Better bats, smaller boundaries reducing bowlers to virtual bowling machine: Chappell
“The
administrators
need
to
find
both
the
ideal
balance
between
bat
and
ball
and
educate
fans
on
cricket’s
values,”
Chappell
wrote
in
a
column
for
ESPNcricinfo.
“It
is
fine
when
middled
deliveries
finish
up
in
the
stands
but
a
bowler
should
be
extremely
angry
if
a
blatant
mis-hit
still
clears
the
ropes.”
The
former
Australia
skipper
believes
“this
problem
is
not
so
pronounced
on
larger
Australian
grounds.”
“…but
I’m
not
sure
what
genius
produced
the
ludicrous
mixture
of
better
bats
and
smaller
boundaries.
This
combination
is
reducing
bowlers
to
virtual
bowling
machines.
It
is
a
serious
slight
on
good
bowlers
and
needs
to
be
rectified
immediately,”
Chappell
wrote.
“When
bowlers
are
induced
by
the
regulations
to
deliberately
aim
balls
wide
of
the
stumps
to
avoid
major
scoring
opportunities,
it
debases
the
game.
“Cricket
needs
to
entertain,
but
it
must
also
maintain
a
strong
association
with
its
roots.
The
administrators
need
to
remember
this
crucial
point
when
they
plan
for
the
game’s
future.”
The
78-year-old
said
the
shortest
format
of
the
game
lacks
the
right
balance.
“There
seem
to
be
two
widely
diverging
views
on
T20
cricket.
There
is
the
long-term
cricket
fan’s
fear
that
the
game
will
become
an
all-power
event
that
favours
muscle-bound
six-hitting
batters
in
matches
of
the
sort
that
are
too
often
won
by
the
chasing
team,”
he
wrote.
“Then
there
is
the
opinion
of
the
not-so-discerning
fan,
who
is
unworried
by
the
seeming
lack
of
contest
between
bat
and
ball
and
can’t
get
enough
of
the
mammoth
six-hitting.”
“I’m
of
the
view
that
fans
should
be
engaged
by
the
contest
between
bat
and
ball,
enjoy
the
tactical
battles
–
both
team
and
individual
–
and
require
a
certain
amount
of
artistry
in
the
batting.”
Talking
about
the
balance
between
sport
and
entertainment,
Chappell
said:
“In
my
opinion
the
balance
in
T20
cricket
needs
to
be
somewhere
in
the
vicinity
of
60:40
sport
to
entertainment.
At
the
moment
it’s
unbalanced
and
too
much
in
favour
of
pure
entertainment.”
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