Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting says it’s “only a matter of time” before team coaches and captains in Twenty20 cricket are tempted into retiring a batter.
As it stands in the T20 format, a batter can retire at any time during their innings, even if injury or illness isn’t the reason.
It’s permitted in the rules but essentially never done in professional cricket. While it’s been discussed in regards to the 20-over format, it’s rarely if ever seen and is a tactic teams are yet to properly utilise.
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But according to Ponting – the current assistant coach of the Australian national team as well as a head coach in the Indian Premier League – it’s just a matter of time before the tactic enters the game.
“I think it’s only a matter of time before it happens, but I’m not sure I’m going to be the first coach that does it,” Ponting said.
“It’s eventually going to happen, but it’s a conversation that has to be had with the players before the game starts – if they are getting a bit behind with their strike rate, they need to either put the foot right down or get out.
“It might even be a call that’s made by the captain, so it completely comes out of the coach’s hands.”
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During the recent T20 World Cup, which Australia won, the conversation of retiring a batter made headlines again when West Indies player Lendl Simmons struggled during the competition.
Simmons during a crucial pool match against South Africa managed just 16 runs from 35 balls before being dismissed, which proved decisive as the West Indies produced a low first-innings total that was easily chased down with 10 deliveries to spare.
The West Indies, the 2016 T20 World Champions, later failed to reach the knockout stages of the 2021 tournament.
“It’s all game awareness and as a coach, you have to make sure you get the players fully aware of what their role is and what the team needs of them,” Ponting added.
“You can’t have a Lendl Simmons happening where you’re facing so many balls and putting all your teammates under pressure.”
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