- Jun 16, 2018
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The white ball swung a lot four years ago, then stopped swinging for four years, and now it is swinging again.
Supposedly this is all by accident, and not at all intentional on the part of ball manufacturer Kookaburra or the ICC.
It turns out this [change in swing and seam] is not a conscious effort on the part of either the ICC or Kookaburra nor is it an overnight development. It might just be natural evolution. "There's been no directive on changing the white ball for this World Cup, nor anything definitively changed," Kookaburra told ESPNcricinfo. "There is a constant evolution that dates right back to World Series Cricket in 1977 and through to the pink ball for day-night Test cricket, with improved hardness and finish of the ball the key objectives; we research, test and improve, and this is the result."
The ICC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo it has made no specific request to Kookaburra in this regard.
Cricinfo: Glossier balls offering more swing in World Cup
Consider the difference it makes to individual players and to overall match outcomes when the ball is swinging vs when it is not.
And then consider that in the article, Trent Boult says that even the seams on the current white balls (for this world cup) are different from the seams on balls used previously.
The ball is the up there with the pitch in terms of the most important element of the game, helping some players/teams and hindering others, and yet it is allowed to 'evolve', apparently all on its own, without any intervention from the ball manufacturer or the ICC.
Is this a farce? Does anybody care?
Supposedly this is all by accident, and not at all intentional on the part of ball manufacturer Kookaburra or the ICC.
It turns out this [change in swing and seam] is not a conscious effort on the part of either the ICC or Kookaburra nor is it an overnight development. It might just be natural evolution. "There's been no directive on changing the white ball for this World Cup, nor anything definitively changed," Kookaburra told ESPNcricinfo. "There is a constant evolution that dates right back to World Series Cricket in 1977 and through to the pink ball for day-night Test cricket, with improved hardness and finish of the ball the key objectives; we research, test and improve, and this is the result."
The ICC confirmed to ESPNcricinfo it has made no specific request to Kookaburra in this regard.
Cricinfo: Glossier balls offering more swing in World Cup
Consider the difference it makes to individual players and to overall match outcomes when the ball is swinging vs when it is not.
And then consider that in the article, Trent Boult says that even the seams on the current white balls (for this world cup) are different from the seams on balls used previously.
The ball is the up there with the pitch in terms of the most important element of the game, helping some players/teams and hindering others, and yet it is allowed to 'evolve', apparently all on its own, without any intervention from the ball manufacturer or the ICC.
Is this a farce? Does anybody care?
