Shane Warne proposes a change in T20 cricket
Australian legend Shane Warne has often made headlines for his bizarre, yet interesting suggestions related to the game of cricket. This time, he has advocated a minor tweak in rules of T20 cricket. The 50-year-old said the bowlers should be given a quota of five overs in an innings, instead of four. He believes this will promote a fair competition between bat and ball.
Warne came up with the idea while commentating
Warne's comments came during the second T20I between England and Australia, which the hosts won by six wickets. Notably, he was impressed with the way Jofra Archer and Mark Wood bowled in the initial few overs. This made him question whether the bowlers should be given an extra over in the shortest format. "What about four bowlers bowl five overs?" Warne said while commentating.
'It's a fair contest between bat and ball', says Warne
Warne advocated fair contest between batsmen and bowlers. "I just think it's a better contest between bat and ball — you want your best bowlers bowling as much as you can as T20 is so much in the batsmen's favour," he said. "When you get a couple of gun bowlers like this (Archer and Wood) you want to give them another over up front."
'Spinners will be more valuable in the middle overs'
"Wouldn't it be nice to give them five? I would like to see bowlers be able to bowl five. Rashid could bowl five overs in the middle, while you can bowl your quicks at the beginning and at the end," he added.
Warne's proposal intrigued Michael Atherton
Warne's fellow commentator, former England captain Michael Atherton, seemed to be intrigued by the proposal. "It is an interesting idea. Shane always has a fertile imagination when it comes to cricket. I have been trying to think about the disadvantages. Would it play against genuine all-rounders?" Atherton said. "It gives your dynamic, box-office players more of a chance to shape the game."
Analyzing the suggestion of Warne
As per the current rules, a bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of four overs in a T20 game. Warne's suggestion to add an extra over might level up the competition as the bowlers who leak runs could be brought back with two overs at the end. Moreover, the spinners will be able to get a hold of middle overs during the match.
