ICC issues clarification Ashes 2023 ball-change controversy
Australian cricket legends Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath expressed their dissatisfaction with the incident.
Crickate
The recently concluded Ashes 2023 series between England and Australia was riddled with controversy, and the final game was no exception. Australia raised concerns about the ball change on the fourth day of the fiercely contested match, believing it played a pivotal role in England's victory.
The 36-over-old ball was substituted, but Australia claimed the new ball appeared shinier and harder than it should have. This alteration in the condition of the ball proved decisive, as Australia lost batsmen in rapid succession and ultimately lost by 49 runs.
Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath, two Australian cricket legends, expressed their displeasure with the incident and made their feelings abundantly obvious.
The International Council has clarified its protocol for such circumstances in response to the ongoing debate. A representative of the international cricket governing authority stated,
"The International Cricket Council does not comment on decisions made by match umpires. We can affirm, however, that all balls are pre-selected prior to the start of each match, and when the situation calls for it, the match officials choose the ball that most closely matches the condition of the ball being replaced, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo.
Ricky Ponting expressed his displeasure with the outcome of the final Ashes Test, citing the significant disparity between the two deliveries. He declared,
"The most concerning aspect is the significant condition disparity between the replacement ball and the original ball. There is no chance that these two balls can be considered comparable. When replacing a ball, you anticipate it to be as similar as feasible to the one being replaced. Unfortunately, there were not many older-condition balls in that crate, and the umpires inspected and rejected the few that were found.
The circumstance has been heavily criticised by both cricket enthusiasts and experts. Despite the fact that the ICC has provided an explanation, the controversy remains a topic of passionate debate within the cricketing community.
As the Ashes series concludes, fans hope that such incidents will be addressed with greater openness in the future, thereby preserving the game's integrity.
