Mark Waugh calls for rule change: No leg-byes

[Abdullah719]

Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh believes that leg-byes should be done away with in the gentleman's game as he feels that the batting team shouldn't get runs for the ball hitting the pad. Commentating for Fox Cricket broadcast during a Big Bash League game between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunders, Mark Waugh made the suggestion to fellow commentator Michael Vaughan. "You know what, I've got a rule change in all cricket: No leg-byes, especially in T20s. Why do you get runs? You missed the ball," he said.

Former England skipper Vaughan though defended it and said that is how the game works. "It's just a part of the game."

But the younger Waugh brother stuck to his stance and said: "Why should you get a run? I know it's a part of the game. But can we change it for the better? All cricket.

"The idea of batting is to hit the ball. Whoever made this rule up was a pretty ordinary batsman I'd say back in the heyday, back in the early 1900s."

Vaughan then suggested that Waugh should be a part of MCC's cricket committee that is instrumental in making changes to the rules of the game.

"If you go across the last few years there's been so many changes in the game: T20 arrived, 100 balls is going to start in the UK, talk of five day Tests going to four, but I think the most revealing is Mark Waugh's," he said.

"You should be on the MCC cricket committee. You have to be on there. With that kind of thought process, he's got to be on. You'll get a couple of trips to London every year. You'll sit in that nice room at the MCC at Lords."

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/big...nge-in-all-cricket-especially-in-t20s-2158245

 

[Gilly]

Pillow talk between commentators.

 

[silentkiller187]

its part of the game, and they count as runs, its similar to saying lets remove all the methods of getting out apart from hitting the stumps

 

[The_KING]

Then also remove getting out via L.B.W.

 

[Gilly]

No runs for wides/no balls too.

 

[Rana]

Leg byes are a fair inclusion. It would create insurmountable pressure on batsmen if removed. Bowlers will consistently target around the leg, leg stump line to just build dot balls with no real attempt of getting the player out

 

[Saj]

A bowler bowls a great yorker, smashes into the toes of a batsman, it's not lbw, the ball races to the boundary, and the batting side gets 4 runs.

Something not right with this.

 

[Ronaldo7]

A bowler bowls a great yorker, smashes into the toes of a batsman, it's not lbw, the ball races to the boundary, and the batting side gets 4 runs.

Something not right with this.

So no "byes" should be allowed either?

 

[Markhor]

Didn't we win the 2009 T20 World Cup with a leg bye ?

I'd rather balls that are mere inches down the legside aren't punished as wides, especially given the 360° strokeplay of today's batsmen.

 

[silentkiller187]

A bowler bowls a great yorker, smashes into the toes of a batsman, it's not lbw, the ball races to the boundary, and the batting side gets 4 runs.

Something not right with this.

Batsmen hits a juicy full toss out the middle of the bat, but somehow it gets plucked out of the air on the edge of the boundary and the batsmen is out, something not right with this? no it is part of the game as is leg byes, if you want to prevent it get your fielding setup correct.

 

[Saj]

Batsmen hits a juicy full toss out the middle of the bat, but somehow it gets plucked out of the air on the edge of the boundary and the batsmen is out, something not right with this? no it is part of the game as is leg byes, if you want to prevent it get your fielding setup correct.

Skill of the catcher.

Nothing skillful about 4 flukey leg byes.

 

[gazza619]

So no "byes" should be allowed either?

If no byes are allowed than might as well remove the wicket keeper.

I think the game is fine as it is. These commies have nothing else to talk about so are just messing around.

 

[warcry]

I agree . remove leg byes altogether. keep byes though.

 

[HitWicket]

A bowler bowls a great yorker, smashes into the toes of a batsman, it's not lbw, the ball races to the boundary, and the batting side gets 4 runs.

Something not right with this.

How often does that actually happen? The majority of boundary leg byes are bowlers erring and straying too far down the leg side.

 

[Shaka81]

Think about the number of times they would need to go to the TV umpire to decide if it was bat first or pad first when deciding to award or not award runs. Cricket is already to stop start without adding more stoppages to check for this.
Leg byes might not seem "fair" but at least it keeps the game flowing.

 

[IMMY69]

Is Mark Waugh pulling peoples leg here???

So bowlers target legs to prevent scoring, but at the same time feeding the great leg sided players who would more often then not flick it away for four... errm which batsman comes to mind???? Arrh yes Mr Mark Waugh himself.

Leg byes are very much part of cricket. More often then not, you need to move your feet, get in to position, to make use of a leg bye...

 

[IMMY69]

A bowler bowls a great yorker, smashes into the toes of a batsman, it's not lbw, the ball races to the boundary, and the batting side gets 4 runs.

Something not right with this.

but if it smashes the toes and races away to the boundary then its surely not that great a Yorker?
A great Yorker would be one that has the batsmen LBW or bowled....

 

[hadi123]

No we need leg byes. Just part of the game.

 

[silentkiller187]

Skill of the catcher.

Nothing skillful about 4 flukey leg byes.

But the skill of the bowler may be called into question because if the yorker was so great then the batsmen would have been out LBW, i just think waugh is trying his hardest to make a point of relevance when he has nothing else to say, even vaughans reply is tongue in cheek

 

[Indiafan]

Think about the number of times they would need to go to the TV umpire to decide if it was bat first or pad first when deciding to award or not award runs. Cricket is already to stop start without adding more stoppages to check for this.
Leg byes might not seem "fair" but at least it keeps the game flowing.

On field umpires decide leg byes just like they do now. It doesnt go to TV umpire

 

[Shaka81]

On field umpires decide leg byes just like they do now. It doesnt go to TV umpire

Right now it doesn't need to because there is nothing at stake a run or leg bye makes no difference. However if a batter has got a fine touch to the ball which the umpire missed and there's no run because leg byes no longer count, I don't think batsmen will accept that for very long...

 

[hashimafzal]

When you play tape ball cricket do you get runs for leg byes? No.

I understand the logic Waugh is using. No need for leg byes.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

If no leg byes than no runs for edges also, bowler bowled an absolute peach of a delivery which makes the batsmen edges it, went for boundary, also not right for the bowler.

 

[The_Odd_One]

If it was up to me, I would have banned all runs scored in the 45 degrees angle behind the stumps. Those runs usually come off edges and leg byes.

 

[Itachi]

Didn't we win the 2009 T20 World Cup with a leg bye ?

I'd rather balls that are mere inches down the legside aren't punished as wides, especially given the 360° strokeplay of today's batsmen.

i agree with this. Just slightly down the leg and it'll be a wide. Seems a bit harsh for the bowlers.

 

[Itachi]

If it was up to me, I would have banned all runs scored in the 45 degrees angle behind the stumps. Those runs usually come off edges and leg byes.

how will you differentiate between a cut and an edge? (talking about ball by ball in pratcial scenario where it's impossible to review each case)

 

[The_Odd_One]

how will you differentiate between a cut and an edge? (talking about ball by ball in pratcial scenario where it's impossible to review each case)

I won’t. Any runs behind the wickets won’t count.

 

[someone21]

So let's call hitting the woodwork as goals? That's the same logic..

Imo, a sport is beautiful, because it can be unfair, cruel, and random. So leg byes is one such thing, and it belongs fully....

 

[ElRaja]

totally agree with him, thought the same for years. if it dont hit the bat, and the bowler or fielders dont make a mistake the batting team shouldn't benefit.