Understanding the Leg Side Wide Rule with Batsman Stance Switching

In cricket, the leg side wide rule serves to prevent bowlers from delivering balls that are overly wide of the batsman’s reach. However, situations can arise where a batsman switches their stance before the ball is delivered, challenging the traditional interpretation of what constitutes a wide.

Key Points

Normal Stance Consideration: The umpire typically assesses whether a delivery is wide based on the batsman’s normal stance at the time of delivery. A significant alteration in stance can impact the judgment of what is considered a wide. Leg Side Wides: For deliveries aimed at the leg side, if a batsman switches to a stance significantly further outside the line of the stumps, the umpire may consider a delivery that would normally be a wide as legal. Umpires Discretion: The legality of the delivery is ultimately determined by the umpire based on the batsman’s position at the moment of delivery. The umpire considers how far the ball passes outside the batsman’s reach based on their adjusted position.

Example Scenarios

Was it a wide judging by his normal position when the bowler starts his runup?

YES

Was it a wide judging by his position when he plays the shot?

NO

Only if BOTH of these conditions are met is a ball called a wide. In this case, since only the first condition is true, the ball is considered a fair delivery. Similarly, if the batsman backs away to the leg side and the ball passes between him and the leg stump, no wide is called.

If he specifically switches changes his grip:

The leg side is no longer leg, and the umpire should not give it as a wide.

But if he reverse-sweeps (e.g., with players like David Warner and Glenn Maxwell), it can be challenging to differentiate:

In such cases, it can still be considered a wide down the leg side.

Conclusion

The leg side wide rule can become complex when a batsman switches their stance before the ball is delivered. However, the umpire’s discretion plays a crucial role in determining the legality of the delivery based on the batsman’s position at the moment of delivery. Understanding these nuances can help both players and spectators appreciate the intricacies of cricket.