Ashes 2023: Ricky Ponting Demands An Investigation Into The Controversial Ball Change During The Fifth Test At The Oval
Published - 01 Aug 2023, 07:23 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:16 AM
Former captain Ricky Ponting expressed strong disapproval of the umpires’ decision to change the ball during Australia’s second innings in the fifth Test of the Ashes 2023 series. Ricky Ponting highlighted that the replaced ball looked significantly fresher than the previous ball.
Openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja added a 100-run partnership as the pitch didn’t offer much help for the home team bowlers. Umpires Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena changed the ball after it got hit on Usman Khawaja’s helmet by Mark Hood on Day 4 of the match.
Make Sure That You Get It Right – Ricky Ponting
Speaking to Sky Sports, Ricky Ponting criticized the umpires’ decision, suggesting that it needed investigation as the two balls looked differently.
“The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace the one (out of shape). There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable,” Ponting told Sky Sports.
“At the end of the day, if you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so [you make it] as close as you possibly can to the one that you’re changing it from” he added.
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There Weren’t Too Many Older-Condition Balls – Ricky Ponting
The World Cup-winning captain questioned whether there were older-condition balls available and added that it had a significant impact on the game.
“Now, if you have a look in that box, there weren’t too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at them and threw them back.
“I just cannot fathom how two international umpires that have done that a lot of times before can get that so wrong. That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated: whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just, blasé, picked one out of there that they think will be okay to use,” he added.
Also read: ENG vs AUS: Ricky Ponting Missed His Flight Home To Witness Thrilling Final Day of Fifth Ashes Test
