Mark Waugh calls for scrapping leg byes in all forms of cricket

Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh feels that leg byes should be scrapped from all forms of cricket.

While commentating for Fox Cricket during a Big Bash League encounter between Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder on Thursday (December 2), he said that the batting side shouldn’t be awarded runs for missing the ball.

“You know what, I’ve got a rule change in all cricket: No leg-byes, especially in T20s,” Waugh said.

“That should not be two runs. Why do you get runs? You missed the ball,” Waugh added.

Fellow commentator and former England skipper Michael Vaughan responded to Waugh by saying leg byes are just a part of the game.

“And I’m changing it. I know it is. It doesn’t mean its right though,” the Australian retorted to Vaughan’s justification.

“So you reckon every time it hits the pad? Why should you get a run? I know its a part of the game. But can we change it for the better? All cricket,” Waugh added.

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The 54-year-old World Cup winner said the drafter of the rule “was a pretty ordinary batsman.”

“The idea of batting is to hit the ball. Whoever made this rule up was a pretty ordinary batsman Id say back in the heyday, back in the early 1900s,” Waugh said.

It was at that point that Vaughan said Waugh’s suggestion was a revelation.

“If you go across the last few years there’s been so many changes in the game: T20 arrived, 100 balls is going to start in the UK, talk of five day Tests going to four, but I think the most revealing is Mark Waughs.”

Vaughan then suggested that Waugh should become a member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), custodians of the games law.

“You should be on the MCC cricket committee. You have to be on there. With that kind of thought process. He’s got to be on. Youll get a couple of trips to London every year. Youll sit in that nice room at the MCC at Lords.”

However, when asked if byes should also be done away with, Waugh replied in the negative.

“No, no byes is different. I’ll keep byes in. Then you don’t have to worry about whether the batsman has evaded the ball, played a shot at it? Leg byes nothing,” Waugh said.

“Because as a batsman you have a bat. The idea is to hit the ball with the bat. If you don’t hit it, sorry, you don’t get a run,” Waugh replied.

(With inputs from agencies)