The former South African fast bowler is making sensational statements, but he is not the first.
Allan “White Lightning” Donald is of the view that the only way fast bowlers can negate the effect of dodo pitches and explosive batsmen is by changing the nature of the ball. In that light, he knows he is crossing against the tide when he says that the ICC should legalize ball tampering.
There have been ball tampering incidents that have created quite the furore over the years but New Zealand’s former fast bowler, Richard Hadlee, believes that tampering within stipulations where bowlers can pick the seam of the ball and not indulge in stuff such as Vaseline, bottle caps, etc.
Donald spoke out about how Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison bowled reverse swing in England in the 2005 Ashes that England went on to win.
The move will certainly turn things on its head and it certainly was not amongst the many things the ICC is entertaining to revamp Test cricket.
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