Major League Baseball introduced a designated hitter, replacing the pitcher for at bats, in the 1970s as a way of raising the likelihood of hits, home runs and greater entertainment for spectators.
After nearly 50 years of being confined to the American League, the designated hitter was added to the National League in 2020, essentially for the same reason. Throughout its history, the DH has been derided by some as a gimmick, favouring pure entertainment over something more balanced.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was thrilled to get playing time in the IPL.Credit: AP
It has even been cited as a sign of societal breakdown. Washington Post columnist David Broder wrote in 1996: “Almost everything that is wrong in American society stems from the DH rule ... it is a symbol of the permissiveness that has eroded our values.”
At this year’s Indian Premier League, a similar kind of cricketing culture war is coming to be fought over an equivalent change to the rules, with plenty of potential consequences for the Twenty20 World Cup to follow.
The IPL addition of an “impact player” last year, to be nominated after the toss of the coin, effectively gives competing teams a DH equivalent: an extra batter in the line-up in place of a bowler at the time of most need.
As a partial consequence, teams are charging harder than ever before at the new ball, and scores are shooting up. About a third of the way through this season, the average scoring rate for the league is 9.43 runs per over – the first time in IPL history that it has been more than nine. Over the two years of the rule, the average scoring rate has gone up by almost one entire run. Four of the five highest IPL totals have been racked up this tournament.
That trend was exemplified by Travis Head’s 39-ball century for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this week, as part of a match with a world record T20 aggregate of 549 runs between the two teams, from a mere 40 overs of cricket.
In terms of what casual fans want to see, this may be ideal. The rain of sixes onto the terraces of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium was certainly lapped up by those in attendance, while the constant stream of highlights contributed to the way the IPL is consumed in Australia.
The ‘gimmick’ that has sparked a cricket culture war
13
1
19.04.2024
Major League Baseball introduced a designated hitter, replacing the pitcher for at bats, in the 1970s as a way of raising the likelihood of hits, home runs and greater entertainment for spectators.
After nearly 50 years of being confined to the American League, the designated hitter was added to the National League in 2020, essentially for the same reason. Throughout its history, the DH has been derided by some as a gimmick, favouring pure entertainment over something more balanced.
Jake Fraser-McGurk was thrilled to get playing time in the IPL.Credit: AP
It........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Donald Low
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
