Sachin Tendulkar: Modern cricket has changed batting completely

Sachin Tendulkar has seen several changes in cricket laws, ranging from the introduction of the PowerPlay in 2005 to changes in fielding restrictions in 2015.

The former batter, who has over 34,000 international runs, added that the modern game has made the life of bowlers more difficult.  | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar, on his 50th birthday, revealed that batting has ‘completely changed’ in modern cricket, thanks to changes in the rules of the sport.

“I think it has changed completely, and what’s changed it completely are the laws of the game. They keep changing and that is going to change the way one plays cricket too,” the Indian cricket legend told Sportstar in an exclusive interview.

With an international career spanning over 23 years, Sachin has seen several changes in cricket laws, ranging from the introduction of the PowerPlay in 2005 to changes in fielding restrictions in 2015.

“You can make the game faster by adding more fielders in the circle. Or you can make it slower by reducing the number of players in the circle. The number of bouncers you use or the number of balls you use, these factors can make the game faster or slower,” he said.

“If we shorten the game — say, make it 40 overs with an additional fielder in the circle — we’ll get to see maybe 380-run totals. Whereas if you take one fielder out of the circle and use just one ball, you may not see 300-plus totals so frequently.”

The former batter, who had some exciting contests with bowlers over the years, stressed that the modern game has made the life of bowlers more difficult.

Check out the full interview with Sachin Tendulkar here:

“Earlier, the matches would start at 9 am. In the first 45 minutes, the ball would swing, and the red ball would reverse as well and get soft. In the afternoons, the pitch would break up a bit thanks to the sun, thus helping the spinners. It was more balanced, I would say.

Up front, the pacers were in the game and later on the spinners also had a role. Now, from afternoon onwards, life has become, without any doubt, tougher for bowlers. There is no hiding there,” Sachin said.

“It is all about the rules that the ICC (International Cricket Council) introduces and also the kind of surfaces that we play on.”

Click here to read the full interview.