A job description for modern fast bowlers could read: Optimistic young men required to bowl 10 overs in one-day internationals. Must play the supporting role to the batsmen, who are the major stars in ODIs. Must be prepared to bowl a predictable speed, line and length. Need to possess the unflappable temperament of a Buddhist monk and the personality of a mute sheep. Must not be afraid of public humiliation. Must be prepared to travel a long way, like the cricket balls you bowl after the batsmen connect.
It's time to even up the ledger. Let's face it — restrictions on short-pitched bowling were initially brought in to stop the mighty West Indian bowling battery of the 1980s bouncing hell at every sorry batsman. The rule is outdated — there are no attacks like that these days.
By relaxing the bouncer restrictions, it provides more options for faster bowlers and makes the game less predictable for batsmen, who now know the ball is going to pitch in the "Corridor of Certainty" — on a good length around off stump. It's time to turn that Corridor of Certainty into the "Avenue of Apprehension" by allowing more bouncers. It's a win-win.
From a bowler's perspective, a subtly quicker bouncer can unsettle the batsman or dismiss him altogether — a mistimed pull shot will often fly to a fielder.
From a batsman's perspective, a badly executed bouncer is manna from heaven for someone such as Ricky Ponting, who is proficient square of the wicket, and can cut, pull and hook with reckless abandon. Again — more entertainment for the crowd in those flat middle overs.
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