ICC ne phir se apna naya drama shuru kar diya hai! Men’s ODI cricket mein two-ball rule aur concussion substitute protocols mein badlav? Arre bhai, yeh kya naya tamasha lekar aaye ho? Ek taraf toh yeh kehte hain ki batting aur bowling ka balance theek karna hai, aur doosri taraf inke naye niyam dekhkar lagta hai jaise koi Bollywood ka script likh raha ho – thoda sa action, thoda sa suspense, aur bahut sara confusion! Par chalo, thodi der ke liye inke is “bade badlav” ko samajhte hain aur dekhte hain ki yeh cricket ke liye kya laane wala hai.
Two-Ball Rule ka Naya Andaaz
Ab tak ODI mein do nayi balls ka istemal hota tha – har end se ek. Yeh niyam 2011 se chala aa raha hai, jab ICC ne socha ki do balls se swing aur seam consistent rahega. Par ab? Ab yeh kehte hain ki 34 overs tak toh do nayi balls, lekin uske baad fielding team ek ball chunegi jo 35 se 50 overs tak dono ends se use hogi. Kya baat hai! Yeh toh wahi baat ho gayi ki pehle dono haathon se maaro, phir ek haath bandh do aur bolo, “Ab dekho kaun jeetega!” Isse reverse swing wapas aayega, yeh kehte hain. Par yeh reverse swing ka jadoo kya sachmuch bowlers ke liye game-changer banega, ya phir batsmen ke liye ek aur excuse milega?
Yaad hai 1990s ka woh daur jab Wasim Akram aur Waqar Younis apni reverse swing se batsmen ke hosh uda dete the? 1992 World Cup mein Pakistan ke liye yeh dono toh jaise kisi thriller movie ke villain the – ball ko aise ghumate the ki batsmen bas dekhte reh jate the. Ab ICC shayad wahi purana jadoo wapas laana chahta hai. Lekin sochne wali baat yeh hai ki jab do balls use hote hain, toh dono 17 overs purani hoti hain 34 overs ke baad. Ek ball chunne ka matlab hai ek 17-over purani ball se 16 overs aur khelna. Yeh bowlers ke liye thodi si jeet hai, kyunki purani ball reverse swing ke liye perfect hoti hai. Par kya yeh T20 ke is daur mein, jab batsmen har ball ko boundary ke paar bhejna cha買te hain, kaafi hoga?
Chhoti teams ke liye yeh ek mauka ho sakta hai. Bade teams jaise Australia ya India ke paas toh hamesha se top-class batsmen aur bowlers hote hain, lekin teams jaise Bangladesh ya Sri Lanka, jo kabhi-kabhi apne bowlers ke dam par bade teams ko hara dete hain, unke liye yeh niyam ek nayi ummeed jaga sakta hai. Yaad karo 2017 Champions Trophy mein Bangladesh ka woh match jahan Hasan Ali aur Mustafizur Rahman ne apni swing bowling se England ko pareshan kar diya tha. Aise mein ek purani ball unke bowlers ko aur bhi dangerous bana sakti hai.
Concussion Substitute ka Naya Daur
Ab baat karte hain concussion substitute ke naye niyam ki. ICC ne ab teams se kaha hai ki har match se pehle paanch replacement players ke naam dene honge – ek batsman, ek wicketkeeper, ek fast bowler, ek spinner, aur ek all-rounder. Yeh toh jaise school ke class monitor ka list banane jaisa kaam hai! Par yeh niyam player safety ke liye hai, aur isme koi burai nahi. 2014 mein Phillip Hughes ki maut ke baad se cricket mein concussion ko lekar bahut serious ho gaya hai. Woh ek aisa hadsa tha jisse poora cricket jagat hil gaya tha. Uske baad se ICC ne 2019 mein concussion substitute rule shuru kiya, aur ab yeh aur strict kar diya hai.
