Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has brought up a specific point pertaining to match timings in the IPL. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, he pointed out a few differences between the Hundred and the IPL. Jayawardene said that IPL cannot have stringent cut-off timings as it reduces the quality of cricket. His opinion was based on the rules and regulations that is followed in The Hundred.
One of the rules in The Hundred confines the fielding team from keeping an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle in case the bowling team does not finish their overs on time. Jayawardene said that such a rule in the IPL would force the match officials to compromise on the quality of cricket.
Quality Of The Game Might Reduce If You Shorten Time: Mahela Jayawardene
“What might happen if you shorten it too much is that the quality of the game might reduce because the bowlers don’t have time to think through certain things. It’s a fine line. It’s good for this competition as a domestic tournament, but it’s tough to compare it with the IPL – the viewership and the content and requirements are quite different,” Jayawardene said.
The Mumbai Indians coach wants the bowlers to have enough time in the IPL to strategise an over. It is often seen that bowlers run through their overs in the death to save time and in the process getting hit for way too many runs.
“If a product requires that quality and needs bowlers to take their time, then tactically that might be better for the viewers rather than rushing through. I see the two quite differently” Jayawardene added.
The former Sri Lankan skipper is the coach of the Souther Brave in The Hundred. Meanwhile, the UAE leg of IPL 2021 will be played between September 19 to October 15. Mumbai Indians are currently placed fourth in the points table with four wins from the first seven games. They play Chennai Super Kings on September 19 to kick off the UAE leg.
Also Read: IPL 2021 UAE Leg: David Warner Hints At Joining Sunrisers Hyderabad
