks  pacers will get huge advantage and batsmen will have a really torrid time.The new rule wont embolden spinners.Role of spinners in  the format will be reduced.The day is not far when fast bowlers will start becoming magisterial in the ODIs.


2. The batsman is out if he is found guilty of  'obstructing the field'.


In detail: -on appeal from the fielding team, if the umpire feels that a batsman, whilst running between the wickets, has significantly changed his direction without probable cause thereby obstructing a fielder's attempt to run him out, the batsman should be given out obstructing the field. It shall not be relevant whether a run-out would have been affected or not.


ICC’s objective behind this rule-Its an attempt to encourage honesty,fair play and sportsmanship .There have been a plenty of occasions when a batsman has diverged from  his path at the last instance, away from their natural running path, to eliminate the fielder’s direct line of vision to the stumps


Effect- Batsmen will come in the path of the ball while taking a run at their peril. Hence we might see a slight higher number of run outs.In my opinion whether a batsman shall be adjudged out for obstructing the field or not will have a lot to do with the way of thinking of the umpire.At times it might get difficult to interpret whether the batsman changed his course intentionally or not. What if a bowler/his partner comes in his way or a fielder charging towards the stumps makes him change course just before the crease? The day an umpire rules a high profile batsman out through this method, a controversy is on the cards.




3. Its mandatory to take the second and the third powerplays between the overs 16-40.


In Detail: The total number of powerplay overs still remains  as 20 per innings. The first ten overs still remain as the – M andatory powerplay.There shall be two other powerplays- bowling and batting powerplays, 5 overs each But both the powerplays have to be taken between the 16th and the 35th over. This restriction will not apply for reduced innings of scheduled duration of less than 40 overs.




 ICC’s objective behind this rule –Make the game more I teresting.They probably felt the overs from 16th to 40th had become  a tad monotonous.


Effect- The rule will help the batting side more than the bowling. If the batting side doesn’t lose too many wickets in the batting powerplay , then the powerplay will help them to gain some serious momentum and they can go for the kill in the death overs.But the thing is teams should learn not to lose too many wickets in the powerplays…From another angle, If the batting side gets off to a flyer then the opposition captain can spread the field after the 11th over and check the flow of runs……But this rule is expected to spice up the game..If powerplays are well utillsed totals over 300,350 will become very common. Beause if teams manage to keep wickets by the 40th over, having batted out 20 powerplay overs, they can throw their bats at everything in the last 10 overs. However it might backfire if the team loses a good number of wickets in the powerplays…..I personally like this  bit of experimentation .Earlier powerplays means the middle overs will not be as dull as they used to be.

4. Batsman cant ask for a runner!

In Detail: The batsman shall not be permitted to have a runner even if he is injured etc.He has to run on his own till the time he is on the crease.


ICC’s objective behind this rule –: There have been instances when a batsman has asked for a runner even if he  was fully fit and fine. At times this ploy is used to save the energy of the batsman which enables them to play a longer innings.


Effects:Expect some drama in the next few months over this issue..If a batsman gets a severe strain/cramp when he is in the nineties he might have to return back to the pavillion. I can see a huge uproar if Sachin or any other great player misses out on a century cause of this. Teams will start giving fitness more priority. Half fit / partially fit players wont dare to play a match since they wont be allowed to have a runner. I like this rule.It will promote honesty.Cricket boards will realise the need to have a strong injury management system.


5. Bowler can run out a non striker for too much backing up.


In Detail: ” The bowler is permitted to attempt to run-out the non-striker, before releasing the ball and provided he has not completed his usual delivery swing,. “


ICC’s objective behind this rule –:To discourage non strikers from backing off too far.There have been occasions when non strikers back off too far even before the ball is delivered , at times the non strikers do it intentionally to disturb the concentration of the bowler which is totally unfair.


Effect: Non strikers will think twice before backing off far.Batsmen will take time to get used to this while they stand in the non strikers end - tail enders being the most vulnerable lot. There could be a short period when too many batsmen are getting run out through this method, which won't do good for the game temporarily. However if a main batsman gets run out in this process it may create controversies.


