Help Fast Bowlers by Reducing Cricket: Imran Khan
Former Pakistan captain and politician Imran Khan has emphasised that the amount of cricket that is being played in today’s age is the prime reason for the frequent breakdowns that the bowlers from around the world have been suffering. Speaking at the annual Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's, Imran also said that the ICC will need to do something to cut down on the volume of the cricket in order to ensure that the bowlers did not become extinct over the period of time.
Over time, the number of games has increased and with the advent of T20 cricket, there is now a rush to play in all the leagues around the world. While the batsman can still get away with the increased numbers, it is the bowlers who have to bear the brunt given that their bodies are more prone to injuries and burnouts.
In recent times, many bowlers from around the world have been struggling with injuries and this includes the likes of Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth from India, Ryan Harris, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, amongst some of the others.
Imran opined that there should be a reduction in the number of fifty-over games that are being played or even a need to eradicate them totally.
Imran also said that the cricket needed good quality fast bowlers to make the contest even. He cited the example of Shaun Tait and said that the complexion of the game totally changed whenever Tait came on to bowl.
Unfortunately, the example of Tait can also be used to describe what Imran said about the excess of cricket. Tait was one of the fastest bowlers and could regularly bowl at speeds of more than 150 km/hr. However, his issue was that too much cricket meant that he needed to take an indefinite break from international cricket, before returning back to cricket in 2009. He has also effectively retired from Test match cricket and concentrates only on ODIs and T20Is.
Imran continued his tirade against the shorter formats of the game by saying that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 was another good example of how a player who is good in the T20Is may not be good in Test match cricket.
Imran also spoke about the standard of Test cricket which, according to him, had fallen down drastically over time. He said that the chief reason for the same was the manner in which the batsmen had become overbearing on the game.
Over time, there has been criticism about the way the batsmen have had everything going their way including better bats, easier pitches, more protection, and smaller boundaries. This seems to have taken a toll on the fast bowlers, and they have looked more stressed than before.
However, Imran added that the standard of umpiring has definitely improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years. The reason for this, according to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193, was the way in which the neutral umpires came into being. This was followed by the advent of the third umpires who could adjudicate run-outs and stumping decisions. Imran said that during his times, there was a hue and cry about the manner in which some of the umpires refereed the home games and sided the home side.
Imran was one of the very few cricketers who had suggested the introduction of neutral umpires, a concept that caught on after he had had the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750-Pakistan series. Imran also advocated the further use of technology to assist the umpires.
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