NEW DELHI: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has called upon the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reconsider the rule allowing two new balls in limited overs cricket. The World Cup-winner described the regulation as being “unfair” to finger spinners.
In October 2011, the ICC introduced this specific rule for ODIs, which the iconic Sachin Tendulkar had described as “perfect recipe for disaster.”
“One thing I would definitely change is the use of two new balls, especially in white-ball cricket,” Gambhir said, as quoted by PTI, during the ‘Rise to Leadership’ talk show by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata.
The requirement to utilize a pair of new balls, according to numerous specialists, has put finger spinners at a disadvantage and decreased the likelihood of reverse swing, as it enables the ball to maintain its shine for a longer duration.
“It is very unfair for finger spinners, who are not playing enough white-ball cricket because there is nothing for them. It is not right.
“The ICC’s job is to ensure that everyone, whether a finger spinner, fast bowler, wrist spinner, or batter, has an equal opportunity to showcase their talents,” said Gambhir, who recently mentored Kolkata Knight Riders during their run to the third IPL title.
Gambhir, a strong contender for the position of India’s head coach after Rahul Dravid‘s departure following the current T20 World Cup, has called upon the ICC to reassess a particular regulation.
“Taking that opportunity away from certain players is very unfair. Today, you hardly see any finger spinners playing white-ball cricket. Why? The blame lies not with them, but with the ICC.
“There is no reverse swing anymore because of the two new balls, and there is nothing for finger spinners or left-arm spinners.
“This is something I would want to change, and hopefully, it will change to create a balance between bat and ball,” added Gambhir.
Gambhir has played under the leadership of several captains throughout his career. While he chose not to single out the best captain he played under, Gambhir praised MS Dhoni and acknowledged that his finest cricketing years were during Dhoni’s tenure as skipper.
“This is such a controversial question. I honestly don’t want to give headlines, everyone had their strengths and weaknesses. I made my Test debut under Rahul Dravid and ODI under (Sourav) Ganguly.
“I had my best performance under Anil Kumble and I had my phase under MS Dhoni, and the longest I played was under MS. I enjoyed playing a lot with MS and the way he led the team,” he said.
Gambhir praised the Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for his exceptional leadership as a team owner in the IPL.
“I had the privilege of working with the best IPL owner.”