Maybe IPL Needs To Get Into The Gym, Says AB de Villiers On Slow Over-Rates Offence

AB de Villiers is one of the handful of overseas stars who is playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inaugural season in 2008. Over the years, the South African has become one of the most popular cricketers in this cricket-obsessed nation.No surprises then that de Villiers is well aware of things that happen in the IPL. And just like the majority,  he too thinks that the slow over-rate offence is becoming a serious issue in the IPL.

The former South Africa skipper, who has played franchise cricket all across the world, said that IPL’s rules are just not enough to make the players take this offence seriously. According to the rules,  each innings of the match should be wrapped up in 90 minutes, including the two strategic time-outs that last two-and-a-half minutes each. That means a match needs to be over in 200 minutes. However, teams are hardly managing to complete the games within the stipulate time frame.

Three captains – Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli – have already paid a fine of INR 12 lakhs each for the slow over-rate offence. However, it has not made the teams from taking measures to improve their over-rates.

“Maybe the IPL needs to get into the gym. Matches are supposed to be completed within three-and-a-half hours, enough time for both innings, strategic time-outs and a break. However, in 2019, IPL games have been running for longer than four hours, with matches starting at 8 pm and finishing well past midnight,” AB de Villiers wrote in his column for The Times of India.

AB de Villiers further said that the monetary fines are just not acting as  a deterrent.

“There is a system in place whereby the captain is penalised if his team fails to maintain the required over rate while bowling,” added de Villiers who recently played in PSL. “This involves a fine for the first offence followed by suspension, but the impact of these measures appears minimal, roughly equivalent to the weight loss of an obese gentleman who orders two giant hamburgers and a diet Coke!”

Recently,  Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody had come up with a suggestion, urging IPL to pick a  leaf out of CPL’s book. In CPL, the organisers have started deducting the team’s net run-rate in case they are found guilty of slow over-rates.