'It will make for a better contest' - Shane Warne suggests a unique change in the T20 format

Since its inception, T20 cricket has grown by leaps and bounds due to the thrill which it provides. Over the years, fans have witnessed many nail-biting thrillers in the shortest format of the game. However, the format is often criticized for being beneficial only for batters.

The format is considered to be heavily in favour of the batsmen but Australia stalwart Shane Warne has a suggestion to bridge the gap between bat and ball. The leg-spinner suggested that four bowlers should be allowed to bowl five overs to make the game even.

What about four bowlers bowl five overs?: Shane Warne

“What about four bowlers bowl five overs? I just think it’ll make for a better contest between bat and ball. You want your best bowlers bowling as much as you can as T20 is so much in the batsmen’s favour,” Warne said on Sky Sports. “When you get a couple of gun bowlers like this [Archer and Wood] you want to give them another over up front,” he added.

As per the current rules, a bowler in the shortest format is allowed to bowl a maximum of four overs. However, there aren’t any restrictions on the numbers of bowlers used during an inning. Warne suggested an extra over per bowler to make the contest even between bowlers and batsmen.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to give them five? You can obviously have eight bowlers bowl whatever but I would like to see bowlers be able to bowl five. [Adil] Rashid could bowl five overs in the middle which would be a really good battle for the batsmen against spin, while you can bowl your quicks at the beginning and at the end,” Warne said.

“I reckon it gets rid of the bits-and-pieces and you can pick your best batsmen and best bowlers when selecting your team,” he added.

In an illustrious career spanning over 145 Tests and 194 ODIs, Warne picked up over 800 international wickets. He is regarded as one of the best spinners to have braced the sport. Warne recently had also picked his line up for the T20I series between Australia and England.