VIJITHA HERATH of the University of Paderborn, Germany, writes: Apropos the claim that Adam Gilchrist had a squash ball in his left glove during his innings at the finals of the cricket World Cup.
Let me offer a scientific perspective.
A squash ball is a rubber ball. Unlike a cricket (leather) ball, it compresses when pressure is applied on it. When the pressure is released, it take its original shape. In short, it acts like a spring ( e.g.: a motorcycle shock absorber).
So what happens when a batman has a squash ball in the palm of his bottom hand?
When a batsman swings the bat until it hits the ball, there is pressure on his bottom hand. This pressure compresses the squash ball thus storing energy in the ball similar to spring. Just after the ball hits the bat (ball still touching the bat) this pressure starts to relax while the bat is moving forward.
At the same time the energy stored in the squash ball releases its energy to the bat in the form of kinetic energy. The result is that the bat moves faster than normal (without a ball in the glove).
As a result, the release-speed of the cricket ball becomes faster resulting in the ball traveling further before hitting the ground. Therefore it results in more sixes and fours being scored.
The downside is because the bat travels faster than normal the batmen might lose control of the bat. This happened once in the Adam Gilchrist’s innings when the bat slipped out of his hands and fell behind the wickets. If you have any doubts please try to do it yourself and see the result.
In brief Gilchrist’s use of the squash ball allowed him to hit the ball further in the field.
An interesting statistic: Gilchrist faced 104 balls and hit thriteen 4s and eight 6s. All the other Australian batsmen (Hayden, Ponting, Symonds, Watson, et al) faced 127 balls and hit just seven 4s and two 6s.
Is this method legal? I don’t know.
Are other batsmen using this method? I don’t know either.
Australia has quite an influence on ICC. Even if Gilly is found wrong, he will be let off with warning. But the damage is done. World Cup 07 is with them !! I feel sorry for Sri Lanka if this is indeed true.
Whats interesting is none of the media sites (BBC etc) are giving this importance… if the same tactic had been employed by a Indian, Sri Lankan or a Pakistani player, they’d be baying for his blood and saying how he brought the game to disrepute…
Mind-boggling explanation!
Someone please whisper this in Tendulkar’s ear… preferably advising him to somehow shove in a FOOTBALL in his glove!!!
The ICC has muddled this world cup enough before it starts indicting the best performer in the finals for cheating. That would be the end of One-Day Cricket as we know it.
After all their ‘no-balling’ of Muralitharan, expect Australians to take umbrage to the charge that Gilly the Walker has actually been cheating.
The problem with the Indian ‘boys’. Not enough bats, not enough wickets, not enough balls…
All this energy-storing and releasing is pure stuff and nonsense. I have seen Gilchrist bat when he was in prime form and he was awesome. He did the same in Perth against England in the last test between England and Australia. There were no squash ball then. The squash ball or the handle cannot bring skills, and the batsman has to have inherent skills to handle the incoming ball released by the bowler, and Gilchrist has plenty of it, and Tendulkar and his mates did not and they failed. As far as Srilankans were concerned their trump card Murali failed ( they kept him out of sight for long to perform the miracle, and it backfired). Surprising to see the sole Tamil Murali in a Srilankan team which is selected on racial line-like the South Africans in 19505 and 60s. Gilchrist who usually ‘walks’ revealed the’ squash ball technique’ himself, no one forced him , and it is a credit to him. As for the BBC and any other news medium, it is triviality and that is that.
thats not even fair and legal using a squash ball in gloves or anything that violate the rule of cricket. in my opinion the final game of cricket should be played again. it is quite simple if a fielder can’t use his sliva to shine the ball or can’t rub the soil on the ball then why gili used that squash ball. here is not the question of how much skills does gili has and indian doesn’t have but the question is using a squash ball is legal?????????????then the answere is quite clear no!!!!!!!!!!!! and hsould never be allowed. i know gili has a lot of potential so why didn’t he score a century and played any remarkable inning in the rest of the world cup???????? where were his ability??????????? ICC, umpires have always favored the Australlian team and hwo can forget the schin’s leg before head.now its time for ICC to ponder???????.
It’s not about how good Gillchrist is, it’s about how legal his act is. We have heard ‘is that legal?’ questions many times in the cricket world. This one clearly qualifies as another good candidate. Especially, because it broke records. Should it prove to be illegal, then any record made with that performance should not count.
Ranga, Murali is not the sole Tamil in SL team. Arnold is another. For whatever it’s worth, SL team has all Sinhala-Buddhist, Sinhala-Catholic, Tamil-Hindu, Tamil-Catholic, and Moor-Muslim players. It has had Dutch Burger players as well e.g. Graham Labroy.
Typical whining after losing.
I wonder why India with its “great scientific talent, passion for cricket, IITs, IIMs, IT companies where the brightest minds work etc etc” could not come out with this simple squash ball technique.
Even if it is ruled illegal in future, I would still credit the Australian team with ingenuity.
this thing of using external aids to boost the performance or the speed of the ball after hit is highly unfair and a shame to the game…!!
anyways…the ICC is not going to do anything about it..!!
world cup 2007 was organized to bring a shame to the carribean…
i guess its the indian sub-continent next….
the ICC wants to show that only australia can play cricket and remaining teams are all full of shit…!!
i can see an end to the glory of this game!!
Except a few whiners in this blog no one in the world seem to bother about the squash ball. In fact no one in the rest of the world seem to bother about cricket as it is a ‘minority sport’. North America and Europe do not bother about this game. Sports like soccer grips attention where even a minor league footballer is paid better than the best batsmen or bowler, and the world cup in
cricket in a ‘non event’ in Americas and Europe.
I have played enough cricket to realize that with a squash ball, “Inside a Glove” it is difficult to grip the bat. However I have solved this complex problem.
What Gilchrist did was to “cut the squash ball into half” to get a hemispherical shape, with the flat surface “slightly shaved off” with the correct “curvature” to match the curvature of the “bat handle” and then introduced into a “special hidden firm glove compartment” in the left glove to obtain a “tight grip.”
Please note that the ” hemispherical side of the ball ” is in the outer side of the “Novel Glove Compartment”
These are known as the “innovative Ideas” of Australians to “cheat” and win the World Cup by hook or by crook. With so many “detrimental issues” stacked against our team, Sri Lanka was robbed of victory.
