The MCC Cricket Committee has proposed the standardization of the red ball for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship which starts later this year. The MCC is the custodian of the Laws of Cricket, but the proposal is subject to the approval of the ICC cricket committee that will meet in May.
During its two-day meeting in Bangalore, the committee chaired by Mike Gatting and attended by Dave Richardson mentioned that it was the right opportunity to introduce a standard ball in the interest of the game. Currently, the Dukes ball is used for Tests in England, Ireland and West Indies. The SG ball is used in India, while the Kookaburra is used in all other Test nations.
“The World Test Championship begins after the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. The MCC World Cricket committee felt that it would benefit the Championship for a standard ball to be used in these matches, except for those played as day/night matches. It would be for the ICC to choose which ball is most suitable, with the committee stressing that the balance between bat and ball is crucial,” the MCC said in its release.
Member of the committee Shane Warne also mentioned that a standard ball will help maintain a similarity all over the world, saying, “Especially with the Test Championship coming up, if everyone plays with the same conditions, with the same ball, I think it’s a more equal playing field so you really do get to know what is the best Test team in the world.”
The Dukes ball has a prominent seam and is hand-stitched and holds up for the better part of 80 overs, after which the second new ball is available. The Kookaburra balls are machine-stitched and usually lose their seam after 20-odd overs, all but canceling out any movement in the air. The SG balls, too, have pronounced and hand-stitched seam. But they lose shine quickly, although, in Indian conditions, it offers considerable reverse swing.
The Dukes ball has the backing of many players who are currently involved in the game like R Ashwin of India and Indian captain Virat Kohli. Kohli said, “The Dukes ball, I think, is the most suited ball for Test cricket. If there’s a situation, I would vouch for that to be used all over the world because of the consistency of the ball and how the bowlers are in the game at any stage, even the spinners, because the seam is so hard and upright.”
The MCC Secretary for cricket John Stephenson clarified that the MCC was not promoting any specific brand, but instead was looking for the best brand of the ball that should be used in a standard fashion across the globe in the ICC Test Championship.
“The feeling was that there should be a standard ball used in all Tests in the forthcoming championship to give a level playing field and to try to keep a good balance between bat and ball,” he added.
(indianexpress.com inputs)
