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There’s something morally wrong with Brendon McCullum, one of the fastest scoring T20 batsmen in the world, being suspended for captaining the slow-over-rate Brisbane Heat.
The Big Bash League is a phenomenally successful format attracting huge crowds and huge ratings for television host Channel Ten.
Neither the enthusiastic crowds, nor Channel Ten, could give a continental if Brisbane Heat went five-and-a-half minutes overtime in the BBL game against the Hobart Hurricanes at the Gabba on December 30, nor the six minutes overtime against Perth Scorchers at the Gabba last Wednesday.
But BBL rules clearly stipulate every innings is a maximum 90 minutes, and if that rule is breached twice, the captain will be suspended for a week, and the other ten team members fined $1000 each.
In this case, because Brisbane Heat hasn’t appealed against McCullum’s suspension, the other ten have had their fines halved to $500.
How quaint, how farcical, but there must be a better way.
In Test cricket, bowling teams are supposed to get through 90 overs in a six-hour day when the weather is fine.
That’s an average of four minutes an over when most fast bowlers take five, or more.
As a result bowling teams rarely get close to 90 overs a day, so extra time is allocated on the same day, or early the next day to make up the diff.
Obviously that concept can’t work with one-day T20, where 20 overs an innings must be finalised within 90 minutes.
But the comparisons don’t equate.
Test cricket’s 90 overs a day in 360 minutes translates to four minutes an over – or an average .67 of a minute a delivery.
T20 cricket is 20 overs in 90 minutes, or 4.5 minutes an over – or an average of .75 of a minute a delivery.
That’s hardly equitable when T20 produces far more boundaries and sixes that are time-consuming returning the ball to the bowler.
There’s no argument rules are rules and are there for a reason, but suspension over slow bowling rate is draconian, robbing the offending side of either their best player, or one of the best.
In the Heat’s case, with two games to go before the semis, the franchise will be without McCullum for one, and explosive batsman Chris Lynn for the lot on Australian ODI duty.
So let’s forget suspensions where everyone suffers, and fine the captain $5000 and the rest of the side $2000 each, and keep doubling the fines for every other 90-minute plus innings.
And for good measure add six runs per minute overtime with penalty runs to the batting side.
While the money might not deter slow over rate offenders, chasing an extra six runs per minute will sure shorten them up.
And the best cricketers will always be on duty for the huge crowds and television audiences to enjoy.