I will be submitting the above “conclusive analysis” to ICC for immediate attention.
it is totally illegal, it is a shame to the great game of cricket, doing all these cheating. i think ausis have broken the primary rule of cricket and showed to the world it is no more gentlemen game and it is IRC type game.
Performance witht the aid of a squash ball is none other than pure cheating..If Gilchrist can use a squash ball to enhance his bat speed, why can’t Shohaib Akthar or Asif use nandrolome to enhance their performance..Whats the difference, both are ways of performance enhancing techniques.Or for that matter why can’t Wasim akram during his days tamper the ball to get more grip and swing..If Gili can do it Wasim Akram can do it too
Cricket is a sportsmans game, but the Ausies have no sportsmanship in them..They try to be on top of the world without any morality..Whether they take the right or the wrong path, they try to gain the upper hand over their opposition..Assie cricket is like the BUSH administration, manipulating the game to their advantage..
For that matter ICC is powerless and helpless, this is because the Ausies rule and control the ICC as the remote control of a TV unit..This is an opportunity for the ICC to act upon and prove it is an independent body and has the utmost controlling power..Lets Wait and see
And for the other independent bodies..When Shohaib Akthar’s and Mohammad Asif’s ban was lifted, the World Anti Doping Authourity (WADA) intervened and acted upon it..OK then lets see which independent organization wil intervene on Gilchrist – squash ball matter..
As for the guys above, mostly from Asia..I appreciate those guys from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and other Asian and non-Asian who supported and urged Sri Lanka to win the world cup..Thats the way guys, Asia is the best ..See for a fact Asia has the best batsmen -Sachin, Worlds Best Spinner – Murali, Worlds Fastest Bowler – Shohaib, Worlds Prolific batsment – Jayasuriya and many more ..If Asia plays against the rest of the world, it will be a sorry sight for the rest of the world.
Finally my friend, to the world Australia may be the champion, but for those who support Sri Lanka and Asia, Sri Lankan is the unofficial champion of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. This is because Sri Lanka lost without cheating and the Aussies won cheating..
From Loyal Sri Lankan & a True follower of Cricket
May we suggest that all Australians to be body checked before entering the play fields and also to conduct drug tests on a regular basis.The word cup should be forfeited and “gilly”should be banned for life.
Why no Cricket ‘Expert’, commentators, Officials, ICC staff, Our own Sunny Gavaskar have not talked about it? Why?? Why, Arjuna Ranatunga who was present thro’out in WI has not raised this?Sri Lankans would hate to do this. Australians wouldn’ care.India and pak are busy witheir local unending burlesque shows. Umpires and match Referee with Speed are already read in their face over the bungling in the finals.Would suggest Churumuri to take up this matter with concerned people like Viv Richards, Botham so that this matter stays in focus and reaches its logical conclusion..
Continuation from my revious comment………..
OK everyone, if and when ICC wants to take action, what will it be or how will it take action..Take for instance if an olympic athlete is found guilty of foul play then the medal given to that athelete is withdrawn or grabbed and given to the athlete who came or finished next to the athlete found of foul play..Thats obvious.
In Gilchrist and Australias case how will the ICC deal (If and when they deal)..Will they take the world cup and give it to the Sri Lankans similar to Olympics, or will Gilchrists ”Man of the Match” given to someone else..If then man of the match trophy is withdrawn from Gilchrist then his Innings is not counted or accepted..If his innings is not accepted then the overall Autralian innings is not 281 for that matter..It is possible if Gilchrist didn’t score someone else would have scored, but not at the same pace..If thats the case how much and what will be the score..This cannot be guessed or predicted..This is a tricky situation..
Being in this situation the ICC cannot make a decision..Hence will the world cup trophy be shared by both countries..I have been watching cricket from my small days and the only time a major trophy was shared is the ICC Champions trophy being shared by India and Sri Lanka..
Or will there be a rematch scheduled, which if happens will be the first in the history of the world cup and the cricket itself..
Oh will the ICC the supreme governing body will just keep quiet and let time make people forget what happened as it did at other times.
Lets wait and see..Wish for the best..Whatever it is the Sri Lankans are champions in the minds of its followers..They didn’t cheat, they played fair but felt prey to some Aussie cunningness..Like the cunning fox outsmarting the hare..Aussie did to the Sri Lankans..
Whatever it is Sri Lankans returned home with collars up and a proud team..Proud to be a sri Lankan.
From a Loyal Sri Lankan & a True Cricket Follower
Best to accept the fact that the better side on the day won., that is Australians. Gilchrist could have been restricted or bowled out. He was not using a 10ft X 20 ft bat. Why the wonderful Murali or any one on the SriLankan side did not bowl him with a doosra ( with a strange illegal action of Murali) or a yorker or a leg cutter or whatever. Griping about the lost match due to ineffectual bowling on SriLankan side does nothing now.
I agree with Ranga. Sri Lankans have to accept defeat–any side which fields the likes of Murali is at once suspect. On the other side, it amusing to see how Australians revel in their recidivism–that is a habitual relapse into criminal behavior:)
@ E.R.,
Better to keep Gavaskar out of this, before he goes off insulting more dead people…
Sri Lankan cricket team and officials should keep away from such discussions for the sake of sportsmanship, but nothing should take away the right of Sri Lankan and other cricket fans to question the legality of Gilchrist’s act. You can leave Australia as the 2007 WC winners and SL and others as losers, talk in awe Gilchrist’s scintillating inning, and appreciate Australia’s mammoth talent, Nothing change the fact that Gilchrist played with a physical object shoved in his glove. He didn’t do it to deter his uncontrollable talent; he did it to enhance his performance and scored 111 more than the second highest Aussie scorer in the game who is the highest scorer in the tournament. If it is not questioned he can do it again on any side. Such performance enhancement is not just between Gillchrist and SL, it’s between the batsman and the bowler. If this imbalance remains legal and batsmen continue to dominate bowlers there won’t be much of a game between them. WC is over, Australia are champions, but the question remains; Can a batsman use a foreign physical object in his glove to enhance his performance? It doesn’t have to be about 2007 WC, it’s about cricket.
The amazing fact is those who do not want Gilcrist’s act to be questioned are still questioning Murali’s action even after he took the tests he was asked to take.
Ranga, Sure, Gilchrist was not using 10ftX20ft bat and neither was Murali bowling with a 10ft long arm. Murali’s “strange illegal action” was questioned and tested, so let’s do the same to Gilchrist’s controversial squash ball usage.