6. Extension of play by 15 minutes into Lunch or Tea intervals.(in test matches )


In Detail: The match officials on the field i.e. the umpires  have been empowered to decide and extend  the play by 15 minutes (a minimum of four overs) extra time at the scheduled lunch or tea interval of any day if requested by either captain if, in the umpires' opinion, it would bring about a definite result in that session.


ICC’s objective behind this rule: To save precious .time It has been noticed that inevitable results get delayed because ot lunch/tea breaks. In such cases the breaks are pretty pointless..


Effect:This rule will be pretty effective in saving time. For e.g if the match gets extended  by 4 overs before lunch and the  batting team gets all out in those overs , the crowd can return home earlier than they otherwise would have. But it is expected to create controversies …if a match is heading towards a nail biting finish with one team slightly ahead of the other , and it starts drizzling or becomes a bit too dark.In that case  one captain may want to continue and other may not want to. For such situations it will be a subjective call to be taken by the umpire.And its all ways important to avoid such subjective calls in a game. However  in my opinion it will be a pretty spectator friendly and player friendly rule if the umpire makes the right and fair call.


With the slack in the TRPs of ODI in the last few years ,ICC has done a fair job by making these new playing conditions.Still a lot needs to be done to make this game even more exciting and ensure that future of the game is safe.

PAYBACK

Team India will have revenge on their mind and heart  when the five-match ODI series against England begin with the opener at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad tomorrow.Just a few months after the horrible unforgettable  summer  which saw the former getting thrashed and the latter being crowned Number One Test side in the world , INDIA will be pretty desperate to prove that they are the world champions in 50-50 cricket.

Things are going to be pretty different this time around.Its too earlier predict , but things wont be that easy for England playing against India at home ,with their fanatical fans team india are a very different proposition.

India are the current World Champions at the 50-over format & have a very formidable home record with only the Australians in 2009 & 2007 defeating them in their last 13 home ODI series. But that said the team played most of the matches with a full-strength side. New Zealand were an easy opposition.The side didn’t have a batsman who looked comfortable against spin, plus with a couple of inexperienced youngsters in their side they were no match for team india .

England never had a record playing in the subcontinent.Their  last two tours have seen an aggregate score of 11-1 in favour of India with the 2008/09 series ending 5-0.Because of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai , two matches were  abandoned saving them from further humiliation.One who had watched that series will tell you that they were thoroughly outplayed in every department . Moreover, they haven’t won an ODI series in India for about 25 years. But  these days things are not the same.England are a stronger unit & made of sterner stuff with a good number of exciting young emerging talents thrown into the mix,thanks to the English selectors who possess a considerable amount of foresight. With convincing home series victories over Sri Lanka and India already secured under the captaincy of Alaistar cool Cook the future looks bright for this  side filled with young blood and excitement.  But this tour of India will be probably  their toughest assignment yet and we will learn a lot about just how far England have come by the end of it.  With their weakened bowling including lack of decent spin options excluding the outstanding Graeme Swann, I feel India have the edge in what should be an competitive & close series




Following the test and ODI series at home England look to concentrate on creating a specialist side for both formats of the games , respectively.,Clearly the NO 1 rank in ODIs in on their mind.On that note , this series should give us a good idea about whether England's masterplan for world domination in every form of cricket is on course, but this time around its unlikely to be one-way traffic.But record books will tell you that  England have struggled in India, winning only one of their last 13 One Day Internationals on indian pitches .And considering the fact that England wont be able to enjoy the services of a few of their top players, any little success enjoyed in this series will be considered as a  real statement of intent from Ali Cook’s men.





