Players have been forced to think about managing their workload.
Workload management has become a critical aspect in modern-day cricket, especially with the sheer volume of games players have to play. While the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have already declared their retirements from two formats (Tests and T20Is), Jasprit Bumrah was under the scanner recently for his workload issues.
In a bid to tackle such a pressing concern, India’s former fast bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu has come up with an interesting take on the matter. He has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to deploy specialist fielders in domestic cricket. The Indian Premier League (IPL) would also be under the category of domestic cricket in India, according to Sandhu.
He has suggested the change in order to ensure that players like Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah get to preserve the longevity of their careers. Sandhu also went ahead to point out the toll that an international player’s body goes through. He stated that the burden on India’s senior cricketers is massive and that this step would help them control it.
“Nobody buys a ticket to see Kohli dive at square-leg. They come for a cover drive. The magnets are the stars – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma , Jasprit Bumrah. So why kill the goose that lays the golden egg?”, Sandhu wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
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While the main idea of promoting specialist fielders is to manage the workload of the all-format players, it is also to preserve their careers to attract more viewers. Sandhu questioned the need to put these stars under compulsion for fielding. He argued that the fans come to watch them bowl or bat, and hence, substitutes should be allowed to do the fielding in tournaments in domestic cricket.
Sandhu went ahead to state that while diving catches look good in replays, they have the potential to injure players and put them under greater threat. This is exactly why he suggested the implementation of six to seven fielders in the game. This will allow the specialists to stay confined to their own skills.
“T20 should have specialist fielders, six or seven of them. Let the stars have their bodies for batting and bowling. Even in domestic cricket, internationals should play without breaking their backs. Youngsters will learn, seniors will last, and the game will gain”, added Sandhu.
While the suggestion sounds great at first, it has its own consequences. Players like Virat Kohli like to stay involved in the game, in every way possible. Despite the rules like the impact player being introduced, there has hardly been any instance of Kohli taking the option to be left out. Though the advantages of the suggestion seem tempting, whether it would be a good exhibition for the game will be an interesting debate.
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