Cricket is one of the highly popular games that is played by millions of fans across the world. One of the features that Individuals find interesting is that cricket has a form of a break, a “time out,” so to speak, before the match continues. Let’s get straight into the 5 important points that any cricket lover should be aware what is time out in cricket matches.
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Opportunity for the Teams to Plan
In cricket, a time out means a break or a pause in the actual play during which the players and the coaches also from the batting side and also from the fielding side sit together and think tactfully regarding the situation of the match. For example, when a batsman has stemmed in and is scoring freely the fielding captain may decide to call for a time out to discuss how to dismiss the batsman. They remain an interesting and essential aspect of cricket, where teams consider the most appropriate time to break out of their routine.
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At most two time outs are allowed per team during the whole duration of the game
Cricket rules indicate that a team is permitted to have not more than two time out sessions within an innings. Hence, be it the instance when you are playing as a batting side or the fielding side, your captain is allowed to take two time-outs at any time during that innings. This is the best strategy to use when the opponents are overwhelming you as it enables you to turn the tide.
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Duration is between 2. 5 to 3. 5 minutes
Every time there is a time out in a cricket match, it has been set that the time should not exceed 3.5 minutes and not less than 2.5minutes. The umpires are expected to be in charge of time and ensure that the teams do not exceed the time given before a particular match continues. If time outs are to be given, it has to be done sparingly because it interrupts the smooth running of the game.
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Both versions of ODI and T20 formats are present.
As per the ICC rules, time outs are allowed only in the limited overs cricket which includes one day international and twenty-twenty games. The concept does not apply to test match cricket as it does not have time-based breaks where a game can stretch up to five days. This gave a glimpse of how the time outs were adopted to cater for the short form and faster cricket.
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It is new and was introduced to add flavour to Spice up Game’s entertainment.
Time outs were not part of cricket to begin with that is why they are yet to be fully incorporated into the game. They are said to have been brought in by the cricket administrators in the past decade to bring in a new dimension in the tactics employed during the matches and to make the game more interesting for the spectators. It creates interest when a captain cautions his team at a time when a match situation is being created!
Conclusion
These time outs have now extended their use from a mere strategy allowing for teams to plan to give additional entertainment value to limited overs cricket. Having an understanding of what a time out is and when it can be called is a positive addition to the knowledge required for following the sport. Well, the next time you sit down to watch an ODI or T20 do not be surprised if you see your team taking a tactical time out!