Tactical time-outs could be reduced - Modi

Lalit Modi


Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said there is a possibility that the

tactical time-out in the middle of each team's innings could be changed from

one interval of seven and a half minutes to two breaks of two and a half

minutes each for the semi-finals and final of the second season of the IPL.


"It's not frozen yet but we are looking at two aspects. There will be two two-

and-a-half-minutes break per innings, so the break in all during an innings will

be of five minutes," Modi told NDTV. "The first two-and-a-half-minute break

will be just after the Powerplay [6 overs] and the second to be taken by the

fielding side at any time.


"It happens in every sport, there is a strategy break and everything. But 7.5

minutes may look like a bit longer, so we are seeing how we can reduce it

down to five minutes" However, he said that the idea was yet to be ratified

by the tournament's technical committee.


The tactical time-out has played a part in shifting the momentum in the

Twenty20 games and has usually benefited the fielding team with the

batting side losing wickets in the overs immediately after the break. It was

criticised by Sachin Tendulkar, the Mumbai Indians captain who felt that the

breaks were "hampering the momentum of a team", Kings XI Punjab coach

Tom Moody and VB Chandrasekhar, Chennai Super Kings' head of cricket

operations. Other experts were also not certain of how much value it added

to the game.


Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan had called for the number of

overseas players in a XI to be increased from four but Modi said it was not

going to happen. "This is the Indian Premier League," he told the Indian

Express. "The focus is on getting local talent and I have shoved away the

idea of increasing the number of foreigners."