Too Many Innovations Have Been Introduced To One-Day Cricket

My old physics teacher once said that to ensure that the effect of altering each variable could be determined, good scientists never alter more than one variable between experiments. The administrators who run cricket must have had different science teachers.

50 over one-day games have introduced substitutes. Field restrictions are in place for the first 10 overs and the captain must now decide which 10 overs, out of the remaining 40, should also have field restrictions. 20 over internationals have also been introduced and they have a different set of rules.

Even the players are getting confused. In a recent 20 over international the South African wicket-keeper celebrated a catch that he took on a delivery following a no-ball. In 20 over cricket deliveries after a no-ball are a free hit, so the batsman wasn't out and merely took an extra run before Boucher realised what was happening.

The ICC need to grasp the situation before the one-day game is permanently devalued.