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THE EDITOR: Having the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) T20 tournament in these wet months just to facilitate the powers that be (BCCI, CA and MCC) is proving to be a problem, with a number of games already washed out at the expense of the public since there are no refunds for abandoned games.
Now the CPL has embarked on a new rule which again robs the paying public of seeing good cricket – the "red card" rule.
According to the ruling, teams are allowed 85 minutes to complete the 20 overs but then ambiguity steps in whereby if the 18th over does not start before 72 minutes and 15 seconds, the fielding team will have one less player outside the circle. And it's the same for the 19th over, which must start before 76 minutes and 30 seconds. And then comes the red card if the 20th over does not start before 80 minutes and 45 seconds.
This is so stupid and a crying shame since the batting team can be bowled out in one over and then you have surplus minutes. If this rule is to be implemented then the grounds should be big enough so that time for finding balls on roofs and bushes or just having replacement balls are negated.
The simplest way to manage the time allocated for the game is to have 90 minutes per innings and ensure that the full 20 overs are bowled (for the paying public) and use the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system to calculate the punishment for a slow over rate.
The paying public is being robbed and the CPL just could not care since it has to abide by the powers that be that are using West Indians as guinea pigs.
LARRY SOOKLALSINGH
via e-mail
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