Graeme Smith Believes ICC Needs to Provide Some Relaxation to the Bowlers

Former South African captain, Graeme Smith, requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to look at its laws, regarding the application of substances on the cricket ball.

According to Smith, the Kookaburra ball’s inability for providing swing to the bowlers is not good for the balance of the game.

Further, the entire ball-tampering row unfolded due to fielding sides desperately trying to affect reverse swing into play. As a result, Smith and his men tried to apply the infamous sandpaper on the ball.

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“The ball is a big issue. The Kookaburra ball, in particular, has stopped swinging and bowlers are desperate to get some sort of movement,” stated Graeme Smith, from the sidelines of CEAT Cricket Ratings Awards.

Unlike the SG or the Dukes’ ball, the Kookaburra ball remains ineffective as the ball gets older. Therefore, fielding sides have often landed themselves in applying mint and saliva, to induce shine on one side.

That said, Smith reckons that there is no place for bringing in foreign objects into the field, and termed the entire fiasco at Cape Town as ‘madness’.

What happened in Cape Town was pretty shocking: Graeme Smith

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“Reverse swing has become such a key. What happened in Cape Town was pretty shocking. I’ve never seen an actual foreign object being brought out on the field. It was madness,” added Smith.

However, for Graeme Smith, there still is room for applying sweetened saliva or using a fingernail and appealed to ICC for a review regarding this relaxation.

“I think the ICC needs to review that. Whether applying sweetened saliva or using a fingernail… I don’t have a problem with that actually, but I wouldn’t allow foreign objects on the field,” concluded Graeme Smith.