Are the rules of the BBL getting out of hand?

The Big Bash League has introduced new rules into cricket to spice up the competition and make the games more interesting. However, some fans feel that making new rules spoils the game of cricket and just makes things more complicated.

In order to get in new viewers, Cricket Australia are trying to make the game more interesting by adding new rules but instead, they are losing out on the die-hard cricket fans who have been fans of the game for a while. With that being said, here are the 

New rules introduced in the BBL which have not gotten a positive reaction 

1. Timed out rule

Timed out is a legitimate dismissal in cricket but the BBL has come up with a new twist. The original law states that the Batsman will be given out if he doesn't reach the crease in 90 seconds.

In order to speed up the game, the BBL has stated that the batsman must reach the crease within 60 seconds. If the batsman becomes late, the must step aside and the bowler will have a free delivery. If the bowler misses, the bowler hits the wickets, the batsman is out but if the bowler misses, the batsman gets a life.

The BBL had good intentions of speeding the game up, but the free delivery the bowler has to bowl makes it more time consuming. The 90 second limit seems to be a less complicated and more time efficient option.

2. Power Surge

The 6 over powerplay will be reduced into 4 overs and the remaining 2 overs can be decided by the batting team whenever they want to use it. This rule has been met by a mixed reaction by fans. The plus point is that the batting team will have to use this rule tactically but the cricket pursuits don't want the old rules to be tinkered and they want things to remain as it is.

3. X- Factor

This rule states that a player can be substituted as a batsman or bowler anytime during the match. Teams would name a 12th or 13th player and can be substituted for a player in the playing XI.

This is another rule that fans are not in favor of as if the player is good enough, he would make the playing XI and not be a substitute. Moreover, the X-Factor rule has not been used often and this shows that the implementation of this rule has not been a success.

4. Bash Boost

At the end of the second innings after the 10th over, both of the teams scores are compared and the team which has scored the most runs after 10 overs gets the Bash Boost Point.

This rule has been a success as it encourages players to play aggressive cricket and aim for boundaries, which brings in more viewers.

5. Roof Top Six

The Marvel stadium at Melbourne has a roof which can be played during rain. However, some balls has hit the roof and the ball is declared dead. The BBL has introduced a new rule where the ball will be given 6 runs if it hits the roof.

This rule has been the most criticized rule as fans feel like these rules belong to street cricket, not in a professional cricket game. Moreover, there are technologies available to track the ball whether it would cross the boundary after hitting the roof.

Cover Credits: BBLofficial.com