Australia has come up with a creative way to avoid being penalized for slow over rate. They put players from the bench around the boundary rope so that they could quickly throw the ball back into play.
During the T20 Internationals series that Australia just played against England, they used this strategy. So that they could get the ball, they put their backup players around the boundary rope.
Even David Warner, who didn’t play in the third T20I, was part of this group. He was one of many Australian players who had to pick up the ball that went over the boundary and throw it back into play quickly.
Australia will use a different method to reduce slow over-rate issues
Ashton Agar says it is a plan that has been well thought out. He says it speeds up the game and keeps the team from getting penalized for going too slow: “During the powerplay, the ball flies around, and players lose time when they have to go get it. That’s just how cricket works. Time is hard to keep track of. So I’m not sure if putting the guys on the benches around the field will save you more than ten seconds here and there. Potentially. At the end of the day, it all adds up.
It doesn’t really give you a leg up. It just makes sense to do that during the power play. There aren’t any players out there fielding on the fence.”
A clever ploy from the Aussies who are keen to avoid the fielding restriction penalty if overs aren't bowled in time during this #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/5e73KABQcd
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 19, 2022
Australia is not the first country to think of this idea, of course. In 2016, during the fourth innings of the Rajkot Test, there was a well-known example of this. While Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja tried to save the game, the England team used their replacement fielders in a similar way to speed things up.
Will the method be successful?
This year, the ICC decided that slow over rates in men’s and women’s T20Is would be punished during the game. Now, each team has a certain amount of time to finish their 20 overs. If the fielding team doesn’t start their last over by the cut-off time, they will be penalised. They will be allowed one less fielder outside the 30-yard circle.
During the T20 World Cup, it would be good to use a similar plan. When the ball is thrown to the fielders, they will not only save time but also energy. The boundaries in Australia are bigger.
This makes it less likely that they will lose fielders to slow over rates. This could be very important in important games. The only question that needs to be asked is why the Australian camp told everyone about their new plan before the event. It also gives the other teams the chance to use it, instead of using it in secret to get an advantage.
