BATTLE RAGES OVER BALLS
Bowler slams Key ball plan
SURREY’S DAN HAS ‘EM IN A SPIN
A CRICKET LIFE WITH VAUGHANY
“WHAT I DO THINK? I think he’s wrong – 100%,” says Keith Barker in response to Rob Key’s assertion that English cricket would be “much better off” using the Kookaburra ball in the County Championship.
The England Team Director made a series of bold statements on the ball that was used in the opening two rounds of the County Championship. But if he was expecting a chorus of approval in the shires – on the pitch and in the stands – then he might have been left feeling slightly disappointed.
Barker is as well placed as anyone to comment on the battle between the Aussie giant and the traditional Dukes ball. He has, after all, taken well over 500 wickets in red ball domestic cricket, making his debut for Warwickshire as far back as 2009.
And although he missed the first three matches of Hampshire’s season with a knee injury, he’s in some doubt to what the question is, if the ECB think the Kookaburra is the answer.
“I don’t mean that they’re dreadful and shouldn’t be used, but to use them early season when there’s a lot of rain around – the ball balloons, it doesn’t do anything,” he says. “For that ball to produce competitive cricket, the surface needs to be dry, the outfield needs to be dry, so you have a chance of achieving some reverse swing.
“Otherwise – and Alfonso Thomas said this recently – you’ll see average batters look better than they are. There have been some high scores by some very good batsmen in the past couple of weeks. But April has always been known as a difficult period for Championship batters because of the weather. The scores we’ve been seeing have been ridiculous.
“What people like to hide behind is the fact that different formats is having a huge impact on players’ techniques. These young guys don’t want a
