The controversial impact player rule has been implemented by the Indian Premier League since 2023. Since then, the rule has gotten into the good and bad books of many cricketers and critics. Many claimed it to be good for the sport, while others saw it as a new villain.
The main criticism about the impact player rule has been its role in reducing the chances of all-rounders. All-rounders were not getting chances to bowl since a specialist bowler could be introduced later in the game through the rule.
Many players have criticised the rule, including stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. On the other hand, there were supporters of the rule as well, like the spin sensation R. Ashwin.
Jos Buttler Supports the Impact Player Rule
Recently, England batter Jos Buttler joined the people who vouch for the rule. According to him, the rule doesn’t take anything away from all-rounders. Buttler also thinks that all-rounders are ‘crucial’ in balancing the squads and are an essential part of the game.
“I know in the IPL, people think the Impact Player rule is sort of taking something away from the all-rounders, but they still play a huge part. They’re crucial to balancing the side. Even before the Impact Player rule came in, there were a lot of cricketers wanting to be involved, wanting to impact the game with both bat and ball,” Buttler said.
“All-rounders traditionally have been crucial for cricket teams, to lengthen the batting lineup, provide balance and different bowling options. All-rounders are not a luxury but a necessity. Having multi-skilled players is a huge benefit.”
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