World cricket is being urged to consider a new ‘shot-clock’ runs penalty which could have the potential to change the result of close matches.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting explained, after the annual MCC world cricket committee meeting at Lord’s, how the new measure might work to address the scourge of poor over rates.
The committee discussed the suggestion that, instead of the current International Cricket Council policy – of monetary fines for captains, with the possibility of suspensions for repeat offenders – in-match penalties could be levied in probable five-run increments for each transgression.
In instances such as England‘s 31-run margin of victory in the thrilling Edgbaston Test against India last weekend, for example, teams could run the risk of losing when they would otherwise have won.
Ponting said: “We are of the belief that a there-and-then run penalty in the game would be definitely worth looking at.
The new concept has the potential to change results of close matches.
“You would imagine then the captains would take a huge responsibility in making sure their players are ready to go.
“If they are not in a position for three or four overs that could be 20 runs, and in the context of the game we saw last week that could be the difference in a Test match.”
Ponting believes a new strategy is needed to stop a perennial problem.
“It probably seems a little extreme, the idea of the ‘shot-clock’- but once again this year in all three formats of the game the over rates have been in decline,” he said.
“So we’ve talked about the idea of the shot-clock, and that’s basically the dead time in the game, the end of the over, the fielders and bowlers have to be back in position – and that’s non negotiable.
“The same with the new batsman coming to the crease, the bowling team have to be ready when he gets to the crease.
“We feel that what has been in place for a long period of time hasn’t worked.”
