‘Bowler should be credited’: Greg Chappell calls for review of dead ball rule

There have been a lot of discussions around why the free-hit ball was not called dead immediately after it hit the stumps

Plainspeak: Chappell feels that if the ball beats the bat and hits the stumps during a free-hit it should be declared dead to credit the bowlers as the game is already tilted in the favour of batters. File | Photo Credit: The Hindu photo library

Australian great Greg Chappell has called for a review of the laws of cricket, saying if the ball beats the bat and hits the stumps during a free-hit it should be declared dead to credit the bowlers as the game is already tilted in the favour of batters.

An over-the-waist no ball and three byes off the subsequent free hit in the final over had helped India claim a memorable victory against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup last week.

However, there have been a lot of discussions about why the free-hit ball was not called dead immediately after it hit the stumps.

Former cricketers have objected that a batter bowled off a free hit would result in a dead ball that prevents further scoring from the same delivery.

"I would review that rule to give the bowler credit for the dead ball if he is good enough to beat the bat and hit the stumps," Chappell wrote in his column for 'The Sydney Morning Herald'.

With India needing 13 off three balls, Virat Kohli hit a six off a waist-high full toss which was adjudged a no ball.

"There is no doubt that the umpires got their calls right in the glare of the spotlight, but one must ask: is a ball that is hit for six really a no-ball?

"The height of delivery is monitored closely, especially in late overs, because it was often been used as a run-saving delivery. But it can’t be argued on this occasion that that was the outcome."

The next ball was wide. Kohli was then bowled off the free hit but as the ball ricocheted off the stumps towards the third-man fielder Kohli and Dinesh Karthik collected three bye runs.

"As for the three byes off the stumps, one must ask: is that really what the tour conditions are trying to achieve? In a game where the balance is already well in favour of the batsman, what more is a bowler meant to do?

“If a bowler is good enough to bowl the perfect yorker, as Nawaz did, why does he need to be punished any further? (It is much like NZ being punished for accidental overthrows from the opponent’s bat which cost them the 50-over World Cup Final at The Oval in 2019.),” he wrote.

The MCC’s Laws of Cricket states that "The ball becomes dead when..

"20.1.1.1 it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.

"20.1.1.2 a boundary is scored.

"20.1.1.3 a batter is dismissed. The ball will be deemed to be dead from the instant of the incident causing the dismissal."