Kookaburra balls are letting people down, asserts Graeme smith
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Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has stated that the Kookaburra balls are bad for Test cricket as they soften quickly and don’t swing for a long period of time which leads to uninteresting Test matches. Smith was in Kolkata to deliver the Jagmohan Dalmia Memorial lecture at the Eden Gardens.
After the South African team was banned by ICC in 1970 for the country’s apartheid policy, they returned to International cricket only in 1991 to play their first Internationally sanctioned ODI game against India at the Eden Gardens. It was after a long gap that South Africa returned to the international fold and Graeme Smith thanked India and particularly late Jagmohan Dalmiya for the support their team received for their return in 1991. Smith gave the Jagmohan Dalmiya lecture yesterday at the 2nd Annual Conclave held at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
"It was a huge occasion as everybody understood how big it was to play international cricket," said Smith.
Graeme Smith, who has represented South Africa in 117 Test matches, also asserted that the real quality of the team is assessed only through Test Cricket and it is relatively easy to win in the shortest format of the game.
"T20 is a huge asset to the game. It has a great financial impact and generates a lot of excitement, A 30-ball 70 can win you a shorter format of the game, but not in Test cricket. It is a different challenge. Test cricket exposes weaker teams."
The left-hander also felt that the World Cricket currently lacks superstars. With many top teams going through transformation phase and players like MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis retiring, he encouraged the Indian skipper Virat Kohli to take the lead.
"World cricket currently lacks superstars. I feel Virat is great for Test cricket. He is enthusiastic about playing the longest format of the game. As long as he keeps performing, we have a chance to keep Test cricket relevant."
The former South Africa captain also rekindled the debate about the quality of the balls in Test cricket. Earlier last month after the first Test match against Windies the Indian skipper Kohli and lead spinner of the team R Ashwin had criticized the poor quality of the seams of the SG balls.
"For me, the ball in Test cricket is a huge issue. I saw some of the boys complaining about the SG ball. In particular, the Kookaburra ball is letting people down. It's a ball that softens and does not swing for a long period of time. I think Test cricket cannot afford to have boring draws. The ball needs to spin and it needs to swing and show movement in the air. Competition between the bat and the ball is key to keeping Test cricket relevant."
He further went on to add that the local Cricket Tournaments like the IPL and the Ranji Trophy are producing ample talents for India and particularly named Rishabh Pant.
"India is producing some of the most exciting talents of the world," he added.
