In reply to Maispwi
The more important question to me is why are so many balls going out of shape in matches these days?
Me too..Balls losing shape so frequently and being changed to the fielding team's advantage too need to
be addressed.
I believe the balls are not being made to the standards of yesteryears especially in regard to the Red Ball game.
Balls used for Test cricket used to be made premium quality above that of lower levels of the game.
The Kookaburra balls made by Australia were more long serving too..now the S&G balls seem to be more
problematic, but all the Red Balls have issues whether made in India or England.
The core may be the same but something does not seem right. Too often the balls are being inspected as a ritual
part of the game and it is annoying to me as a spectator too.
I think the ICC should examine the problem of manufacture.. I could see more of a problem with the white
balls as they more abuse .Evenso ,balls getting out of whack often is a problem that needs to be tackled.
Mass production on a larger scale nowadays could be a cause or the quality of the leather,core or something else could be
reason.
Time was when we as boys would use an old leather ball for a long time banging it with wood bats and then
shining it with shoe polish for game time. They used to last...and when the seam comes apart we would take the core and
knit it with fine English thread and we would be good for days playing on the streets of Kingston.
When in the country growing up, we would shape wood balls from the Orange tree limb and that,looking back was crazy..
With no pads, when one gets hit on the shin it would hurt for days..weeks even with severe bruise as souvenirs..from playing
bowl for bat or ketchie shubby and would rather take the hit than being bowled..
I still got one or two of those reminders. Maybe Internationals should be played with such balls
Players are all well protected from Helmets and look like gladiators nowadays.
Weird is a common word now in the political arena ... crazy was us