New Delhi: Sunil Gavaskar has expressed concern over how long IPL matches are taking and what he calls unnecessary on-field activities during the games. While the Indian Premier League continues to entertain fans with exciting matches and emerging young stars, many matches this season have gone beyond the expected three-hour window, sometimes even four hours.This has started to test the patience of the audience. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced penalties for slow over rates, lateness remains a recurring problem.
Gavaskar believes that one of the main reasons behind the slowdown is the large number of people coming to the ground during the game. He pointed out that reserve players and support staff often walk the ground, even for small things like handing out drinks.Gavaskar wrote in his column for Midday, “Often, one finds it unnecessary for the reserve players to step onto the ground to hand a water bottle to a fielder near the boundary. This should not be allowed, as it effectively means that more than 11 players are on the field while play is in progress, even if it is between deliveries.” “Even during strategic time-outs, often half a dozen people are seen on the field, including batsmen who have not yet arrived. This is taking freedom too far. Apart from two reserve players carrying drinks and two members of the coaching staff, no one else should be allowed on the ground.”
Call for stricter rules and faster play
He also emphasized maintaining discipline and respect for the field, recalling Richie Benaud’s advice.“As Richie Benaud once told me at the beginning of my broadcasting career, the ground is a sacred place and only the umpiring and playing should enter it. That’s why I rarely enter the field unless I’m doing a pitch report or a TV show. Hopefully the BCCI will also ensure that the committee members please don’t allow the board to play in the area,” he added.“Since all the batsmen are already in the dugout, the two-minute allowance can be reduced to one minute. If a batsman is still not ready to face the bowler, then after a couple of warnings, penalty runs should be scored.”
