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Former ICC CEO Dave Richardson defends boundary rule after World Cup Final was tied
The ICC World Cup 2019 final ended in a tie after both the 50-over innings and the Super Over saw England and New Zealand with the same runs. The boundary rule, then, came into play, and England were declared the winners
The World Cup 2019 final between England and New Zealand was not only remembered for the quality of cricket on offer, as both the match and the Super Over were tied, but also for the contentious boundary rule, that saw hosts England triumph in the end.
England won the game even after they scored 241 in their 50 overs and 15 in the Super Over - the same that New Zealand scored - but prevailed as they had hit more boundaries in the match. This rule was ripped apart, as deciding a winner in this manner was deemed unfair, but former ICC CEO Dave Richardson spoke about the reason why it was implemented in the first place.
“The context of why that particular rule was put in place a few years ago goes back to when ODI cricket was criticised for becoming a bit boring. At that time, we were deciding rules for the Super Over and the suggestion was [to] look at creating something that encouraged attacking play and this was just one of the things introduced. [The thinking then was that] a tie in the Super Over would be very unlikely, so let us encourage attacking play,” Richardson told The Week.
He stated that sharing the World Cup trophy would not have been the best solution, as fans and officials alike would want a winner after four years of waiting.
“The bottom line is, we want matches to be as entertaining as possible. The Super Over provides that drama. There is no doubt that it is incredibly cruel to decide the game via a Super Over, but at the end it is about finding a winner. That is why people are so passionate about sport.
“Sport is all about winning and losing, and having a decisive winner in the end. I think we are unlikely to see another one like this. There was such drama, [and] such a small margin between winning and losing.”
