The T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia might be a few days away from its start but England have already arrived Down Under for a bilateral series. In a 3-match T20I series against the Aussies, the Englishmen hope to understand the nature of the pitches and get accustomed to the conditions. But, a strange decision from the stadium authorities has left many baffled, including former India cricketer, Wasim Jaffer.
Jaffer, who has become an active pundit on social media since his retirement from the sport, noticed that the boundary rope in the first T20I between Australia and England has been pushed inside. The decision is a concerning one for Jaffer who doesn't want the dimensions of the ground to be shortened in the T20 World Cup that starts in a week's time.
Taking to Twitter, Jaffer wrote: "I see the boundary rope brought in significantly in the Aus v Eng T20I. I hope that's not the case during the WC. Big grounds, long boundaries is what makes cricket in Australia unique."
Australian cricket grounds are traditionally huge which makes hitting boundaries a little more difficult for the batters. While there's no denying that T20 cricket is becoming more and more batting-friendly, the authorities might decide to push the boundary ropes inwards in order to see more runs being scored in the T20 World Cup.
Such a decision, however, could disrupt certain teams' preparations for the showpiece event.
As far as the first T20I between Australia and England is concerned, the tourists put up a huge total of 208 runs on the board while batting first. Alex Hales top-scored with the bat, producing a knock of 84 runs while captain Jos Buttler also scored 68 runs off just 32 balls.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)