• Ex-Australia captain calls for boundaries overhaul

    Published on

    Mark Taylor says the fence boundary should make a comeback in cricket to prevent injuries, but with a twist.

    The former Australia captain’s comments came after Steve Smith suffered a bad concussion while attempting to prevent a Sri Lanka six at the SCG, which ruled him out of the rest of the T20I series.

    “One of the reasons they brought boundary ropes off the fence was for the players’ safety, to stop them colliding with fences. The problem is they’re now getting other injuries, because they have this room to try to save balls like Smith did the other day, which is leading to injuries,” Taylor told Wide World of Sports.

    “I’m not sure the ropes – which I think are ridiculously getting closer to the middle all the time – I’m not sure they are doing their job.

    “I would love the game to go back to the fences,” Taylor offered as a solution. “When I was on the ICC committee I actually mentioned a number of times that why wouldn’t you consider having fences made out of that hard rubber, like they do in baseball.

    “To me that would be no less dangerous than having a rope on the ground where players are running as hard as they possibly can, leaping in the air, sometimes tripping on the rope … or landing as Smith did the other day and sustaining concussion.

    “You’re not going to get rid of injuries, it’s part of playing sport unfortunately. So, why not maximise the game, which is bring back the fence.

    “I think it would [add to the spectacle], I think it would certainly help slow bowlers, who must be finding it more and more difficult to keep the ball inside the boundaries.

    “The bats have got better, the players are fitter and stronger than in my time, so the ball is travelling further. Yet, somehow the boundary ropes are getting closer and closer to the batsmen, which does not make sense to me.”

    Post by

    Simon Borchardt