Method has to change with the game: Duckworth

Frank Duckworth believes that despite storms over their calculations, the discomfort of skippers having to keep a piece of paper in their pocket and the complications involved in its calculations, the D/L method has been well accepted. “I think a lot of people accept that what my friend and I have done is a fairly useful contribution. I don’t think they either like it or dislike it in particular. It isn’t complicated at all. It’s very simple, we have made it very simple. It’s just look at the figure in tables, when play has stopped, look up another figure when play resumes, subtract one from the other and multiply by the side’s score. It’s not much more than that.”

Duckworth then goes on to explain his method in words this time, rather than figures. “It is based on a mathematical formula which related the runs that are possible to achieve in terms of how many overs you have left and how many wickets are down. We got this number into this formula based on the statistical analysis of many hundreds of one-day matches and then you can work out on an average on what you do by losing out overs during the match.”

The duo seldom had any arguments between themselves. “Oh no. We have always been on the same side of the fence in this. We have never had any disagreements on this at all. Only maybe sometime in emphasis, but fundamentally, we both see the problem in the same way,” he said. But he admits that the time has come for D/L method to be modified and reworked in accordance to the changing game.

“We had a little chat the other day and think we have to continue to monitor the way the method works in the light of way the game is changing. See the way the game is played has changed a little bit, and they keep introducing new rules, substitute rules, power play rules, and now they are talking about even getting a 12th man in the side. So the method has to take into account those changes because it affects the distribution of the strengths of the partnerships throughout the innings.”

Duckworth and Lewis are both mathematicians. But Duckworth maintained that their method is not all about mathematics only. “It isn’t about whether you can do arithmetic, whether you can do sums quickly in your head. It’s a matter of understanding a mathematical method in a way in which you can actually calculate what you want to calculate.”

He’s the dreaded D of the cricket world. He stays away from the limelight, but is recognised and is well respected. He’s there everywhere, along with his partner—in case of rain, or as he says, “because of floodlights that are meant to fail someday”. Their names and formula are printed and distributed to both teams at innings break, but they are seldom seen in person.

“We don’t tour at all. Our names are mentioned, but we are never there in person. Probably because we have made our system so simple that people can do without us,” he says with a hearty laugh.

A firm shake of hands, and Duckworth disappears in the crowd. He will be back in the next game, at least on a little piece of paper.