NED vs SA: "Takes away creativity..." - Heinrich Klaasen calls on ICC to reject Impact Player rule
Updated - 06 Jun 2024, 05:37 PM
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South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen recently shared his thoughts on the possible introduction of the Impact Player rule in international cricket after the Indian Premier League (IPL). Heinrich Klaasen highlighted that the Impact Player rule would diminish the strategic aspect of batting in international cricket.
The Impact Player rule was introduced in the Indian Premier League. The rule significantly changed the tournament's dynamics with an aggressive batting approach from the IPL teams. The recently concluded IPL season witnessed frequent scores of over 200 runs, and the 250-run mark was crossed eight times.
The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted a total of 287 runs in 20 overs. Heinrich Klaasen also had a great season with the Hyderabad franchise in the IPL 2024. The right-handed batter scored 479 runs in 16 matches at an impressive average of 39.92 and an outstanding strike rate of 171.07, with his best score being 80 runs.
Allowed Batsmen To Play With Much More Freedom - Heinrich Klaasen
Speaking to SportsBoom, Heinrich Klaasen highlighted how the Impact Player rule has granted batters greater freedom. Klaasen stated that success is often measured by the number of sixes and the strike rate rather than the batting average in the IPL.
“The Impact sub rule allowed batsmen to play with much more freedom and the execution was at a different level on pitches that were good," Klaasen said.
“In the IPL, you are measured by the number of sixes you hit and your strike rate. That’s your bread-and-butter, and no one worries about your average,” he added.
South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in their first match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Heinrich Klaasen scored with 19 runs off 12 balls, including one four and one six. They will next face the Netherlands at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Saturday, June 8.
Hope The Impact Sub Does Not Come - Heinrich Klaasen
Heinrich Klaasen stated that the Impact Player rule should not be implemented in international cricket. The middle-order batter stated that the rule would allow teams to adopt overly aggressive approaches rather than make intelligent batting decisions based on the match situation.
“But I hope the impact sub does not come into international cricket. It frees up the batting side too much and you can have a batsman at number nine with it, so there’s no need for anyone to hang around," Klaasen further stated.
“It takes away the creativity of batting, it takes away smart batting. Like when Jos Buttler scored a superb century off 60 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders to chase down 224, having scored just 25 off his first 18 deliveries. The Impact sub will take away that sort of brilliance to sum up conditions and hang around a bit, against just bombing the ball over small boundaries."
Several players and coaches, including India captain Rohit Sharma, have expressed concerns about the impact player rule in the Indian Premier League. Rohit Sharma criticized the rule, stating that it might hinder the development of all-rounders. Rohit said that Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube stopped bowling.