In regard to RANGA and DODDI BUDDI
I totally agree with Sdev..Ranga you talked about Murali, how many times does he have to go through the test to ptove that his action is legal..And for your information he wnet through the tests in Australia and the those who tested were Australians..As Sdev told similarly lets bring Gilchrists act to public and test it, lets see if you guys can prove it is legal..
You guys are fond of talking about Murali’s action.. Tell this for a fact did Murali bowl with something extra other than his hand..But Gilchrist did, he batted with a squash ball in addition to those things legally allowed to use as a batsman..
Can Ranga and Dodi tell me how Gilchrist scored only in the final and at that pace in the only match he used a squash ball..May be he borrowed the gloves with squash ball from Hayden, who would have used throughout the tournament..
You guys say it is his talent..Does the meaning of Talent tells ”the abilty of an individual born or gained plus a squash ball”
So Murali has tested and proven critics wrong and lets test Gilichrists action of using a squash ball and see whether it is legal or not
From a Loyal Sri Lankan & a True Cricket Follower
You have got to be kidding me. Get over it. Australia won the world cup. It wasn’t just the final that they dominated, it was the whole tornament. Typical that people have to bring into question the achievements of the Aussie team. The reason noone likes us is because we are a mile better than the rest. To suggest that a squash ball was the reason that Gilchrist scored his magnificent century is just completely ludicrous. He’s already stated he used it to help him grip the bat easier.
As for Mausifan, mate, they changed the damn rule for Murali to make it legal. You used to only be allowed to bend your elbow 10 cm. Now it is 15cm. Why do you think that is? So that Murali’s action is legal.
Maybe the other teams should just work on becoming better players. Time to get on with life people. The Aussies are the champs again.
Sore losers is the only description I can think of. When your team drops out because they are hopelessly inept and obviously inferior in cricket skills and culture, you only have one avenue to persue. Complaining about a squash ball. Sub-continental teams are being left behind in the cricket world. I beleive they should have a break away competition so they can catch up to the skills of the other countries (Ireland).
I reckon the Aussies, Kiwi’s, English, Irish or South Africans could bowl out the subcontinental teams WITH a squash ball….
Anyway, the difference wasn’t a squash ball… it was skill.
From an avid Irish cricket supporter
There is no scientific reason why he had the squash ball. If any of you have ever held a bat it was so he has LESS of a grip on the bottom hand, not choking the bat as you would need to do to have this ‘spring effect’ you are all talking about. It means that he has a soft grip and is not bottom hand dominated which only controls a shot. Power comes from the top hand. You may watch a lot of cricket and read science journals, but none of you have played the game at a serious level.
I have just compressed 5 squash balls and placed a cricket ball on top. On release them the cricket ball went nowhere vertically that I could see. Horizontally the ball rolled 11cm and that was with direct contact! Certainly the effect is negligible compared to the weight or size of bats within their legal limits and the ‘spring’ in the wood. If the ball was cut in half (don’t want to do that as I need the ball for a game (of cricket) ….. just kidding) the effect would be less than half. I’m sure that the experiment will be repeated many times.
even if you can consider the squash ball to be cheating in some form that fails in comparison to ball tampering which apparntly if recent history is to go by ( english testmatch ) is perfectly ok by everyone on the sub-continant
Com’on you guys build a bridge ….. get over it!!!!!! the Aussies won fair and square .i think Gilchrist could have used a star picket and still belted that score the Sri’s were throwing pies at him/…
Chucka!!!!
Dont have a crack at Gilly when all murali does is throw the ball. Bring back Darrell Hair and No-Ball him everytime he straightens his arm – which is every delivery!!!!
At least Darrell would have known the Duckworth Lewis rules!!! Its a pity that the two best umpires in the world could not do their jobs because they would have been seen to be biased towards Australia. No more biased than the lopsided result I reckon!!!
I think the Aussies would gladly play again – the result would be the same. They were just lucky it didnt go for 50 overs, otherwise they would have been chasing 400+!!!
Just because Murali is fine in testing – does not mean he does not throw the ball.
I can pass a test with my arm straight. Does this mean that for every delivery I bowl thereafter in a game is straight???
No, it just means that it can be straight. Whether it continues to be so during games must surely be on a ball by ball basis. That is why the umpires are there – to check if each delivery is legal.
Let us not forget that Sri Lanka cheated by not fielding a full strength team against Australia in a game leading up to the Final and cheated in the game against England when the bowler baulked during his run up….stop bleating – you lost! And don’t even get me started about the bloke who throws….
Enough with all this hot air. Can anyone post the specific law as it relates to this situation regarding whether a ‘foreign body’ inside the glove is legal or not covered by the rules. If it is the latter then everyone, please Shut up…
I think the point that you are all missing is that no side got anywhere near Australia for the whole World Cup, Australia are clearly the best side by a long way.
Yes Murali was cleared to have a legal bowling action, only after the ICC changed the rules to ensure that Murali’s action came within the allowed specifications.
It is a bit rich accusing Australia of having control over the ICC, as I see it it is the sub continent countries that have the run of the ICC as evidenced by the sacking of Australian umpires for daring to make decisions which Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc do not agree with.
Accept the fact that Australia are the best team in the world and Sri Lanka were not good enough to win.
Gilly is a living ledgend! There has been a big pattern over the last few years in that he can be out of form game after game and then all of a sudden just come out firing. Although he is growing older he is still regarded as one of the most leathal batsman ever to play cricket, this innings, although it will most likely go down as the greatest and most crucial world cup knock to date, it’s not the first time Gilchrist has hit such a leathal innings.
This is simply another case of expert and eletric batting that Gilly still is able to perform, it can’t and should’t go down as anything illegal, what’s next? Banning chewing gum because it could help stimulate the feilder’s minds resulting them playing better???
All you guys are smoking crack cocaine. Can’t believe how much you are sore losers. Lets try to remember that the ICC CHANGED the laws regarding Muralis chucking to allow him to keep on chucking. Go Aussies, 3 in a row, soon to be four in a row in four years time on the sub continent.
What about Slinger Malinga’s action.The ball leaves his hand directly front of the umpire restricting the batsmen view of the sight screen.
There is nothing in the rules that dont allow an object to be carried inside the batting glove.
Batting is about hand eye co-ordination and on the day Gilchrist had it working to perfection without x-ray vision,laser beams or robotic arms.
