Reverse Swing is Not Connected to Ball Tampering: Sourav Ganguly

Aug 8, 2018 at 12:09 PM

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Reverse Swing is Not Connected to Ball Tampering: Sourav Ganguly

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly said that reverse swing is not connected to ball tampering. Ganguly believes that both the aspects of the game are different and it doesn’t make any sense to interlink them.

Ganguly says that reverse swing depends on the conditions. The Prince of Kolkata went on to add that a bowler gets a more reverse swing in the subcontinent conditions due to dry pitches and rough outfields.

Sourav Ganguly, Ball Tampering, Reverse Swing
Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Sourav Ganguly lists out the difference.

However, bowlers cannot yield more reverse swing in the England conditions where the outfield is lush green. Thus, a team can quickly make one side of the ball rough in the subcontinent which helps the bowler in bringing the ball back to right-handed batsmen.

Meanwhile, ball tampering is trying to alter the condition of the ball by unfair means. Ball tampering had come into the limelight after Australia’s trio bans.

“Reverse swing is not connected to ball tampering. It is also about the conditions. This happens in the sub-continent more due to dry pitches and rough outfields. It will be less in these parts of the world where it is a green outfield and pitch with grass on it,” Sourav Ganguly said at MCC Cricket Committee at Lord’s.

Sourav Ganguly, Ball Tampering, Reverse Swing
Sourav Ganguly. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

Two new balls in ODI cricket makes it difficult to produce reverse swing.

On the other hand, we have seen that the reverse swing in the ODI cricket is on the verge of extinction. There are two new balls used since 2011 which makes it difficult for the ball to get old. Therefore, we have noted some daddy scores in the last seven years.

“Remember, in 2005 Ashes the ball reversed (for Simon Jones). It is not always connected to ball-tampering. Reverse swing will continue, depending on how old the ball gets. In modern ODIs, the ball is new for long periods of time. Also, it makes life a lot more difficult for spinners,” he added.

Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly.

Therefore, a lot a people are in favor of using only a solitary ball in the 50-overs format. The game is leaning towards the batsmen and it is imperative to find the right balance between bat and ball.

“A lot of people are in favour of using one white ball to improve the quality (of the game). As we have seen, the new kookaburra doesn’t swing.

“As reverse swing has declined over the years, the runs have gone very high. In the last four years, England has gone beyond 300 some 30 times, which is the highest for any cricket country,” he added.

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