Cricket legend Mark Taylor is calling for an overhaul of field boundaries in the professional game in a bid to prevent serious injuries.
His idea, he says, would also add to the spectacle of cricket for fans.
His comments come after Australia’s best batter, Steve Smith, suffered a nasty concussion when attempting to stop a Sri Lanka six during Sunday’s Twenty20 at the SCG.
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Smith leapt over the boundary rope and grabbed onto the ball, tossing it back inside the field of play but then landing heavily and hitting his head on the ground.
He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the T20 series.
It has become a feature of T20 cricket in particular – players displaying great athleticism on the boundary rope to either take magnificent catches, or prevent the opposition team hitting a six.
It’s a relatively new aspect of the sport, given the boundary used to be the fence that circled the ground, which generally didn’t allow players to leap over it. There was, to be fair, occasional injuries from players colliding with the fence.
Taylor wants the fence boundary to make a comeback, but with a twist.
“One of the reasons they brought boundary ropes off the fence was for the players’ safety, to stop them colliding with fences. The problem is they’re now getting other injuries, because they have this room to try to save balls like Smith did the other day, which is leading to injuries,” Taylor told Wide World of Sports.
“I’m not sure the ropes – which I think are ridiculously getting closer to the middle all the time – I’m not sure they are doing their job.
“I would love the game to go back to the fences. When I was on the (International Cricket) Committee I actually mentioned a number of times that why wouldn’t you consider having fences made out of that hard rubber, like they do in baseball.
“To me that would be no less dangerous than having a rope on the ground where players are running as hard as they possibly can, leaping in the air, sometimes tripping on the rope… or landing as Smith did the other day and sustaining concussion.
“You’re not going to get rid of injuries, it’s part of playing sport unfortunately. So why not maximise the game, which is bring back the fence.
“I think it would (add to the spectacle), I think it would certainly help slow bowlers, who must be finding it more and more difficult to keep the ball inside the boundaries.
“The bats have got better, the players are fitter and stronger than in my time, so the ball is travelling further. Yet somehow the boundary ropes are getting closer and closer to the batsmen, which does not make sense to me.”
Taylor’s hope is introducing softer boundary fences would help prevent serious injuries to players, while also adding a new dimension of entertainment.
As for Smith, he is recovering from the incident and is expected to be fit for next month’s tour to Pakistan.
https://twitter.com/stevesmith49/status/1493005753002594304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“He’s the sort of guy who does those extremely acrobatic things in the field, no matter where he is,” Taylor said of Smith.
“You’ve seen him take some incredible catches in the slips and in gully. He is a terrific fielder… but sometimes being a terrific fielder can do yourself more harm than good.”
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