I dont think Gilchrist cheated.
I can’t believe the rubbish being talked of here. Batsmen have been wrapping themselves in all sorts of things to protect their bodies, arms and legs for the last century. None of these require approval by the ICC unless they will contact with or affect the ball.
Wicket keepers have tried a number of things to protect their hands over the years, but they are inside the glove, so it doesn’t matter.
Gilchrist’s squash ball was inside his glove, its main purpose was to slightly alter the position of the bat in his grip as his timing was slightly off. He could have done the same thing with a piece of rubber inside his glove. The amount of “stored energy” that a compressed squash ball would add to a cricket ball arriving at 90kph would be 0.000%
Say all you want. Winners are grinners. Sad thing is – the game was a farce, Sri Lanka got put out the park so many times because the pitch was flat with hardly any cracks in it. An 9 year old could have gone out there and hit 6’s on that pitch. Just take it like men and accept that Australia is the dominent force in cricket at the moment. Rest assured, the rest of the cricketing world will catch up and it will change. Remember the 70’s and 80’s when West Indies were unbeatable? Remember 96 world cup final or have you forgotten? Sri Lanka reinvented the 1 day game with their early innings smashing and it payed off. All I see here is a bunch of people looking for an excuse to take some more glory away from a winning team. After what we all saw on that faitfull day, cricket has been sent back to the dark ages (no pun intended). I jut hope the sport can recover on a global scale because the sports image has been severely damaged with all that has been revealed and all that has happened. I mean – 1 little squash ball is the lease of your trouble when you consider the recent death in cricket and all the match fixing alegations. Think about that aye?
The World Cup was a complete joke, every part of it was rubish. Lets stop worring about something as small as this. Cricket is a joke and needs to be fixed.
Some of the comments on here are truely moronic.
From a Loyal Sri Lankan & a True Cricket Follower, your comments are those of a sore loser. Sri Lanka played well througout the tournament but the better TEAM won on the day. Remember that, TEAM. It takes 11 players to win a tournament. Hayden, Ponting and Clarke didn’t use the squash ball. Cricket is esentially a hand/eye coordination sport. You have to be able to hit and place the ball first. Most of you seem to forget Gilchrist smashed a faster century in the Perth test match not too long ago. The boundaries in Perth are far bigger than those in Barbados so power is not an issue with the squash ball.
No doubt rules will have to be verified and checked as it is a grey area like that of Murali’s bowling action. Which, BTW the rules were changed to allow for Murali’s bowing action.
Australia should be applauded for it’s ingenuity there is no conspiricy here. Some of the sub-continent teams need to take a good hard look at themselves before pointing the fingers at others.
Umm, weren’t the rules of cricket changed *FOR* Murali to make his action legal ?
How dare you people criticise Adam Gilchrist. The ICC had to actually change the rules of cricket so as to allow The Chucker (Murali) to keep his record and keep playing the game.
Get a grip folks.
The squash ball is not a device to help bat speed. It was in fact a device to make sure that he reduced the grip of his bottom hand and therefore put more reliance on his top hand. The end result is to improve technique not bat speed or hitting power. Another detail I noticed about Gilly;s innings is that he held the bat lower down the handle until he got a start instead of at the end as he usually does, would changing the position of his hands on the handle also be interpreted as cheating. One final note Adam Gilchrist also has always gone through a run of low score then pulls one out of the bag when needed why would this time be any different.
A little extra padding in a glove to make sure you cant grip as tightly is not cheating, even if it is a half a squash ball
Ooops … you forgot something.
a. There are a good many Indians and others wearing good luck charms and using other potions and spells … I’m not sure it is anything but a psychological ‘aid’.
b. If Australia had a B side in the competition the final would’ve been held between Aus A and Aus B.
c. Sri Lanka have been using an illegal cricketing device for years … Murali.
d. Gilchrist is capable of the same kind of thing at any time – his day came in the final. Witness his extremely fast century in the recent Ashes tour.
Sour grapes.
One day, Aus will be an also ran but for now they are well ahead.
and just one more thing, everybody is asking the question is the squash ball legal? People should, in fact, be asking “Is the squash ball ILLEGAL?”
Oh Whatever. I seriously doubt a squash ball would increase bat speed. As an Aussie I have seen Gilly clear stamdiums easily because he is a powerful hitter, not because he had a squash ball in his glove. Anyway, the squash ball couldn’t be fully pumped up as it would be far to large (and would serious inhibit his ability to accurate connect with a ball). I presume the ball was deflated and anyone who has seen a deflated squash ball would know it holds no energy or spring effect (i mean it doesn’t even bounce). Also I am not convinced that a ‘spring-like’ substance in the gloves would have any positive effect. A spring-like substance in the bat is another matter.
Gilly’s explanation is entirely reasonable – it was there for the purposes of his grip. Let all arguement be around that point. In that way it is not different from putting a bit of cloth in his glove.
Also, stop trying to reinvent what happened in the world cup. Australia has been the standout team in the entire tournament and for the last 10 years. All the Australians played well at some stage throught the tournament. That is what makes them such a good team, there is no weak link. In the final it was just Gily’s turn to perform, and he did.
You all need to clarify….he did not have a WHOLE squash ball stuck in his glove, he had HALF a squash ball and it was to get him to focus on his grip on the bat, a technique used all the time in training to assist batsmen. There was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING illegal about it. It did not impact on the ball or given him any additional power.
Any comments about Australia ruling the ICC from Indian, Pakistani or Sri Lankan supporters are a bit rich considering the World Cup was structured to suit the tv viewers in those countries.
The best team won and one of the greatest one day players the world has seen played a sublime innings in the final. It was no more brutal than Matt Haydens innings against South Africa or many other of Gilly’s innings over his career (one at the WACA comes to mind).
I think what everyone in these comments is forgetting is that Gilly was almost C&B on 30, Is it illegal to carry a squashed ball in the glove??? Who knows, there is actually nothing in the rule book that says what one can have in their glove.
The reason none of the media is worried about this is that it doesn’t matter, Australia won fair and square, there was no cheating involved, and the Sri Lankens were not robbed of a victory. The rest of the Australian team were in brilliant form, and would have scored a massive total either way in the final (just look at the rest of the games). Can all you wingers please just give it a rest and accept that the better team won on the day. The ICC is actually very much against Australia in many ways and favours the Subcontinent in many more ways due to your bloody winging all the freaking time.
