Pinch Hitting and 5 Other Modern Cricket Concepts

Cricket has changed quite a bit since it first began hundreds of years ago. Romesh Kaluwitharana celebrates his birthday Monday, 24 November, and he is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern cricket’s innovative concepts.

While pinch hitting was around during the 1992 Cricket World Cup, it was the 1996 Sri Lankan World Cup-winning team which perfected the art. Cricket continues to grow and evolve; from powerplays to switch hits, much has changed in cricket in recent years.

Here’s a look at five of cricket’s modern concepts. Add your favourite modern concepts in the comments.

1. The Doosra

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Saqlain Mushtaq is widely credited for inventing the off-spinning delivery in the 1990s, but some off-spinners are believed to have toyed with the idea as far back as the 1950s. The first recorded instance of this delivery was in the 1980s, and credit goes to Rajkumar Sharma.

Doosra means "the other one," referring to the ball being turned in the opposite direction of the conventional off break. The delivery currently forms an important part of a spin bowler's arsenal.

2. Slower Ball-Bouncer at the Death

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Slower ball-bouncers aren’t a new idea, but bowling them at the death is. Yorkers were originally the be-all and end-all of death bowling, but as batsmen have gotten smarter and more creative, the slower ball-bouncer has become a more popular choice. It’s largely because it’s a delivery that’s easier to get right than a yorker. The delivery is designed to fox a batsman into playing the ball too early and missing it completely as a result.

3. Switch Hit

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You cannot have a modern-day list of concepts without the switch hit. First played by Kevin Pietersen on 15 June 2008 in an ODI against New Zealand, the shot has caused much controversy.

It effectively means a batsman changes from right hand to left hand just before the ball was bowled, and the shot is a variation of the reverse sweep. The batsman changes his stance during the bowler's run-up, and while some called for it to be outlawed, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) ruled it to be perfectly legal.

In 2012, the International Cricket Council (ICC) also deemed it to be completely legal, and players such as David Warner have become notable practitioners. 

4. Coloured Clothing in Limited Overs

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While coloured clothing in limited-overs cricket is now as common as playing with helmets, it wasn’t until Kerry Packer’s revolution in the late 1970s that the concept became popular. Since then, coloured clothing has become part and parcel of limited-overs cricket, and it has given us some garish and glorious kit designs which has all added to the fanfare of the limited-overs format.

5. Floodlights

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Packer also brought floodlights to modern-day cricket. It was during his World Series tournament that cricket was first regularly played under lights.

It is thought that the first-ever match under floodlights was played in the 1950s, between Middlesex County Cricket Club and Arsenal Football Club. The match was a benefit for Jack Young, but it was a once-off thing, and it was agreed that playing under lights simply wasn't a feasible option.

Packer changed all that with his tournament, and so, the revolution began. Now, floodlight cricket is commonplace in limited overs, and it could even extend to Tests. Day-night Tests and pink balls for this purpose are constantly being trialled and tested. The first-ever day-night Test is yet to be played, but it could become a reality during the 2015-16 season between Australia and New Zealand.