Random Cricket Thoughts

This blog is about the sport of cricket. I'm Alan, a Californian now living in France, so my perspective on cricket is a bit unique.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Cricket Scandal: Gilly's Squash Ball Cheat!

I'm just kidding about the "cheat" part, but Sri Lanka has questioned whether it's in the spirit of the game for Australian wicket keeper Adam Gilchrist to have put a squash ball inside one of his batting gloves.

The article says he did it to help his grip. I'm not sure why that would help his grip more than just getting a better glove. I'm thinking it's probably more useful as extra padding or as a shock absorber, and given how hard Gilchrist hit the ball against Sri Lanka, I would think it's probably a good thing.

Squash balls could become all the rage among cricketers now, though for England, at least, there are not too many batsmen who last long enough at the crease these days to justify it.

Is it unfair to stuff a squash ball in the glove? Presumably it expands the volume of the glove slightly, which slightly increases the chance of getting caught behind off the glove. Will it make the ball go farther when hit? I doubt it. I can't think of anywhere to put a squash ball that would make me bat like Gilchrist.

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