World Cup-winning Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has urged the authorities to do away with the use of two new balls in One-Day International (ODI) cricket, dubbing it the “worst thing” that had happened to the format.
The 50-over format has been battling relevance in recent years with the audience’s attention slowly plummeting. The format hasn’t been helped by the introduction of two new balls which Gambhir argues has fundamentally disadvantaged the finger spinners.
“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 said on the podcast 180 Not Out.
Gambhir also pointed out the absence of reverse swing from the game due to the introduction of the said rule. With two balls at either end, the conditions do not favour reverse swing which used to be a potent weapon for bowlers at the death prior to 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.”
Gambhir as the head coach?
The former Indian cricketer is known for sharing his piece of mind without any filters and it is perhaps the reason why the BCCI has approached him to become Team India’s head coach. Rahul Dravid’s tenure with Team India ends after the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA and applications have been invited by the BCCI for the position.
While Gambhir has yet to coach a national side, his resume in the IPL has been no less impressive. A two-time IPL winner with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2012 and 2014, Gambhir is currently the franchise’s mentor, guiding them to their first-ever first-place finish in the group stages this season.
(With inputs from agencies)