Accept facts, Australia were the team to beat in the finals and were the better team. They bowls better and batted better, live with it.
You guys are unbelievable! A bigger bunch of sore losers never has there been. Murali is a chucker, everyone knows it, but the ICC is controlled by India and supported by Sri Lanka and Pakistan so they have changed the rules so a cheat can play.Someone mentioned the tests Murali undertook, what a joke!!! They wired him up and monitored his arm in a laboratory, and they announce his action is legal???? What drivel. Even if Murali takes 1000 wickets it will be meaningless as everyone knows he is a cheat. The great Bishen Bedi even commented on the illegitimacy of Murali’s action.
Now you are comparing this to a batsmen who has a squash ball in his hand? Please stop smoking whatever it is and get a life.
You are all kidding yourselves!
It was a training aid he used to stop bad habits he had got into with his grip. He trained with the squash ball and felt it helped. If the Sri Lankan bowlers had bowled better, he would have been out. The fact is the Sri Lankan team was out played by a better team and the best team won on the day. It had nothing to do with bat speed, or any other rediculous crap I am reading.
As to calling the Aussies cheats, it just shows sour grapes. There were 11 men on each team, not one. Sri Lanka had 11 batsman that could have made better scores but didnt. Get a grip on reality. There was no cheating. The better team won and congratulations to Adam Gilchrist on a great innings.
How many sore losers are on this board. India could not even make the finals, the Pakis are gambling cheats and Sri Lanka were SMASHED. Once again Australia is superior and always will be. Oh yeah, if Gilly should be asked about his squash ball, Murali shouldn’t be allowed to chuck his doosra.
Sour Grapes gentlemen, sour grapes.
The original post regarding the squash ball is immediately refuted by the fact that it is only half a squash ball. This would not have the ability to contract and expand as the original poster postulates, and I repeat postulates.
With regard to Murali, he makes me very sad. All this talk of Australia running the ICC is pure nonsense. We all know money talks and bullshit walks. Well, where is all the money in cricket? It comes from the subcontinent, in case you were unaware. It has become clear that the real power in cricket is based in the three nations that you feel are so put upon.
You must be kidding, two fast bowlers get busted for drugs and they are ready to play at the drop of a hat. A captain walks off the field in a hissy fit and the umpire is the one who gets disciplined. A spin bowler from the accused cheating nation is caught taking masking agents before the most important tournament of his career and is promptly banned for more than a year. Is this a sign that Australia rules all, I think not.
Returning to the “Chucker” and I use this term with full belief, I propose this to you. If I am booked for speeding and I say I wasn’t then they decide to test me I will drive slowly and show that I couldn’t have been speeding. Does this prove that I wasn’t speeding at the time or that I will never speed again. No it does not, it merely shows that I am capable of completing a task within the rules. Now if I have a powerful organisation behind me saying that I must be aquitted, say the biggest income generating nations, then this test will be seen as addressing all issues and I will be able to continue to drive.
Gilchrists innings was magnificent and if bowling around the wicket at him for once did not result in his dismissal that is the bowlers fault.
As I said it, makes me sad that the greatest spin bowler of all time, no I mean legal spin bowler my subcontinental friends, will end up with his records beaten by one that has been backed by money and power.
I would also like to say that Malinga’s spell was one of the best I have seen in a final and he deserves all accolades that were awarded him during the series.
An unhappy cricket fan (Australian though)
Convenient from the Shri Lankan fans… you forget to mention that the rules were changed to accommodate Murali and his “suspect” action. I will admit I didn’t think Gilly was cheating before reading this blog, but I guess questions are left unanswered when he was the only player from both sides to score at better than a run a ball.
Is it cheating? I can’t say that I know the answer to that.
Gilchrist routed England in the recent test in Perth and earlier tests in England. He is a very distructive batsmen.
It is simply Srilankan bowlers including Murali and others simply failed. They did not bowl line and length,. Murali’s doosra fizled and he was an expensive bowler. Others in first 15 overs gave juicy half-volleys for thr batsmen to hit. They very rarely bowled full length. They hid Murali in other earlier games assuming that he was a trump card, and this failed. Murali’s bowling actions are still a suspect-ask any non-Srilankan ex-captains and commentators they will tell you about suspicious. Remove Rangan Madugale his protector at the ICC, you will see the result.
Srilankans should stop griping and accept the best side -Australians won.
From my name you could guess that I am of Indian extraction and unlike the umpteen Srilnakan bloggers I am neutral and fair.
Lets put it this way — if an equivilant material to that of half a squash ball was sewn inside a glove & sold that way, do you guys think it would be legal?
Its basically rubber — which forms part of the gloves padding in the first place.
I’m an Aussie & I think Murili is probably the best thing to happen to cricket in the last 15 years – I love watching him bowl.
The comment that nothing was said to gillie about the ball & that something would have been said if the batsman had of been from the subcontinent is bloody disgracefull — I am sick to death of crap like this.
Stop crying “poor little me” & start taking responsibily for your failures instead of blaming them on someone else.
Do people REALLY think we won the world cup because gillie had a piece of rubber in this glove?
sad
Billy Bob
If I read the arguments of Srilankan bloggers, their views reflect the same way they argue about the status of minority Tamils in their country-not analysing facts and not seeing the writing on the wall.
Congratulations, you’ve got a spot on the Fox News website in Australia: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21670701-952,00.html
Frankly, the “scientific” analysis sounds like a number of genuine theories have been woven together into something that sounds scientific but which is really very shaky. I’d be more than happy for any number of empirical tests to be carried out, where batsmen went out with and without (half) a squash ball in their glove and for them to see whether it provided any objective advantage. At best, it might have provided a mental advantage – a belief that it’s better and they therefore play better. More likely, it will make the batsman feel different from normal and they will bat far worse. I would say this is especially the case because most batsman don’t hold their bat as high on the handle as Gilchrist does, which is really what the squash ball was doing – reminding him not to choke down on the bat handle harder or lower because of his nervousness. It is more akin to a batsman wanting a particular model of helmet or having a totem around his neck, or the name of his wife & kids written on the inside of his glove, or other motivational / reminder technique.
I also fail to see how it could be possibly illegal under the laws of cricket. Coudl someone point out the rule to me under which it is illegal, please? I don’t see how it is any less legal than a thigh guard or a groin protector or body protection – all items that are worn inside the batsman’s clothing and all of which definitely DO provide them an advantage (both actual – real protection in case they get hit – and mental – freedom from the worry that they might be hurt).
what about steve waugh, why dont we just write off his entire career cos he played with a red hanky in his pocket?
