Marcus Stoinis has expressed his support for the Indian Premier League’s decision to allow the team bowling second in an evening match to change the ball once at any point after the 10th over. Stoinis, who will be playing for Punjab Kings in this season’s IPL, believes that this new rule will make the game more balanced, especially with the influence of dew in the later stages of the match.
Previously, umpires had the authority to change the ball if they felt it was too wet due to dew, but now the bowling team can request a ball change between overs 11 and 20 of the second innings, with the umpires obliged to grant the request. Stoinis acknowledges that the format of T20 cricket heavily favors the batsmen, resulting in high-scoring games with frequent totals exceeding 250. Despite this, he sees it as an exciting challenge for bowlers to showcase their skills and set themselves apart from the rest.
Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup in India next year, Stoinis predicts that it will be a high-scoring tournament, which he believes will be entertaining for viewers. He also hints at his availability for the Australian team in the shortest format. While he supports the new ball-change rule, Stoinis believes that the reintroduction of saliva use on the ball in the IPL will not have a significant impact in white-ball cricket, although it may pave the way for its return in international matches.
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