“Cricket is a game of great uncertainties!”
“Cricket is a funny game!”
This unpredictable and funny game which we as Sri Lankans love dearly is about to return with some abrupt changes, in the very land it was born – England. Despite uncertainties of their own commencement, Sri Lanka who redefined the game with their character and flamboyance, together with the rest of the world, eagerly await the return of international cricket post Covid stoppages. The 1st Test between England and West Indies will not be just another Test in Southampton; it will be a Test of the new rules as well.
Even with Sri Lanka’s next game still, quite far away, we at ThePapare.com who are equally eager take a look at few of the new rules implemented by the ICC through a Sri Lankan lens.
Video – International Cricket Grounds in Sri Lanka
For a country of its size, Sri Lanka has quite a number of International venues compared to others
Let’s start with us, the crazy and die-hard fans!
Remember the last ODI which was played? The game between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on the 13th of March (the exact date Sri Lankan schools, universities, institutes and companies closed down!). The mighty stands of the huge SCG were all empty. The atmosphere was completely silent and the game had no real life. Now imagine such a situation in the R. Premadasa, where the stands are not as huge as in the SCG but atmosphere is vibrant. How about Pallekele, where grass banks cater to the majority of the spectators? It’s the same in Dambulla as well! Hambantota has just one grand stand and the rest are grass banks. The drone shots of the stadiums won’t give the same glamour it used to give. The waving lion flag, the colourful wigs, face paintings, the sign boards and most importantly the never-ceasing Papare bands – everything would be missed so badly. The games won’t be Sri Lankan. It would simply be cricket and only cricket. The Lankan spice would be dearly missed!
Since it’s going to be pure cricket with no off the field affairs, let’s now get in to the game.
The new rules disallow players to handover their stuff (caps, hats, sunglasses, towels etc…) to the umpire. Instead, bowlers will have to handover whatever things they usually handover to the closest fielder. Most of the times it would be a fielder to stop a single or a fielder within the ring. Imagine him fielding with an extra cap? Or with a towel he usually doesn’t carry? He will surely have an excuse after a fielding error! And we all know too well, the fielding standards of our boys in the recent past.
Interim regulation changes approved
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed interim changes to its playing regulations
The Umpires would be very happy about this! They’ll be free of the burden they usually carry. They’ll be more relaxed. And hopefully, they can minimize errors from their end?
Let’s get more technical now!
Hand sanitizers! Players are advised to constantly sanitize their hands since the ICC has recognized the cricket ball as a ‘potential’ carrier of the virus. The ball is the main aspect of the game after all. If the ball is away from you, you are literally not even in action. So having to sanitize their hands whenever they come in to contact with the ball is going to be a big hassle for the players. Forget the hassle, it could play a part in how the ball works as well. It may even bring in an x-factor. We don’t know whether it would help the bowlers or not, but it is something which has never been used on a cricket field thus far. So its introduction could bring something new to the game. Also saliva has been prohibited. So the entire science behind maintaining the ball during a game will take a new look and would be a very interesting question to ask the players in the ‘virtual’ post match press conferences. However, sweat can be still used.
Now let’s put on the shoes of the players!
Imagine Lasith Malinga being asked not to kiss the ball before he starts to bowl. We really don’t know how it’ll affect him, will make a noticeable change in his routine? And, we know players have their own ways of going about things. No one would like any rule hindering the routines they had doing for ages. Even the rule prohibiting the use of saliva. Players like Nuwan Kulasekara involuntarily used to shine the ball using saliva, which was part of his routine. A player with such a routine will now have to put an effort to get rid of those habits and put as much as effort to this as he puts to concentrating on his line and length, otherwise he might end being fined. This whole process might even make players completely out of those sequences even after restrictions get loosened someday. 
Cricket never foresaw these changes. The entire cricketing community including the players, officials, broadcasters and fans will have to go through this. The great game which unites all of us itself is unpredictable and funny. So this unforeseen changes will also have to be taken as a part and parcel of this beautiful game we love.