If Murali’s action is/was legal why did they have to change the laws of cricket to allow it be legal. Up to 4 degrees? What a load of crap. Australia are better than anyone else and gilly has scored many innings just as good and better before without a squash ball. Any extra energy stored in a tiny squash ball would be so small as to render it inconsequential. Get over it.
My gosh. What a load of whingers.
Oh, and to those saying Australia has a huge influence on the ICC – I’ll have you know that the power of the ICC currently lies with subcontinent. In particular, the BCCI commands a huge amount of power.
This explains all the major tournaments they get – such as the Champions Trophy and the World Cup – and other assorted cash cows that reap the benefits of a huge fanatical cricket fan base.
So get your facts right. Stop whinging.
You lost. Get over it. Try hard next time.
I find it funny that everyone thinks Australia has cheated and the CWC should be stripped from our grasp. This was Gilly’s only significant contribution to the campaign and yes in all of those other matches he did have the squash ball in the glove. The ICC had ample opportunity to rule on the issue and didn’t in all of those prior matches. You should concentrate your energies more on the debacle at the end of the match. Ski Lanka could still have mathematically won the match but due to the ICC’s incompetence were robbed of this chance. Besides the rules were changed for another famous Ski Lankan cricketer by a team of experts in Australia.
Dead set the crap falling out of your mouths about Gilly. This man is electric with the bat and squash ball or no squash ball it was only a matter of time before he found the form he did in the final, and if he did’nt, one of the other Australian batsman would have. The fact that Sri lanka made the final should not be over looked and full credit to them, they finished well above the likes of England, South Africa, India and the West Indies. The bottom line is that Australia is the only country that commits to building the game of cricket both in Australia and in the World, They have the best development programs in place all around Australia to not only be successful but to raise the bar. They also contribute to the ICC in more then one way infact without Australia, New Zealand and maybe England, Cricket would be a nothing sport a non event. Squash ball or not they were never challenged in this world cup and the rest of the Cricketing nations involved should have a good hard look at themselves and stop the blame game and pull thier fingers out. As far as i am concerned the only disgrace in this world cup was the lack of talent every other nation showed up with………..
I cant believe the amount of whining on here.
Australia these days has no influence on the ICC. If they did, do you think that the best umpire in the world as voted by his peers, Mr Daryl Hair, wouldnt have been officiating at the world cup.
Do you think that if Australia had all that much influence with the ICC, the rules on chucking would have been changed to allow Murili’s action to become legal.
No, As Vikram said, the power lies with the subcontinent.
All you are doing is squeezing the drops out of some sour grapes. Your side dropped the bundle and got creamed by the best team in the world. Start looking at why your team failed and stop look for external reason
Pathetic response by most here. As I asked in another blog, does Murali’s bent arm allow him to impart more spin on the ball than would be possible if the delivery action was truly legal? Before you get carried away, yes i know it is legal now, after the law was altered to suit him.
So who does the ICC bow too? Not Cricket Australia. Sub continent media is closer to the truth. 80% of global revenue from cricket is from the sub continent. The ICC follows the money. That was why the World Cup was a farce and the fact Sub continent cricket teams, particularly India are over paid nancy boys, who are more concerned with their image than working hard in pursuit of victory.
Sore losers. Grow up and appreciate good cricket when it is being played. No matter what team it may be. If anyone should be accused of racism I think it’s the authors of some of the tripe in this blog.
The Chucking laws were changed not only to accommdate Muralitharan. It was found that Brett Lee, McGrath , Gillespie, Akthar and most bowlers bent their arms during the delivery of the ball. The only player who was found not bending his arm was Sarwan. These tests were conducted during the ICC campions trophy.When the Aussies find a bowler they cannot face they call him “Chucking”. This was started by Border during his visit to Sri Lanka in the Nineties.I am surprised that they are not calling Malinga yet? but wait and see they will say that he is on drugs. Shane Warne took drugs and could not play the last world cup because he used a masking drug. Come On Aussies where is your “Fair Dinkum” . Convicts will always be Convictsas Ian Botham says.
VIJITHA HERATH , you are a sook. I am sure that the squash ball in his glove was the reason Sri Lanka were no match what so ever.
Good to see that you feel the need to get technical about the spring effect of the squash ball leading to Gilly hitting 6’s and 4’s.
If you are interested in statistics look up how many time Gilly has hit 3,4 or 5 times as many 4’s and 6’s then the rest of the Australian team in a single inning.
Without doubt the biggest load of garbage I have ever read!
Aussies change the rules in cricket. They always do. They do not have a “fair” bone in their bodies. The fact is when Yobbos play cricket you will not find any fairness.
Ross M,
you have poured a great deal of vitriol regarding convicts and Yobbos and are yet to say anything of value. Did you have a point to make or did you just wake up a little grumpy this morning. I would be interested in any factual arguments you have besides saying no fair bone in your body. There is a least one fair bone, which refutes your NO fair bone. Gilly walks. It seems that it would be of some benefit to all of us, in particular to us saving time by not reading nonsensical drivel, if you did the same.
Where do people who complain of racism get belief that it is alright to disparage the background of a country with one side of their mouth while moaning with the other.
remind me which ‘bowler’ would not be playing if they hadn’t changed the rules.
Darrell Hair is the best umpire in cricket history.
Anyone criticising Adam Gilchrist and this acclaimed superior power with a damn Squash Ball need there head read. Seriously. Just because your teams were absolutely woeful in the World Cup (exception to Sri Lanka – top tournament guys), you now need to dissect the winning team and try and determine some additional force that enabled them to win.
Winning takes years of hard work. And is earned by wanting it and training day in day out.
Maybe your teams should engage in some of this for 2011.
Hopeless, a squash ball of all things determining the winner of the World Cup. Get some sleep guys, maybe worry about who your pathetic murderer was who brutally took Bob woolmers life during the WorldCup – or hey – maybe you are looking for a scapegoat to exploit to try cover up the attrocities that took place to the Pakistani Coach?
For Shame.
Maybe watch some more games played by Australia. True champions. Aggressive yes, but only for the ultimate goal – to win.
