5 changes Cricket would experience in the post-Covid era

#2 No high-fives

Indian Cricket Team
No high-fives

Cricketers are expressive sportsmen, especially the bowlers. After toiling hard, when a bowler earns a wicket, all the other 10 players on the turf walk up to him, and the applauds are done using high-fives. At times, these are not just limited to high-fives. After getting a big wicket, roars and hugs follow as part of animated celebrations. But just like handshakes, the high-fives would be strictly prohibited.

When the German Football league Bundesliga came back, the players were seen fist-bumping or elbow-bumping after a goal was scored. Usually, a goal brings out the best of animated celebrations from the footballers. But that’s not possible in the current times. The cricketers would also have to implement such a thing. So, it would take a while that we see an enthusiastic Virat Kohli running and hugging his bowler after a wicket falls.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

5 changes Cricket would experience in the post-Covid era
5 changes Cricket would experience in the post-Covid era
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, cricket is one of the sports that has suffered big time. It requires plenty of human interaction on and off the field which is strictly restricted in the current situation. The cricket boards around the cricketing fraternity have encountered huge losses. But the lockdowns are easing up to aid the falling economies now. The game of cricket also has to find its way to survive in these times. The European Football leagues have gradually resumed their operations. Even the cricketers have also resumed training under calibrated environments. However, things won't be back to normal soon. Instead, there will be a need to create a new normal. The trend suggests that the virus is here to stay for a while and we will have to work things out to live with it. The game of cricket, when resumes, would also experience plenty of changes.

Here are the 5 things that will change in cricket in the post-COVID era

#1 No handshakes

Kane Williamson and Aaron Finch
No handshakes
Handshakes are a big part of the game. Regardless of how competitive a game was, the players and staff from both teams would walk out to the ground for handshakes with the opposition. This is an aspect of the game that we absolutely adore and it restores the belief that cricket is a gentlemen's game. However, handshakes have proved to be lethal during the pandemic. The virus could easily spread from human contact. So, handshakes are a big no. The players will have to find other ways to show respect to the opposition. Before the global lockdown, Australia and New Zealand played an ODI in Sydney. After Australia emerged victorious, the two teams did meet on the ground. Instead of shaking hands, the players were seen clapping while walking past each other. This could well become a new norm in our game.

#2 No high-fives

Indian Cricket Team
No high-fives
Cricketers are expressive sportsmen, especially the bowlers. After toiling hard, when a bowler earns a wicket, all the other 10 players on the turf walk up to him, and the applauds are done using high-fives. At times, these are not just limited to high-fives. After getting a big wicket, roars and hugs follow as part of animated celebrations. But just like handshakes, the high-fives would be strictly prohibited. When the German Football league Bundesliga came back, the players were seen fist-bumping or elbow-bumping after a goal was scored. Usually, a goal brings out the best of animated celebrations from the footballers. But that's not possible in the current times. The cricketers would also have to implement such a thing. So, it would take a while that we see an enthusiastic Virat Kohli running and hugging his bowler after a wicket falls.

#3 No use of saliva on the ball

Faf du Plessis
No use of saliva on the ball
Reverse swing has been a massive part of the game over the years. When the new ball is new, the pacers extract traditional swing. But as the ball gets older, the swing stops which makes batting easy. So, the fielding side invests a lot of effort in shining one side of the ball so that the fast bowlers can pose trouble to the batsmen with reverse swing. The fielders apply saliva and sweat on the ball and then shine it that aids reverse swing. However, applying saliva goes out of the window now. In ODI cricket, with the introduction of new balls at either end has made things easier for batsmen. One ball becomes only 25 overs old at the end. If saliva can't be applied, it just leaves the ODIs with hardly any reverse swing. In Test cricket, the red ball lasts for at least 80 overs. We generally see reverse swing after 50 overs. But now with no saliva, it could be delayed even further. A lot of cricket pundits have advocated the use of calculated ball-tampering so that the bowlers stay relevant in the game. Otherwise, the batsmen would continue to enjoy the rules which are already more in favor of them.

#4 Empty stands

Australia vs New Zealand
Empty stands
The cricketers could return to the pitch soon. But the spectators won't be able to witness the action from the stadium in the near future. In the last few months, a few football matches in Europe proved to be potential corona bombs after which the virus spread in large numbers. So, the cricket boards won't rush into inviting the crowd. The last international game before the lockdown between Australia and New Zealand was played behind closed doors at the Sydney Cricket Ground. For a game like cricket in which the fans always turn out in numbers to the stadium, it seemed very odd for the game to be played in front of empty stands. But that's the path forward. To help the cricket boards and the players to earn, it's important that the game resumes as soon as possible. But rather than going to the stands, the fans would have to cheer from home in front of their television sets.

#5 More matches of the Big 3

Virat Kohli & Steve Smith
More matches of the Big 3
The game of cricket has been on its way for expansion to become a global sport. Several new countries have become a part of the ICC divisions in recent years. However, the game is still ruled by majorly 3 countries - India, Australia and England. These 3 countries generate the highest revenue amongst all the cricketing nations. Even, the International Cricket Council is dependent on these countries for its revenue. So, these countries are termed as the Big 3. When the game returns, these countries would be expected to revive the sport by playing more matches. Among these 3 countries, India is the biggest superpower in terms of money. The game is most popular in India and the BCCI is the richest amongst all the cricket boards. That's why canceling the Indian Premier League would mean a major loss for the game and the boards. There have been speculations that the T20 World Cup, which was scheduled to be held this year in Australia, could be postponed and IPL would take its place. Stay updated with all the cricketing action, follow Cricadium on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.