5 Reasons why the bouncer is still relevant in ODI’s

#5 ODI cricket is about expecting the unexpected

Bouncers can also be used to bluff the batsman

They can be lethal, but only if exercised in the right time. Cricket is a mind-game and oppositions always look to outplay each other. Bowlers deliver as per the field given to them. Batsmen take a look around the field and anticipate the line and lengths of the bowlers.

Apart from the general style of play, there is another ploy which can be applied by the bowlers on the batsman - bluffing the batsman. Generally, the short-pitched delivery is bowled with the square leg and fine leg on the boundary.

The field is set with the square-leg and fine-leg inside the circle, therefore when the batsman looks around the field, he will be led to believe that there is very little chance of genuine bouncers as there are no fielders in the deep to cut them off.

In such scenarios, a well-directed bouncer can send batsmen packing. While it’s a calculated risk on the part of the batsman, it’s also a ploy to get rid of batsmen. When a batsman or a partnership makes hay, then a strategical brilliance can make the fielding team claw their way back into a contest.