Ahh, so the answer to all of my problems has been the abesnce of half a squash ball. I think I shall put one over my knob to give me super sexual prowess. Wear one on my ear to give me super hearing. Wear one like a hat to make me super smart. Perhaps the scientists of the world should utilize the humble half squash ball to cure cancer and rid the world of HIV.
Perhaps Murali should strap one to his elbow to keep his arm straight during his suspect bowling action.
Aussies behave like the most evilest bullies in the school backyard.
Foulmouthing, offensive signs/actionsthey are like Materazzi x 11!
Wonder why doesn’t ICC punish them for all these misdemeanors?
They made such a fuss when Bob Woolmer and Cronje experimented with those transmitters and receivers… what about them?
Can’t they be reprimanded?
PS: it is good to see goras being aware of Mysore’s humble delicacy(or is it uttara karnataka’s?).
Well lets say this if GILLY is classed as cheating. Then if someone has a bandaid on their hand it can be classed as cheating as well. Really I cant see it being effective actually he should of batted worse without the practice of it …
If they want to say that game doesnt count . Then we will just look at the game before against Whinge Lanka where GILLY didnt use a squash ball.. Oh the result is still the same .. Face it Whinge Lanka made a big mistake not playing for a win the game before.. So either way Whinge Lanka lost..
But What the ICC should look into is how they Whinge Lanka could be forced to bat 3 overs in near darkness ..
anyway its won now.. Maybe all teams need some squash balls.. then they can give australia some serious challenge..
So a bunch of cricketers have never played squash. Where’s the interesting part?
I have seen a few postings on this site that suggest that the international creicket community are biased against nations from the sub-continent. What a load of rubbish, look at the case of that Australian Umpire who lost his job at the behest of the Sub-continent bloc of cricketing nations.
The Squash Ball didn’t help his batting during the whole world cup until the end, maybe he is a big game player.
AUSTRALIA are the WORLD CHAMPIONS yet AGAIN.
Australia was the best team of this world cup by a huge margin. The depth of Australian team is bewildering. I think even without Gilchrist, Ponting and other star players, Australia would still have easily won the world cup.
Big clue here guys. Gilly has always hit big 4’s and 6’s. This wasn’t even the most powerful display i hvae seen from him. The leading worlds bowlers when asked who they fear the most, always say Gilly “because he can tear you apart and change the game in blink of an eye”. He has been able to do this since taking on the wicketkeeping role for Australia. He like all players, was below his devestating best early on, and was the shortest price on the beting to get a hundred in the final. Everyone knew it was coming, and they didn’t know about his extra padding in the form of a squash ball. How uncomfortable must that hav ebeen anyway?
I have the answer. The ICC will do what they did for the few bowlers whose action was illegal (15 degrees) they will change the rules. All gloves shall now be fitted with the squash ball as standard equipment. eniv thinks that the two people mentioned should be reprimanded. Late news, they are both dead it will be difficult.
What a great tragedy that this issue has been raised in the wake of a most disatrous World Cup. The early exit of Pakistan and India neither reaching the Super 8s. The tragic death of a respected Cricket Coach.
The apprehension of his Killer seems to me to be of greater importance than whether or not Murali “CHUCKS” or Gilly has more “BALLS” than anyone else.
Just say a prayer or two to YOUR GOD today for the family and friends of Bob Woolmer whose life was tragically taken from them, seemingly by someone whose PASSION for the game left them without any semblance of HUMANITY.
Alas, we have lost the sense that CRICKET is a “GENTLEMEN’S GAME”, but what can you expect when money becomes iinvolved.
What should be a uniter of Countries, a game played in good spirit, is descending into a sad chase for cash.
I wounder if we should also examine the use of padded under gloves the a lot of the batsmen were wearing they to could give an unfair advantage. Over the years the gloves are getting bigger and bigger. Most top line cricketer’s know wear batting gloves several sizes bigger to accommodate the thick inners. I remember several batsmen placing newspaper clipping in there gloves to offset the balance, These days professional gloves are weighted differently for that reason.
Whinge, whinge, whinge. The fact is we won, you lost. Bite me. Try again in 4 years.
If a squash ball is cheating, surely doctoring pitches in Sri Lanka to suit Murili’s ‘chucking’ is cheating.
There is a saying: if you live in glass houses, don’t through stones.
The subcontinent teams have been doctoring pitches and fixing games for years. The funny thing is, you still can’t win.
3 in a row, 3 in a row, 3 in a row…………..when did a subcontinent team last win the WC?
Ross M
The Aussies were not the only ones calling Mullri a chucker Australia just happen to supply the ump, But I must correct you when you say a bowler we cannot face Murlli always gets hammered when he plays Australia They love him down there they get heaps of runs just look at the stats
To the Aussie supporters: I am an Australian, but when it comes to cricket I am ashamed to call myself an Australian. Why? Because:
They are well known sledgers (they don’t need to sledge to win
a game)
Arrogant (why?)
Sore losers, cannot accept defeat (It’s only a game, why not
learnt to accept defeat?)
The only country to question Murali’s action repeatedly – why?
Cannot accept the fact that someone other than Shane Warne
is going to be the record holder. Basically cannot stand others
performing well and breaking records.
The reaction of insult to suggest that Australians could ever bend rules to suit themselves (re: initial cover up of Warne & M Waugh taking money for “pitch reports”). This never surfaced and was hidden under the carpet by the officials. When it surfaced, what was the punishment, a slap in the wrist!
Many are talking about Murali when the story is about Gilchrist’s innings. For your information for those who are questioning his action: The fact is that Murali has been tested and cleared THREE times including one of the famous scientist from Australia. People should know the facts before they question his action. Many have also commented about the change of rules to accommodate Murali. All you guys get your facts right. The rules were NOT changed because of Murali. Many bowlers were tested (fast, medium, spin) and found to be over the limit including some of the greats from Australia, Brett Lee and others! This was the very reason for ICC to increase the percentage. I would advise you Aussies to read up the facts and then comment. Therefore you sore losers whether you like it or not, learn to admit and put up with the fact that Murali will be the record holder whether you like it or not.
Now that Malinga is a threat his action is being questioned is it? He has been labelled to be having similar action of Jeff Thompson. Are you now questioning the great Jeff Thompson? How about Shaun Tait?
Enough is enough. The world agrees that Australia is currently dominating cricket and no one is denying that fact. The question has risen about the “squash ball”. Why not get ICC to get it tested and put it to rest?
