New Zealand’s Martin Crowe was a batter who achieved a Top 5 ranking in both the Test and One Day International formats of cricket. In 1996, he pitched the idea of ‘Cricket Max,’ a novel format which sadly never got the reach it deserved.
When Crowe introduced Cricket Max, followers of the sport were already well-versed with the One Day International format which was by then 15 years old. Crowe’s format combined the best elements of Test and One Day International cricket. It also added the zing of scoring faster. The basic outline of the format can be summarized as follows:
- Each team would bat twice as seen in test cricket
- An over lasts eight balls and an innings would have ten overs.
- A team could have 13 players, but only 11 can take the field at a time. The only mandatory player that a team should have is a slow bowler.
- Complete abolishment of the leg before wicket rule.
- A wide ball would award the batter on strike two runs.
- Four instead of three stumps, three instead of two bails.
- An innings can have only five batters: three batters and two all-rounders.
- If the five batters are dismissed, then the dismissed batters can rejoin the innings. If 10 wickets are fallen across the two innings, the side will be declared all-out. The batter who is batting last can bat with the previous batter acting as the runner.
- A strike out dismissal will be inflicted on the batter if he fails to score 20 runs in the first 25 balls.
- At any stage in the last 10 overs, a pinch hitter can be designated. One of the ten wickets will be used up if this batter is dismissed. – Should a batter hit three boundaries in a row, the runs coming of the third boundary will be doubled (8 runs or 12 runs).
- A no ball results in a free hit on the next ball.
- The bowling side must compulsorily use five bowlers. A bowler can bowl no more than five overs. One spell cannot last longer than three overs.
While these rules are bound to raise eyebrows, the more striking feature of this format is the modification in the field of play. The inner 30-yard circle is replaced by an hourglass shaped inner grid. In the first 10 overs, only two fielders can be positioned within this grid. In the next ten overs (second innings) four fielders are allowed in the grid.
Another modification on the ground is the outline of a trapezoidal zone between the long on and long off fielders. This is called the max zone, and no fielder can be placed in this region when the bowler bowls. If the ball crosses the boundary by passing through this region, then the number of runs will be doubled (eight or twelve runs). If the ball goes to the trapezoidal region but does not result in a boundary, then the number of runs ran by the batter will be doubled.
As fascinating as the format of Cricket Max looked with legends of the sport having experienced it first-hand, the format never gained popularity.
