Win some, lose some for bowlers as ICC rings in changes to ODI cricket

BANGALORE: Bowlers can rejoice as the ICC on Wednesday adopted the recommendation made by its cricket committee to allow two bouncers per over in one-day internationals. This will serve to remove some of the certainty that comes about once a bowler has done with his hitherto single bouncer per over and make proceedings more uncertain, which can only be good for the game.It will literally push batsmen on the backfoot and bring about some balance between bat and ball, which is how the game should be. That bouncers too can be hammered will not be lost on anyone but at least it gives the quicker bowlers a chance to make a better impact. After all spinners don’t have any such restrictions, they can bowl as many doosras, teesras as they want.In any case, should the bouncers sail over the head of the batsmen, they will be called wide, so there is no negativity involved.The ICC also passed some other cosmetic changes such as removing the third powerplay and making it 10 plus one five-over batting powerplay to be taken before the start of the 41st over.Where the new rule deviates more is in saying that only four fielders will be allowed outside the 30-yard circle in non-powerplay overs, as against the five allowed earlier. This will affect all bowlers but if the desired result is more boundaries and bigger totals, the extra fielder inside the circle may just help the bowlers and captains attack more.As in any change, only time will tell whether these changes are good or bad.