Cricket is a beautiful game, isn't it? With an overwhelming fan base of 2.5 billion people, cricket is the second most popular game globally (coming just behind soccer) and India's most loved sport. Punters have made money from top-class betting sites liontips.com.
The game is an exciting combination of positions like the cover, point, gullies…and wicket-keeper. Admittedly, the wicket-keeper is one of the most uncelebrated positions in cricket. This player has a tragic tendency for going under the spotlight, despite turning epic games around and allowing bettors to catch on incredible betting odds on liontips.in.
But then you must have wondered: what role does the wicket-keeper play in a match, and how critical is this role?
Let us dig into this question.
What does the wicket-keeper do in cricket?
If you have watched soccer, you must have seen the goalkeeper, daringly kitted in his gloves, protecting the goal post. The wicket-stopper plays just that role in cricket.
He must prevent his opponent from scoring. But there is a slight deviation here. In soccer, the keeper of the stronger team in a match is commonly isolated from the main activity, contributing minimally (in rare saves) when called upon.
Unlike this type of goalkeeper, the wicket-keeper partakes in just every ball played in a cricket match. His position is on the fielding team. It is the sole privilege of the wicket-keeper to be furnished with external leg guards and gloves.
The wicket-keeper's role essentially involves catching balls. He is obligated to stop every delivery that a batsman misses.
Let us assume the fielding team has no wicket-keeper. Then it is a party for the opposing team as they will score a four anytime a batsman misses the ball.
Even when the fielders hold the ball, the opponent is well poised to score several runs.
How does he contribute to dismissals?
The wicket-stopper still has an important role to play in dismissals. This is demonstrated in catching and stumping duties.
Assume the batsman allows the crease to hit the shot (and misses the ball), the wicket-keeper must catch the ball and stumps the player out.
The wicket-keeper is also critical for the catching role he performs. The keeper must not allow the ball to touch the ground without catching the edges.
What can be wicket-keeper be penalized for?
Of course, the wicket-keeper has to perform his duties with a confine of legislations. Fundamentally, the wicket-keeper must always be stationed (at the striking end) behind the stumps.
The wing-keeper must stay behind the wicket until the ball (when delivered by the bowler) is struck by the batsman, or the ball hits the stump directly.
He commits an infraction when he comes ahead of the wickets from the moment of ball delivery (by the bowler) until the ball arrives at the batsman.
In instances where the ball doesn't touch the bat, the wicket-keeper can only touch the ball when it has moved past the stump.
Can a wicket-keeper be appointed captain?
Here is a question that gets asked often in the cricket universe. Yes, there is no law prohibiting the wicket-keeper from being appointed as the captain of his team.
Slapping the captaincy on the wicket-keeper even comes with its strategic advantages. When the wicket-keeper takes on the dual role (of being captain and wicket-keeper), he is better positioned to evaluate the batsman's movement.
Given his enhanced proximity, he could derive superior insights on the batsman, especially his weaknesses.
Decked with this game-changing knowledge, the wicket-keeper (as captain) can position the fielding, also feeding the bowler on effective bowling hacks.
Is it illegal for a wicket-keeper to bowl?
Often cricket enthusiasts ask if a wicket-keeper can bowl in an official cricket match. Yes, this is very permissible in a game.
We have seen renowned wicket-keepers like Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher bowl in professional cricket matches.
The caveat here is that when the wicket-keeper gets deployed into bowling duties, he must relinquish his wicket-keeper role to another player in his team.
This also involves the wicket-keeper casting off his traditional attire, including the external leg safety pads and gloves.
This move can not suddenly transpire without the express permission of the umpire. The umpire must be aware of the switch and approve before the succeeding wicket-keeper takes on the relinquished pads and gloves.
To sum it all up, we will continue to see more evolutions in the role of the modern-day wicket-keeper. We expect expansions in the range of duties he fulfills. No matter how the game goes, the wicket-keeper can not be underestimated as his catches can always win matches.
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