Only one brand of ball should be used for Test cricket: Waqar Younis
Sep 03, 2020
Lahore [Pakistan], September 3 : Advocating that only one brand of ball should be used around the world for Test cricket, Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take a decision in this regard.
Speaking about Pakistan's recent England tour, Younis revealed that one of the challenges that both teams faced in the Test series was the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball, which has been put in place by the ICC due to COVID-19 spread.
"One of the challenges that both teams faced in the recent Test series was the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball. I do not think it was actually a major issue given the weather. The pitches themselves were very dry but there was always moisture in the air and the outfields were lush so keeping the ball in good condition was not a problem. In other parts of the world, it is always more challenging to keep the ball in good condition," Younis wrote in a column for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
"Also, the Dukes ball that is used in England stays harder for longer than most other balls, which made the saliva issue less of a problem. 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 does not matter which brand but the ICC should make that decision. It is hard for bowlers to adjust to using different types of ball when they play around the world," he added.
Currently, Dukes, Kookaburra, and SG are the three different cricket balls used for international matches.
During the tour, Pakistan had suffered a 1-0 defeat in the three-match Test series before they drew the three-match T20I series against England.
