Richard Hadlee wants bigger boundaries to even contest

While the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee have asked the sport's law-makers Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to consider limiting the depth of modern bats, former pace ace Sir Richard Hadlee is of the opinion that the balance between bat and ball could be attained by having bigger boundaries

While the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee have asked the sport's law-makers Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to consider limiting the depth of modern bats, former pace ace Sir Richard Hadlee is of the opinion that the balance between bat and ball could be attained by having bigger boundaries.

Sir Richard during a media interaction in the city yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

"We are seeing more results in Test cricket these days. The contest between bat and ball is pretty fair. In Test cricket, we are getting results. You are always going to get results in ODIs and T20s, so the balance is actually okay.

"The contest between bat and ball is pretty fair. Having said that with the bigger bats, heavier bats, (or) in some ways light bats with thick edges, a lot more boundaries are being hit. What I would like to see is bigger boundaries — bowlers at times do suffer in some formats with smaller boundaries, and you want to make that a contest.

Running between the wickets is an important part of the game. We don't see a lot of threes being run, so make it (boundaries) little bigger. It can bring an element into the game," Hadlee said during an interaction at the Bombay House in Fort, where he was hosted by Tata Trusts.

The ICC cricket committee headed by Anil Kumble raised concerns regarding the depth of the bat given that thicker bats have bigger 'sweet spots' which often results in even mishits sailing over the

Backing D/N Tests
Hadlee also gave the thumbs up to day-night Test cricket experimentation. "Day-night cricket is the future of the game. I think, what we saw at the Adelaide Oval, when New Zealand took on Australia, was a wonderful spectacle. Clearly it attracted the crowds and is great for television. The only problem (as I foresee) in some areas around the world is the dew factor and that the ball could be affected," said Hadlee.

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