ICC using only Kookaburra balls for ICC tournaments, is it fair?

[cricketjoshila]

ICC uses only Kookaburra balls for ICC tournaments. I believe this is unfair and unethical to favour one manufacturer and it gives undue advantage to players from one country who grow up playing Kookaburra.

Presently there are 3 manufacturers who supply test quality balls.

Kookaburra
SG
Duke's

All three also used to supply balls for the LoIs to their respective boards till all boards decided to use Kookaburra as that's the ball used in ICC tournaments.

In India SG white balls are used in domestic cricket and apparently they last longer and 1ball can survive 50 overs and reverse.

No idea about Duke's balls. But they were used in the 1999 WC and they brought some balance between bat and ball.

Kookaburra balls don't last 50 overs. For a long time only one ball was used in ODIs. But there were issues with the ball and it didn't last 50 overs. Instead of changing the manufacturer or asking for improved quality ICC changed the rule to 2 balls per innings. There by doubling the sales of Kookaburra balls. I wonder why no one saw any issue with this.


If i remember correctly sometime in 2014 or 2015 a ICC board member asked the ICC if Kookaburra was the official ball supplier and they had a contract. It was denied that any official ball manufacturer is appointed.

Other than the above mentioned manufacturers there are others like

Sonnex India
Readers UK

Who have/had supplied balls for FC/international cricket.

I believe, for the sake of fairness and diversity ICC should select a ball for each tournament through random ballot.

Your views?

 

[JattMaula]

ICC uses only Kookaburra balls for ICC tournaments. I believe this is unfair and unethical to favour one manufacturer and it gives undue advantage to players from one country who grow up playing Kookaburra.

Presently there are 3 manufacturers who supply test quality balls.

Kookaburra
SG
Duke's

All three also used to supply balls for the LoIs to their respective boards till all boards decided to use Kookaburra as that's the ball used in ICC tournaments.

In India SG white balls are used in domestic cricket and apparently they last longer and 1ball can survive 50 overs and reverse.

No idea about Duke's balls. But they were used in the 1999 WC and they brought some balance between bat and ball.

Kookaburra balls don't last 50 overs. For a long time only one ball was used in ODIs. But there were issues with the ball and it didn't last 50 overs. Instead of changing the manufacturer or asking for improved quality ICC changed the rule to 2 balls per innings. There by doubling the sales of Kookaburra balls. I wonder why no one saw any issue with this.


If i remember correctly sometime in 2014 or 2015 a ICC board member asked the ICC if Kookaburra was the official ball supplier and they had a contract. It was denied that any official ball manufacturer is appointed.

Other than the above mentioned manufacturers there are others like

Sonnex India
Readers UK

Who have/had supplied balls for FC/international cricket.

I believe, for the sake of fairness and diversity ICC should select a ball for each tournament through random ballot.

Your views?

Apparently other white balls are inferior.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

The current version of the kookaburra is not too bad. We nee it to last 50 overs though. Also, I'm not sure if India uses white SG balls regularly. They tried it in SMA but theyve reverted to kookaburra now I think.

 

[cricketjoshila]

The current version of the kookaburra is not too bad. We nee it to last 50 overs though. Also, I'm not sure if India uses white SG balls regularly. They tried it in SMA but theyve reverted to kookaburra now I think.

SG balls are used in some domestic tournaments.

Ultimately bcci also has to consider the fact that the players will get Kookaburra while playing international LoIs. So they can't revert to SG totally.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Apparently other white balls are inferior.

No.

As per feedback of domestic players SG balls last 50 overs.

Duke's was used in 1999 WC and was great.

 

[JattMaula]

No.

As per feedback of domestic players SG balls last 50 overs.

Duke's was used in 1999 WC and was great.

Is it a question of price? SG and Duke are hand stitched.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Is it a question of price? SG and Duke are hand stitched.

Both are cheaper than Kookaburra.

 

[HitWicket]

The white dukes ball was trialled in county 2nd XI cricket in 2018 and was quickly ditched because it was swinging around corners.

 

[cricketjoshila]

The white dukes ball was trialled in county 2nd XI cricket in 2018 and was quickly ditched because it was swinging around corners.

Should that be a reason to ditch a ball?

 

[the Great Khan]

God I hate the kookaburra...its a useless ball..I love the other two. Everytime Pakistan play or face the other two we get entertainment lol..the kookaburra for me makes mediocre batsmen look like superstars

 

[HitWicket]

Should that be a reason to ditch a ball?

I'd suggest one day cricket has already gone too far to suddenly be played with a ball that swings like it's the first session of a test.

