Cricket ke niyam badalne wale MCC ne ek aur naya fatwa jari kar diya hai! Ab se wo shandaar, dil-tham-lene wale boundary catches, jahan fielder “bunny hop” karke ball ko lapak leta tha, wo sab illegal ho jayenge. Yeh naya niyam is mahine se playing conditions mein shamil hoga aur October 2026 se MCC ke Laws of Cricket ka hissa ban jayega. Haan, wahi boundary catches jo crowd ko khushi se chilla uthta tha, ab wo shayad sirf yaadon mein reh jayenge. Par yeh niyam kyun? Aur isse cricket ka maza kaise badlega? Chalo, thodi si khudai karte hain.
Yeh “bunny hop” wala catch toh waisa hi tha jaise koi fielder boundary par circus ka stunt dikha raha ho. Yaad hai 2019 World Cup ka woh moment jab Ben Stokes ne Trent Boult ke sath boundary par ek aisa hi catch liya tha? Ball ko lapka, ek kadam piche kiya, aur phir se lapka – crowd pagal ho gaya tha! Ya phir IPL 2023 mein Suryakumar Yadav ka wo catch, jahan wo boundary rope ke bilkul pas bunny hop karke ball ko rok ke apne teammate ke hath mein de diya. Aise moments cricket ke dil ki dhadkan hote hain. Par MCC ka kehna hai ki yeh niyam game ki “spirit” ko protect karne ke liye hai. Spirit? Sach mein? Ya bas wo apna control dikhana chahte hain?
Ab thodi si baat is niyam ke peeche ki logic par. MCC ka kehna hai ki bunny hop catches mein fielder aksar boundary line ke bahar hota hai jab wo ball ko chhuta hai, aur yeh technically out nahi hona chahiye. Fair enough, lekin cricket toh bas technique ka khel nahi hai, hai na? Yeh toh jazba, excitement, aur thodi si masti ka bhi khel hai. Chhote teams, jaise Afghanistan ya Ireland, jo apne shandaar fielding se bade teams ko hara deti hain, unke liye toh yeh catches ek bada hathiyar hote hain. Yaad hai 2022 T20 World Cup mein Ireland ne England ko kaise patak diya tha? Unki fielding hi thi jo unhe wo jeet dilayi. Ab yeh naya niyam shayad un chhote teams ke wings thodi si kaat dega, kyunki bade teams ke paas toh waise bhi star batsmen aur bowlers ki kami nahi.
Par chalo, thodi si roshni bhi daal dete hain is mamle par. Yeh niyam shayad cricket ko aur consistent banaye. Jab niyam saaf honge, toh umpires ke liye bhi faisle lena asan ho jayega. Aur socho, fielders ab naye tareeke se catches lapakne ki practice karenge. Shayad humein kuch aur naye, creative fielding moves dekhne ko milen! Jaise ki 2003 World Cup mein Jonty Rhodes ne apne dive se duniya ko hairan kar diya tha, waise hi koi naya hero shayad is niyam ke baad ubhar aaye. Chhote teams ke liye bhi yeh ek mauka hai apni fielding ko aur sharpen karne ka. Afghanistan ke Rashid Khan ya Ireland ke Paul Stirling jaise players apni mehnat se naye tareeke dhoondh hi lenge.
Lekin phir bhi, dil toh dil hai. Cricket ka woh jadoo, woh boundary par ka thrill, kya wo ab pehle jaisa rahega? MCC ke is naye niyam se shayad game thodi si boring ho jaye. Bade teams, jaise India ya Australia, jo apne paiso aur power se cricket ko dominate karte hain, unke liye toh yeh koi badi baat nahi. Par chhote teams, jo apne jazbe aur fielding se duniya ka dil jeet leti hain, unke liye yeh ek aur challenge hai. Aur waise bhi, jab crowd boundary par bunny hop dekhne ke liye tadap raha ho, toh MCC ka yeh niyam thoda sa sookha sa nahi lagta? Cricket ke asli fans toh yahi kahenge – thodi si masti toh banta hai, boss.
