The International Cricket Council (ICC) has addressed the contentious issue of the ball-change controversy that arose during the final Ashes Test match between England and Australia in 2023.
The closely-fought Ashes series was not without its share of controversies, and the final encounter only added fuel to the fire. During Day 4 of the match, Australia decided to replace the 36-over-old ball with a new one.
However, they soon raised objections, claiming that the new ball provided to them was shinier and harder than it should have been. They believed that this unexpected alteration in the ball’s condition had a significant impact on the match.
“The ICC does not comment on the decisions taken by umpires in matches. We can, however, confirm that all balls are pre-selected before the start of every match and when the situation calls for it, the match officials choose the ball that is closest to the condition of the ball that is being replaced,” A representative of the international cricket governing body stated.
There is a heated controversy surrounding the ball-change during the fifth Test of the Ashes series
The controversy caught the attention of Australian cricket legends Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath, both of whom expressed their discontent with the incident.
Ponting voiced his frustration, particularly concerning the stark contrast between the original ball and the replacement one.
He argued that the selection of the replacement ball should have been more carefully considered to ensure a closer match to the original ball’s condition.
In response to the uproar, the ICC clarified its stance on such matters. The global cricket governing body stated that it refrains from commenting on the decisions made by match umpires.
“The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace. There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable.”
If you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so it is as close as you possibly can to the one that you’re changing it from.”
“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 that and threw them back,” Ponting made the statement on Sky Sports.
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