Lekin yahan bhi thodi si khichdi pakti hai. Niyam kehta hai ki replacement “like-for-like” hona chahiye, matlab jo player injure hua, us jaisa hi koi doosra player aana chahiye. Par yaad hai 2020 mein India vs Australia T20I? Ravindra Jadeja ko helmet par chot lagi, lekin unhone batting jari rakhi aur phir Yuzvendra Chahal ko substitute ke roop mein laaya gaya. Australia ke coach Justin Langer toh bilkul khafa ho gaye the, kyunki Jadeja ek all-rounder the aur Chahal ek specialist bowler. Yeh “like-for-like” ka concept thoda sa dhundhla ho gaya tha. Ab naye niyam ke saath, match referee ke paas aur power hogi yeh decide karne ke liye ki kaun sa player sahi replacement hai.
Yeh niyam chhoti teams ke liye thoda aur faydemand ho sakta hai. Bade teams ke paas toh bench strength itni hoti hai ki woh kisi bhi player ko replace kar sakte hain. Par teams jaise Zimbabwe ya Afghanistan, jinke paas limited resources hote hain, unke liye yeh paanch players ka list banana ek challenge ho sakta hai. Phir bhi, yeh niyam unhe ek mauka deta hai ki woh apne key players ko safe rakhein aur match mein competitive rahein.
Cricket ka Naya Rang
Yeh sab dekhkar lagta hai ki ICC sachmuch cricket ko aur dilchasp aur safe banana chahta hai. Two-ball rule ka badlav bowlers ko thodi si taakat deta hai, jo ki T20 ke is daur mein bahut jaruri hai. Concussion protocols ka strict hona bhi ek achha kadam hai, kyunki player safety se bada kuch nahi. Socho, agar 2003 World Cup mein Andy Bichel jaise bowler ko reverse swing ka mauka milta, toh shayad Australia aur bhi khatarnak hoti. Ya phir 2011 World Cup mein Zaheer Khan ki swing bowling aur bhi yaadgar ho sakti thi. Yeh naye niyam cricket ko wapas usi purane josh ke daur mein le ja sakte hain.
Chhoti teams ke liye yeh ek nayi shuruaat hai. Jab bade teams ke saath khelte hain, toh unhe aksar resources aur talent ke mamle mein pichhe rehna padta hai. Par agar bowlers ko reverse swing ka mauka milta hai, aur concussion rules unhe team balance banaye rakhne mein madad karte hain, toh shayad hum aur zyada upsets dekh sakte hain. 2007 World Cup mein Ireland ne Pakistan ko hara diya tha, aur aise moments cricket ko aur bhi rochak banate hain.
Thodi Si Chinta
Lekin yeh sab itna sundar bhi nahi hai jitna dikhta hai. ICC ke niyam badalne ka tareeka thoda sa jaldi-jaldi mein lagta hai. Abhi toh yeh changes sirf men’s cricket ke liye hain – women’s cricket ke liye kyun nahi? Kya women players ki safety aur game balance utna important nahi? Aur yeh two-ball rule ka experiment kya sachmuch kaam karega, ya phir batsmen iska bhi counter dhoondh lenge? T20 ke is daur mein, jab har player boundary aur sixer ke peeche bhagta hai, yeh niyam shayad ek aur gimmick ban kar reh jaye. Aur concussion rules ka implementation bhi itna aasan nahi. Match referee ke upar itni zimmedari daal dena, kya yeh hamesha fair rahega?
Chhoti teams ke liye bhi yeh ek do-dhari talwar hai. Ek taraf toh yeh niyam unke bowlers ko power deta hai, par doosri taraf unke limited resources ke saath yeh paanch players ka list banana aur unhe manage karna ek headache ho sakta hai. Sochiye, jab Afghanistan ya Ireland jaise teams bade teams ke khilaf khelti hain, toh kya woh sachmuch in niyamon ka fayda utha payengi, ya phir yeh bhi ek aur rule ban kar reh jayega jo sirf bade teams ke liye hi kaam karega?
