Picture Credit: Twitter
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has drawn attention to the need to improve over rates in the international Test matches. Chappell has linked his opinion with the Australian cricket team's second Test defeat by the hands of Sri Lanka in Galle this week.
The former Aussie skipper has blamed the DRS for the slower over rates during Australia and Sri Lanka's second Test match. He has mentioned that DRS doesn't always result in the correct decision due to the availability of a limited number of reviews.
For an instance, Dinesh Chandimal, who went on to score 206* during the Galle Test, was given not out at a score of 30 runs while it seemed that the batsman had got an edge. Australia, who wasted the reviews on half-chance decisions, failed to turn around the Sri Lankans' not-out decision as they had already used all their reviews by that time.
Chappell also threw light on the ignorance on the declining over rates for decades as T20 cricket has been given priority due to its money-making capabilities. While talking about the Clive Lloyd-led West Indies' stand on the slow over rates, Chappell termed it 'flawed'.
He wrote on ESPNcricinfo, "Under Clive Lloyd, West Indies promoted the notion that over rates don't matter when matches are being won in less than the allotted time. That argument is flawed. The batting team should receive a reasonable number of deliveries in a six-hour day, while front-line bowlers tire at an acceptable rate. These days, overs are rarely completed even with extra time allowed - and those extensions are a blight on the game."
He further claimed that slower over rates are a kind of cheating with the spectators, who come to watch the 90-over day, and the administrators are liable for the on-field umpire's failure to enforce the same.
He asserted: "The administrators could make some compromises and demand that players bowl 90 overs in six hours with no deductions accepted. A captain should be suspended without question if this aim isn't achieved."
The Aussie advised the administrators to compromise the advertising on sight boards, boundary replays, constant bringing of water and gloves, and the mid-pitch talks during the overs to bowl 90 overs a day in Test matches.