 

[JattMaula]

I'd suggest one day cricket has already gone too far to suddenly be played with a ball that swings like it's the first session of a test.

Nah. It would help oldies watch cricket again. Real batters will still score.

 

[cricketjoshila]

I'd suggest one day cricket has already gone too far to suddenly be played with a ball that swings like it's the first session of a test.

I watched the 1999 WC and it was played with the Dukes. Great balance between bat and ball.

Interestingly the first four WCs were played with Dukes.

If you ask me i will have the following arrangement for ICC events

England/UK and SA Kookaburra
Subcontinent and Asia Dukes
Australia NZ WI SG

Let’s have some diversity and balance.

 

[JattMaula]

Pakistan has big and successful sport manufacturing sector. Why don't they try making a local ball?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

I watched the 1999 WC and it was played with the Dukes. Great balance between bat and ball.

Interestingly the first four WCs were played with Dukes.

If you ask me i will have the following arrangement for ICC events

England/UK and SA Kookaburra
Subcontinent and Asia Dukes
Australia NZ WI SG

Let’s have some diversity and balance.

The 1999 World Cup was a very different era. Changing the ball alone won't do much. Early season English pitches were slow and offered seam movement . Bat technology was nothing like it is today. Also, apart from Klusener there was no real power hitting training etc.

It's a myth that going back to the Dukes will make such a big difference. Even back then the white Dukes was used in Sharjah and Pakistan scored 320.

 

[JattMaula]

The 1999 World Cup was a very different era. Changing the ball alone won't do much. Early season English pitches were slow and offered seam movement . Bat technology was nothing like it is today. Also, apart from Klusener there was no real power hitting training etc.

It's a myth that going back to the Dukes will make such a big difference. Even back then the white Dukes was used in Sharjah and Pakistan scored 320.

What's the harm in trying it out?

 

[cricketjoshila]

The 1999 World Cup was a very different era. Changing the ball alone won't do much. Early season English pitches were slow and offered seam movement . Bat technology was nothing like it is today. Also, apart from Klusener there was no real power hitting training etc.

It's a myth that going back to the Dukes will make such a big difference. Even back then the white Dukes was used in Sharjah and Pakistan scored 320.

India scored 350 plus vs SL in that WC.

But the balance between bat and ball was better. .

 

[Nikhil_cric]

What's the harm in trying it out?

Theres no harm in trying it out but kookaburra gives consistency of performance but from what I've read SG and Dukes tend to have greater variation for balls from the same batch used in similar conditions . So I think it may be better for a tournament

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Readers Allround would be quite interesting

 

[Front Foot Pull]

Theres no harm in trying it out but kookaburra gives consistency of performance but from what I've read SG and Dukes tend to have greater variation for balls from the same batch used in similar conditions . So I think it may be better for a tournament

this is expected for any product..hand made v machine made. if you want >90% of consistency across the batch then kookaburra is the way to go. just hope they made better ones with better seam.

 

[jnaveen1980]

this is expected for any product..hand made v machine made. if you want >90% of consistency across the batch then kookaburra is the way to go. just hope they made better ones with better seam.

Pink ball has an extra lacquer i believe.

 

[Major]

Lol when did joshila cared about being fair.

Had the SG ball being used in then we would not be having this conversation because we know then people like Joshil would had defend SG beung used...

Anyways, bcci is a rich board, just buy the balls.


Or maybe the issue is why isnt our indian ball not being used?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Kookaburra balls are used in LOIs for high scoring games as it offers less help to bowlers. Let us be realistic. All the LOI rules are tweaked from time time always to help batsmen rather than bowlers. So they will obviously be using the most batsman friendly ball .

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Kookaburra balls are used in LOIs for high scoring games as it offers less help to bowlers. Let us be realistic. All the LOI rules are tweaked from time time always to help batsmen rather than bowlers. So they will obviously be using the most batsman friendly ball .

This. A billion times this.

The ability to not use saliva to shine the ball is another nail in the coffin for bowlers.

You could actually make ODIs better by introducing the Dukes ball. However, the commercial lobby at the ICC are more concerned with seeing ‘maximums’ being hit rather than an actual contest between bat and ball.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Kookaburra balls are used in LOIs for high scoring games as it offers less help to bowlers. Let us be realistic. All the LOI rules are tweaked from time time always to help batsmen rather than bowlers. So they will obviously be using the most batsman friendly ball .

First 4 WCs used Dukes

1992 was the 1st WC to use Kookaburra.

1996 was also Kookaburra

1999 was again Dukes

It was only in 2003 that ICC officially said that Kookaburra balls will be used in all ICC events. Malcolm Gray was the president of ICC then.