Ricky Ponting, the head coach of the Delhi Capitals and a former Australian cricket captain, believes high-scoring games will remain a staple of the Indian Premier League (IPL) even if the controversial “Impact Player” rule is scrapped. This rule allows teams to substitute a player from their original XI with a designated substitute at any point during the match.
The rule has sparked debate, with some prominent figures like Indian skipper Rohit Sharma expressing concerns about its impact on all-rounders, who might get fewer opportunities to bowl. However, others, like Sourav Ganguly, view it as a positive innovation for the game.
“There’s talk about whether the Impact Player rule will stay and if its removal will lead to lower scores,” Ponting said during the launch of Delhi Capitals’ batting coach Pravin Amre’s autobiography. “I’m curious to see that, but I’m not convinced scores will come down.”
Ricky Ponting acknowledges that the Impact Player rule offers a degree of flexibility for teams, but he believes the aggressive batting style adopted by top-order batsmen is unlikely to change significantly.
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“The impact player does provide a bit of a safety net for the top order, but these batsmen are accustomed to playing a certain way,” he explained. “Imagine trying to tell someone like Jake Fraser-McGurk to play a more reserved role or Travis Head to be more defensive – it’s just not going to happen.”
The 2024 IPL season has already seen a significant rise in high-scoring games with the 200-run mark being breached a staggering 36 times so far, compared to the entire previous season’s total of 37. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has indicated that the rule’s future might be revisited based on feedback from stakeholders after the IPL concludes.
Ricky Ponting also discussed the unique challenges faced by coaches in the IPL franchise system. He believes it’s a more demanding role compared to coaching a national team.
“Coaching a franchise team is significantly harder,” Ponting explained. “You have players from various nationalities – Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders, even Nepalese players in our case over the years.”
The limited time for team bonding before the season is another hurdle coaches must overcome. “The biggest challenge is having only a few days to get everyone together before the first game,” Ponting said. “Building team culture and implementing significant skill changes within such a short timeframe is incredibly difficult.”
Ponting further commented on the evolution of batting in recent years, suggesting that batsmen with a “classical technique” are becoming less common.
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“Look at England’s current approach,” Ricky Ponting said. “They haven’t quite mastered it yet, but many players are products of limited-overs cricket, prioritizing power and innovation over traditional technique.”
While acknowledging the shift, Ponting believes Test cricket will still offer a platform for these “purist batsmen.” However, he predicts their numbers will dwindle over time.
