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.
Slane
Guest
They actually have a formula to add extra time for all of the various stoppages that go on throughout an innings.
Taylorman
Guest
Yes good point, it did finish early, so question is what were the kids doing that caused them to miss their bus...the plot thickens...?
Krash
Guest
You mean like underarm bowling? double...no tripe whoosh!
anon
Roar Pro
If anything, I think 90 minutes is too long. Get it down to 75-80 minutes per inning. Too much time wasting in between deliveries with field positions constantly being changed. If you are consistent in punishing players when they go over the time limit they will learn to adjust. Bowlers will jog back to their mark or take shorter run ups, captains will tinker less with reactive fielding changes. Maybe even use cheap, low quality cricket balls made to last a 1-2 overs. If the ball goes over the fence, the spectators can keep the ball as in baseball. Don't have to wait on someone fetching the ball then. I think T20 cricket is too long as it is. It should be no longer than 3 hours in total. Also, remove "half time". Have 5 minutes of ads, then get on with the game. There's no need for a break when you've been standing in the field for 90 minutes. It's not a strenuous, cardio-based, contact sport. Short and snappy should be the directive from Cricket Australia, otherwise people find something else to do like watch Netflix.
Tatah
Guest
Racism?
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Haha! Whoosh....
davSA
Guest
Good suggestions David ! As previously commented on , fines are no deterrent . These guy's not only earn big bucks , the fine is also usually split amongst all team members. Remember FAF Du Plessis ball tampering fine . It amounted to about AUS $1500.00 . Split amongst all team members probably less than an average traffic fine. Slowing down the game is a strategy and if over rates not met an illegal one. It can disadvantage the opposition , so an on field penalty of additional balls to be bowled or runs penalties will immediately work.
Scuba
Guest
Moisés Henriques in 2015
Jacko
Guest
Spot on Mike. 100% correct
Jacko
Guest
I did read his post and still believe that if you allow your kids to go to the match then you allow for these delays. It could be all sorts of things that can delay a match. Even the weather can do that. The crowd could take a bit longer to disperse. It was 6 minutes.
Jacko
Guest
Based on 0.75 mins per ball thats only 8 balls a batsman has to stop the bowler from delivering (Baulk at the last minute) in 20 overs to delay the game 6 minutes like this one was. What can the fielding captain do about that?
Jacko
Guest
Yes an interesting thought there. Does the fielding captain have the right to stop the batting side from coming on to the field with drinks, extra directions , new bats etc. The batting side didnt get fines or suspensions yet a batter can stop the bowler from bowling whenever he feels like it. At 0.75 of a minute per ball, one balk per over, that would be 15mins over 20 overs. This could easily become a tactic to get a captain suspended just before a final. The Heat was only 6 mins over so thats only 8 balls rebowled in 20 overs
Wayne
Roar Guru
Or just bowl your overs faster; and reduce the committee meetings between each delivery. Plus, stop 12th man running drinks/helmets/gloves every over
The voice
Guest
I was of the understanding that the game still finished 10 minutes early, so I don't know why your kids missed their bus. It was only the Heats bowling innings that went over. Concussion, player clash, long review of catch on the line, all were taken into consideration. I would have liked to have a stopwatch on that.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
If you actually read his post you'd realise it was actually a half hour effective delay.
Ken Hayes
Roar Rookie
Given that Brisbane were without Chris Lynn and Sam Badree, and even then, minus their best batsman and probably their best bowler, lost only because of the failure by one of the umpires to give out a Perth player to an obvious caught-behind, yes it was obviously morally wrong to fine and suspend McCullum and to fine the rest of the team. Even Mark Waugh stated that the Perth player had scored an extra 21 runs because of this failure on the part of the umpire to do his job correctly. To fine all Heat players and to suspend their best remaining batsman, especially after the umpiring decision which almost certainly cost them the game and their position at the top of the ladder smacks of a witch-hunt against the Brisbane team. In conjunction with the Australian selectors they have just disposed of the Heat's previously very good chances of winning the competition. Remember that prior to that game, and to that umpire's decision, and to the moronic decision by faceless men to suspend Brisbane's captain, the Heat was leading the competition by a clear two points. Are these BBL clowns aware how much players such as McCullum increase the appeal of the tournament?
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
I definitely think counting down is the easiest option. It's there on a big screen and everyone can see it. I really like your idea of simply adding two minutes (or whatever time seems fair) when a wicket falls. No need to pause the clock for a "regular" interruption. Leave the pausing of the clock for extraordinary interruptions. As I said in another post, any penalty is supposed to deter people from infringing, not to penalise the crowd/fans. If McCullum wants to keep bowling at such a slow pace he is going to have to deal with trying to chase either a bigger target than he should have (the free hit theory mentioned below) or get used to chasing with less balls (the loss of overs theory). Either way, team managers and owners are not going to be happy if slow bowling is costing them wins...
MrJSquishy
Roar Pro
I really like the free hit idea - hadn't thought of that. In the end, the penalty is supposed to be a deterrent. We don't want to see penalties being enforced all the time. The penalty is simply a means to an end i.e. having the overs bowled in the time they are supposed to be bowled. So, with this free hit idea, it could potentially change the outcome of the game. That is a good motivation to not bowl slowly...winning games is what it is all about...
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Hi Marcus - Over penalty for the bat-second blokes is tricky. Agreed. And like football stoppage time, it's kinda marvelously fluid (clock + chance of extra scoring = drama). As for the T20s, I'm one of those who likes the fact that you can be age 10 again, with cricket on most nights in the holiday period. But I think I'll be more glued to today's ODI. Love international cricket. Child of the 1980s. Bred on World Series summers. As stated elsewhere in The Roar's match preview for today's game, Pakistan need to (preferably) win for the sake of the rest of the series. :-)
Marcus
Guest
Hi Ben, the issues I see with the lose of overs penalty are: 1) Fans end up seeing less cricket 2) those lost overs can kill the game. Imagine if Hobart had two less overs last night, a great game would have fizzed out. 3) How do you penalise the team bowling second? Free hits give more excitement, it's still a context between bat and ball, rather then a fixed penalty and I'm sure everyone in the fielding team will be running to get through the overs. At the end of the day I don't care if they are 10 mins over, I want to see great games. The best thing about the Big Bash is it's great to watch. I don't support either if last nights teams, but I was glued to it.