Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has openly discussed whether an “influence player” rule should be introduced in the SA20 league. AB de Villiers also said that he has never been a big fan of the “influential player” rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL), adding that he finds the rule confusing.
The IPL's controversial impact player rule has been extended until 2027. Players such as Rohit Sharma and cricket legend Jonty Rhodes have also expressed their concerns that the rule could harm the balance of the game.
From the outside it looks exciting – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers said he found the impact player rule confusing, adding that it put some pressure on all-round players and their role in the team. De Villiers said the rule looked exciting on paper, but it didn't add value to the game.
“To be honest, I've never been a big fan and I did talk about this last season in the IPL. I think it's a bit confusing and it also puts some pressure on the all-rounder and his role in the team. ,” de Villiers said.
“On the surface, it looks exciting, but actually when the game starts, I've never found it to be… a good thing in cricket. So, I mean, you can give it a try. And SA20, they have always been open to new ideas and new rules, which I think is good,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
I'm a fan of that and I believe in that because… – AB de Villiers
However, AB de Villiers argued that the impact player rule reduced the impact of the toss. De Villiers said choosing two different lineups for a game based on throw-in numbers allows the team to make more strategic decisions.
“I do like the fact that you don't have to take out, or rather you can take out both teams when the dice are rolled, and once you win or lose the dice you just deal out one Different paper, says AB de Villiers.
“If you lose the toss on a difficult wicket or a turning track, you have the opportunity to change your team or submit a different form. So, I love that and obviously, there's a lot of room for improvement regarding Experimental space.
IPL introduces impact player rules before 2023 season
Ahead of the 2023 season, the IPL introduced the impact player rule, allowing a 12th player to replace any player in the starting XI during a match. Although it has been in place for two years, it has elicited mixed reactions. Ravichandran Ashwin was one of the few players who supported the continuation of the rule.
In the recent IPL 2024 season, criticism has grown louder with many all-rounders seeing reduced bowling duties due to the impact of the rule on team dynamics. Batting totals and pitcher's economy rates are at all-time highs. During the IPL season, the team scored more than 250 runs many times.
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