England v Australia: Over Rates

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Maranello

The only solution is to consistently apply what is already on ICC's rule book; ie bans and sanctions on the captain whenever the team has slow over-rates...The problem is not that there is no appropriate sanction; the issue is that it is not applied consistently or often enough.

Application of the rules certainly isn't as consistent as you would want it to be, and if this scenario changes it might urge international captains and players to take this as more of an responsibility upon themselves. But essentially they will do it out of fear or losing their skipper through a ban or getting a fine. Call me a sentimentalist if you will, but principally they should be doing it because we, the fans, deserve to see at least 90 overs a day.

It is ridiculous the amount of time that is wasted in between overs, and in between wickets (I speak of test cricket generally and not just the Ashes). I remember seeing a post match analysis show once at Super Sport where they were discussing the whys and hows of (by and large) pathetic over-rates around the test world these days, I’m sure it was during England’s tour to SA last winter. The host, can’t remember his name, put up a remarkable statistic showing how 5 decades ago bowlers bowled nearly twice as many overs a day as they are doing now.


You could obviously see some of the reasons behind that, fewer boundaries were scored back then, and so less time was wasted in between balls. But Robin Jackman, who was one of the experts on their panel, also noted that in the old days far less time was “wasted” celebrating the fall of wickets. Back in those days if someone took a catch at slip and you were standing at deep backward square leg you didn’t run up to him from all the way down there to say well done mate, you would just stand there and clap, shout out a congratulatory message if you could and quickly get on with the next batsmen.

Obviously things have changed now with everything being televised. Cricketers, I understand, have become increasingly image conscious, and they know that every move they make on field is now televised and later reported in the print and broad cast media. Hence we see that they do not waste even one tiny opportunity to hide their inventiveness at celebrating dismissals or crossing milestones or winning no matter how much time is wasted in that process (sometimes, and incresingly so in the recent past, these celebrations have been far too long for my liking). As someone one said, the huddle wouldn’t have been invented had it not been of television coverage.


Another thing that probably caused faster over rates back then was that a lot of people walked, and even fewer chose to walk back slowly to the pavilion ala Inzi or Ponting in case they are not entirely happy with a decision. I don’t assume many did headshaking ala Kevin Pietersen or Shane Warne. Plus the concept of using TV replays via the third umpire was non-existent, which perhaps one could site as being the single biggest factor separating over rates then and now.


But often it is the small things that make all the difference. For every dismissal that occurred or mile-stone that was achieved if the players could hurry up even just the half a minute or so, it could end up making some difference at the end of the day. But it seems to me now, increasingly, that players simply don’t care, unless of coarse they are looking to win a test or finish a job in which case it becomes essential to do so.

It’s sad, but true. Player's don't care*. And you can't get anyone to care.


*this is sadly the main problem