R Ashwin gives unique suggestion to ‘restore balance’ for bowlers – cricket

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Tuesday came up with a unique suggestion to ‘restore balance’ for bowlers in cricket. Ashwin garnered lot of media attention last year after he ‘Mankaded’ Jos Buttler during an IPL game between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals. The debate over whether dismissing a batsman in this fashion is in the spirit of the game or not became a discourse over the next couple of months, but Ashwin has always been resolute towards his point that he did nothing that is against the rules.

On Tuesday, in a series of tweets, Ashwin came up with the idea to develop a technology which can spot if a batsman is backing up before the bowler bowls a ball. “Just hope that technology will see if a batsmen is backing up before the bowler bowls a ball and disallow the runs of that ball every time the batter does so!!Thus, parity will be restored as far as the front line is concerned,” Ashwin said.

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Ashwin’s suggestion came a day after ICC announced that TV umpires will be calling front-foot no balls in all the ODI games that will be played under ODI World Cup Super League.

The bowler went on to further explain his point. “Many of you will not be able to see the grave disparity here, so let me take some time out to clarify to the best of my abilities. If the non striker backs up 2 feet and manages to come back for a 2, he will put the same batsmen on strike for the next ball.

Many of you will not be able to see the grave disaparity here, so let me take some time out to clarify to the best of my abilities. If the non striker backs up 2 feet and manages to come back for a 2, he will put the same batsmen on strike for the next ball.

— Ashwin ?? (@ashwinravi99) July 28, 2020

Putting the same batsmen on strike might cost me a 4 or a 6 from the next ball and eventually cost me 7 more runs instead of may be a 1 and a dot ball possibility at a different batsmen. The same will mean massively for a batter wanting to get off strike even in a test match.

— Ashwin ?? (@ashwinravi99) July 28, 2020

“Putting the same batsmen on strike might cost me a 4 or a 6 from the next ball and eventually cost me 7 more runs instead of may be a 1 and a dot ball possibility at a different batsmen. The same will mean massively for a batter wanting to get off strike even in a test match,” Ashwin wrote.

“It is time to restore the balance in what is an increasingly tough environment for the bowlers,” the bowler further added.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Ashwin spoke of the lows and the highs—opening up on the past and also his plans for the future once Indian cricket resumes. “One feels dejected and disappointed when dropped. But that is how sport is. This happens. Take the recent example of Stuart Broad. He was dropped from the first Test against the West Indies and ended up making a great comeback in the next game. I too have swung between those extremes. Either I take five-wicket hauls or I get dropped. I just don’t let the negativity get to me,” the bowler said.