Yes…The Indian team is still struggling with injuries that seriously hampered their chances in England with the key players  Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel not fully recovered.But in my opinion  the young and inexperienced( using the term inexperienced might invite controversy since some of these guys have gained enough experience at international level) side, which will also be without Harbhajan Singh who was dropped, has enough arsenal to win in home conditions..In 2011 on  home turf team india-
played 14 ODIs
 won 12  1 tied
 this gives us enough cause to remember that they are World Champions in this format of the game
 

 INDIAN TEAM
You can expect the the team  to continue with Parthiv Patel and Ajinkya Rahane as openers after their impressive performances in England with the aggressive Gautam Gambhir, who is back for the first two ODIs at least, at no 3. and there is a chance he could be joined soon by a fit-again Virender Sehwag at the top of the order. Virat Kohli, who has been in fine form in the Champions League T20, will be at No 4 followed by Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni with Ravindra Jadeja as the bowling all-rounder.. He hit 107 in the last ODI in Cardiff & has continued his fine form in the Champions League playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore with scores of 70 & 84 not out in the semi final.SURESH RAINA-He scored an incredible 84 in the 4^th ODI vs England.He has great natural ability and hits the ball incredibly hard.



While the batting looks solid despite missing several key players, the bowling will worry the think-tank.




Apart from Praveen Kumar, the pace bowling lacks experience with Sreenath Arvind, Umesh Yadav, R VInay Kumar and Varun Aaron in the ranks.Alot is expected from Ashwin , a lot has been spoken about his variations and usefullness in the shorter format of the game.He definitely will try to prove a point or two and that he is a better bowler than Harbhajan. India could well prepare turning tracks which will make things difficult for the English batsmen and the side will be looking at Trott and Pietersen to deal with the spin threat
How the bowlers fare against the English batting could well decide the fate of the first two ODIs after which the selectors will meet to pick the squad for the following games.



The Indian bowlers' inability to take wickets in England saw them go down rather tamely despite posting some handy totals and the visitors will take a lot of confidence from those performances.




England have several quality batsmen in their side and the return of Kevin Pietersen, who was dropped for the home series against India, makes the middle order look solid.





Skipper Alastair Cook will continue his role as the sheet-anchor at the top of the order with Craig Kieswetter looking to attack.
Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell also had a lot of success against Indians in England and the hosts would do well to chalk out specific plans for them.
England too are short on experience on the bowling front and the Indian batsmen will be looking to make the most of it.






With spearhead James Anderson rested and Stuart Broad injured, Tim Bresnan will lead the attack with Steve Finn and Jade Dernbach making up the attack while Grame Swann will be the lone specialist spinner and Samit Patel likely to play as the spinning all-rounder. Swann is undoubtedly the best spinner in the world currently but the Indians are fantastic players of spin.So it will be interesting to see if he can be able to trouble Indian batsmen after a good show on pitches which were spinner-unfriendly. Jade Dernbach is another  man who needs to be watched out. He has made himself a vital part of the England attack in the last year with his excellent array of slower balls. These variations will be used in the power plays & end of the innings, increasing his chances of a number of cheap wickets whilst the batsmen are looking to take advantage of the fielding restrictions.









Probable teams:
India: Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Gautam Gambir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, R VInay Kumar, Umesh Yadav
England: Alastair Cook, Craig Kieswetter, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Steve Finn, Jade Dernbach.


WHAT CAPTAINS SAY-

COOK-

I don’t see any relation between what happened in England and what’s going
to happen out here. India are historically very strong at home, and we have
an extremely tough challenge on our hands. It’s a great opportunity for an
England side to play the world champions in their back yard.

DHONI-

We may have not been up to the mark in England, but the fact is that before
that tour, we won the game’s biggest prize, the World Cup. Our performances
over the past three seasons speak for themselves. I am convinced that it is
only a matter of time before we turn the tide.

WHAT ELSE YOU WILL SEE

New ODI rules. Dhoni said the five ODI’s “may not see reverse-swing”
due to the use of a new ball from each end. Counterpart Cook said “you
will see spin a lot earlier” during games. Rules stipulate that bowling
and batting powerplays must be completed between the 16th and 40th overs of
the innings.

You will notice three stars above the BCCI logo on India’s ODI shirts. They
denote euphoric wins in the 1983 and 2011 World Cups as well as the 2007
World T20.

TAKING the batting ,fieldind,and bowling line ups of both teams into account I feel it might be 3-2 England J