Former star Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has given his opinion on the ‘ball change’ rule in the one-day Internationals. World Cup-winning Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has called on authorities to eliminate the use of two new balls in ODI cricket. He said that it is the “worst thing” to happen to the format.
The 50-over format has been struggling to maintain relevance in recent years as audience interest has declined. According to Gambhir, the introduction of two new balls has worsened the situation as it does not provide support to the wrist spinners.
While having a conversation on the Podcast 180 not out, “Two new balls in one-day cricket is probably the worst thing that can happen to ODI cricket. Imagine how many finger spinners play one-day cricket. There’s Nathan Lyon who’s got 400 wickets, there’s R Ashwin who’s got 400 wickets, and they are not a part of the One Day team, and the only reason is that there is nothing for a finger spinner.”
Gambhir also emphasized the decline of reverse swing in the game because of the introduction of the two-ball rule. With two balls in play, the conditions no longer support reverse swing, which was once a powerful weapon for bowlers, especially during the latter stages of the innings, before the rule change.
“Reverse swing… It has gone out of the game completely. I want to see reverse swing, I want to see batters getting challenged, and someone bowling at 150 and reversing the ball is always a challenge,” said Gambhir.
“One rule that needs to change is getting rid of two new balls and having only one.”