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In cricket, one mistake can end the batter’s innings. Bowlers get multiple opportunities to get wickets but one error can prove to be decisive for batters. One of the several ways in which a batter can be dismissed is LBW.
What does LBW mean in cricket and what are the LBW rules?
So, what does leg before wicket actually mean? When a batter is hit directly on the pads (or anywhere on the body, barring the gloves), the umpire needs to decide whether the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps if the batter had not intercepted. The decision comes only after the fielding team appeals.
There are various factors that the umpire in question needs to consider. Firstly, the ball should pitch in line i.e. either in line with the three stumps or outside the off-stump. Then, the impact is considered. The ball needs to hit the batter in line with the three stumps. Finally, the delivery needs to be projected to hit the stumps. If the umpire thinks all of the above criteria is satisfied, the batter is given out.
Currently, LBW is a part of Law 36 in the laws of cricket defined by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). While the full form of LBW has leg, it is not necessary for the batter to be struck on the pads or the legs. The batter can be struck on any part of the body and if it is in line with the stumps, then he/she can be given out.
For example, a batter bends down and tries to sweep but misses the ball. He/She is struck on the arm. If the ball has pitched in line, the impact is in line and the projection is to hit the stumps, the batter will be given out. Similarly, if a batter ducks to a delivery that did not bounce and is hit on the shoulder or head, he/she can be out LBW.
LBW rules
Over the years, the LBW rules have changed significantly. The 21st century saw the advent of Hawk-Eye and Decision Review System (DRS) which is still one of the most debatable topics in the cricket world.
However, the earliest version of the rules and laws of cricket did not include the LBW rule. In fact, there are barely anyone who would’ve known the meaning of LBW. Cricket bats used to be curved and hence, batters used to play away from the stumps. However, as cricket bats evolved and became straighter, batters stood in front of the stumps a lot more. From then on, they started using tactics of padding the ball away deliberately and coming in the way of the ball hitting the stumps without even attempting strokes.
It was in 1774, 30 years after the first international game was played that the LBW rule came into existence. The rule was that the batter would be deemed out if he/she deliberately tried to stop the ball from going onto the stumps with his/her leg. But the umpires faced problems in understanding the intent of the batters.
Thus, there were further enhancements and clarifications made to the LBW law in 1788 and 1823. The rule was changed such that a batter can be LBW if the ball ‘pitched straight’ and ‘delivered straight in line with the wickets’. But the ambiguity persisted.
The MCC who was and still is responsible for Laws of Cricket clarified that the batter will be out LBW if the ball pitches in line with the stumps and its trajectory is to hit the wickets. But the batters continued to take advantage as they kicked the ball away rather than playing it. The percentage of bowlers getting wickets through LBW was minimal. It nullified the bowlers who were getting the ball to turn or swing as it wasn’t pitching in line with the wickets. Hence, LBWs were very less in nature.
Changes in LBW rules in 1900s
However, it was only in 1935 that a new rule was proposed. It was an experimental rule which stated that a batter can be out leg before wicket (LBW) even if the ball pitches outside the off-stump. However, the criteria of the impact remained i.e. it needed to strike the batter in line with the wickets.
An exception to the impact clause came in the 1969-70 season. Batters using their pads was a common factor and that increased quite a bit in the 1950s and 1960s. When they left the ball, many times, the projection would be on the stumps but the impact would not be in line. Hence, the new LBW rule variation said that a batter can be dismissed leg before wicket while offering a no shot if the trajectory of the ball is going on to hit the stumps. The impact in the case of no shot will not matter. The rule is still in play till date.
LBW in Decision Review System (DRS)
Technology has had a massive role in the evolution of the game and the change in some laws as well. Third (television) umpires were introduced and decisions on runouts, stumpings, boundary-checks and others got better.
Similarly, with the inception of Hawk-eye which is a ball-tracking technology, projections of every ball became a lot better. Be it for LBW or in general, ball-tracking improved the way the game was played and watched. The interpretation and meaning of LBW was a lot better as well.
In 2002, the International Cricket Council (ICC) ran an experiment where LBW decisions could be referred to the third umpire. The latter had the discretion of using the ball-tracking technology to confirm whether the ball pitched in line (outside the off-stump or in the line with the three stumps) and determine whether the batter got any part of the bat on ball before it hit his/her pads/body.
The trials were deemed unsuccessful and the ICC did not continue with it. However, the experiments did not end there. While broadcasters used Hawk-eye to make cricket viewing and analysis bigger and better, the ball-tracking technology was not used by the umpires to make decisions.
DRS officially makes its debut in 2009
It was only in 2009 that the ICC formally and officially introduced the now-popular Decision Review System (DRS). Between 2002 and 2009, there were multiple trials and experiments conducted including one in 2008 in a Test series between Sri Lanka and India. All these different kinds of assessments eventually bore fruit towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century.
The DRS was brought in largely to eliminate howlers from the game i.e. poor umpiring decisions. Hence, it gave teams the opportunity to review and challenge the on-field umpire’s call (be it a catch or an LBW). While it is used for caught-behinds, bat-pad and close-in catches, DRS is most popular for LBW decisions.
Leg before wicket is a mode of dismissal where the umpire is guessing whether the ball will go on to hit the stumps or not. Technology is coming to the aid of the umpire in this case. Hawk-eye predicts if the ball will eventually go on to hit the wickets. It starts right from the top – to where the ball was pitched, where it struck the batter and what the predicted path is.
However, the last part of it is a prediction and there is no guarantee. Thus, there is a small grey area in the LBW rule in DRS which is known as umpire’s call. Here, if the ball tracking ends up projecting that it is just about clipping the stumps or bails, then the decision stays with whatever the umpire has decided (out or not out).
The Hawk-eye technology calculates this on a percentage basis i.e. what percent of the ball will hit the stumps. 50% of the ball needs to hit the stumps.
Over the years, the meaning of stumps in LBW for DRS has changed. At first, the stumps in play did not include the bails. Hence, 50% of the ball needed to hit 50% of the actual stumps. However, in April 2021, the rule was amended. The bails were included in the decision-making process, enlarging the area of attack for bowlers.
The ball-tracking technology and Hawk-eye may not be foolproof but it has helped cricket evolve big time. The meaning of LBW has changed significantly with the introduction of DRS.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
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- LBW full form: Leg Before Wicket
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- When did Leg Before Wicket first come into picture?: 1774
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- Which batter has been dismissed LBW the most number of times?: Sachin Tendulkar – 102 times, Ricky Ponting – 83 times, Sanath Jayasuriya – 82 times, Ross Taylor – 81 times.
