Waqar Younis advocates one brand of ball in Test cricket
Former Pakistani pacer and the incumbent bowling coach Waqar Younis believes the International Cricket Council (ICC) should standardize the brand of ball in Test cricket. In his recent column, Waqar stated only one type of ball should be used in the longest format to promote fair-play. Notably, Pakistan recently lost the Test three-Test series 0-1 to England before leveling the T20I series 1-1.
"I have been a big advocate of the Dukes ball for many years, but I feel that only one brand of ball should be used around the world for Test cricket. It doesn't matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision," wrote Waqar.
Three different types of balls are used in Test cricket - Kookaburra, Dukes and SG balls. The Kookaburra balls are mainly used in Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. In India, SG balls are used for domestic and international matches. Meanwhile, England and West Indies prefer Dukes balls. Each ball behaves differently, as far as the swing and seam movement is concerned.
A Kookaburra ball is made of the finest raw material in Australia. It fetches swing for nearly 30 overs in a Test match. A Dukes ball boasts a dark colour and swings more as compared to other balls. Due to exceptional quality, It is sustained for a longer duration. Besides, an SG ball carries a wider seam, that suits the spinners more.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICC has banned the use of saliva on cricket ball in order to safeguard the health of players. Many believed the restriction will mar the plight of bowlers as the swing will perish without shining the ball. However, the bowlers enjoyed equal success in England's recent Test summer with help of conditions and the nature of Dukes ball.
Younis feels bowlers find it difficult to use different balls across nations. Notably, fast-bowling gets gruelling on the sub-continent decks with little help for bowlers. "It's hard for bowlers to adjust using different types of ball when they play around the world," he added. "There was always moisture and the outfields were lush, so keeping the ball in good condition was not a problem."