The law specifically prohibits a player from using equipment other than that permitted. And nowhere in cricket’s 42 laws is there a mention of a squash ball as a permitted item.
If Dennis Lilee’s aluminium bat and Ricky Ponting’s graphite-coated bat could be deemed illegal, if Hansie Cronje’s earpiece experiment was not OK, if Scott Styris had to remove all the bandage from his right hand before he could bowl in the super eight match, can Adam Gilchrist’s ‘hidden ball’ pass muster?
No law can, of course, take the sheen away from Gilchrist’s knock. Batting with a normal grip against the world’s best bowlers is tough enough, batting with a squash ball in one of your gloves is worse. To score 149 scintillating runs is, well, incredible.
Still, two questions arise: If using a squash ball isn’t ok as per the laws of the game, is his innings legal and does it count? And if it doesn’t count, can Australia claim to have won a hopelessly one-sided and farcical victory?
Gazza, What a load of rubbish. Most of the teams sledge to a certain degree, have a look at http://vivekshah.wordpress.com/2006/06/18/best-cricket-sledges/.
No team likes to lose, case in point every team that the Aussies beat complain, but that is all they do. When the Aussies lose they blame there performance and then work out how to fix it.
As for bowling actions the issue with Malinga is that his arm is just above the horizontal, as a coach I am always trying to get my players to get there arns high, if Malinga’s drops much more it would be an under arm. Tait and Thompson got their arms closer to the vertical.
As has been said earlier the sqash ball is only a performance enhancer in that it forces the player to play with correct technique and have a more dominant top hand.
At he end of the day the Aussies were the dominant team of the WC and if being professional and wanting to win is arrogant then I know what I will be teaching my players next season.
Gazza, bowling when you are being photoed and then when you are in competition, are two entireley different things. And how were the Aussies sore losers when they lost to England In the world series finals or New Zealand matches. they didn’t complain, just stated the facts that they had their eye on the main prize later in hte year. Also go back and look at footage of Jeff Thompson – there is no relationship to Malingas, although I have no problem with his action anyway. Gazza, you are just sufferng some cultural reverse bias cringe. As they say build a bridge AND GET OVER IT!
The best team won, so leave it at htat.
Genesis while the law does say a batsman can only use permitted equipment, equipment is itself defined as the bat and any external protective equipment (pads, gloves, helmet etc). Since the squash ball was not external, nor protective, it is in fact considered an item of clothing, in the same way as, for example, the box is. And no-one is arguing wearing a box contravenes the laws of the game, even though it also is not mentioned expressly as a permitted item.
For those debating Murali throwing, you may want to check this website:
http://coachesinfo.com/category/cricket/351/
While it is long winded and technical, it essentially says the current law is inadequate because it does not outlaw deliveries that are in biomechanical terms a throw. This is because the current law looks only at the angle of the arm from shoulder height to ball release, while the arm may continue to straighten after the ball is released. Furthermore bowlers that rotate their humerus (upper arm) at the same time are able to generate higher wrist speeds. This is a huge (and in my view unfair) advantage to wrist spinner’s (particularly those that bowl the doosra). I’ll paste a few quotes below for those unwilling to read the whole report.
“The most striking example of how throwing is not adequately defined under this law is demonstrated by Thrower 1. He registers the largest positive elbow angle excursion slope of all the subjects (953.4º/s) with only 12.6º of elbow extension. The real question is whether cricket should legalise such bowling actions”
“The conclusion was that bowlers who could maintain a flexed arm through delivery either consciously or due to an elbow abnormality either of the fixed flexion or carry angle type had the potential to achieve substantially higher wrist speeds through the use of humerus internal rotation. ”
“In throwing both elbow extension and humerus internal rotation are utilised to generate ball speed. The elbow angle profile of the animated delivery of Thrower 6 shows an elbow that is flexed initially up to 63º and then extends through release. This action has the properties of a throw despite the bowler only having an elbow extension of 12.6º from shoulder height to ball release. Under any proposed bowling law that only stipulates an elbow extension limit of 15º, this delivery would be perfectly legal. Such an action has the potential to generate higher ball speeds than the conventional bowling action, and does not have the mechanical characteristics of bowling.”
“The data shows that it is possible to have an elbow extension angle from shoulder height to ball release less than 15º, and still generate a high positive elbow angle extension excursion slope. This fits the biomechanical criteria of a partial throw. Therefore, a law based only on elbow extension angle is not sufficient to prevent throwing in cricket.”
Sore losers, sour grapes, red handed cheaters…..
Wow, am I in kindergarten!! :-)
Questions are
1. Is using a squash ball in the glove while batting illegal? – ICC would know the best.
2. Did it give Gilchrist any unfair advantage? – a team of professionals would be able to find out. Any bloger’s opinion is only as good as yet another bloger’s and could just as well be biased.
And leave Murai alone. He was tested and if you were not happy with the way he was tested you should have raised the question then. Then some people were not happy with Murali’s action and that was investigated. Now some people are not happy that Gilchrist used a squash ball to help his performance. What’s wrong with investigating that… “Murali did that, Malinga does this, Australia is great, sore looser, sour grapes,…” What a way to resolve an issue…
And ICC did not change the rules to fit just Mural in. The study found out some other bowlers (Brett Lee, McGrath, Akthar,…) too exceeded the limit. Anyway, I don’t want to go along a tangent.
Gazza…
You are obviously a troll as no-one who has ever seen Thomo can ever say that he bowled with a side arm slinging action.
Of course Australia sledges the opponants… everyone sledges their opponants, it is a shame that Australia can back up their sledging with the best cricket in the world.
I think honestly that after nearly 40 years of watching test match and ODI matches as well as playing in second grade matches, I can honestly say that there isnt another nation who can dominate at the moment in cricket as well as Australia…
Just ask my old friend Martin McCague… He couldnt get into the West Australian team, let alone the Australian team, so he went and played for England and was a flop.
There are so many sour grapes out there atm, that the wine industry is going to be complaining about bad harvests for years.
A physics lesson….the law of constant energy:
“You can not create energy” Thus from this the squah ball not being a chemical factory can not actually create energy. When you hit a squash ball it has maximum kinetic energy. It will never gain any more from this point until it comes back to you. The design of the squash ball would mean it would lose less energy when impacting with the wall then say a rock would but it will still lose some energy (it can’t come back faster then what you hit it).
Relevance to cricket. The squash ball may transfer some of the kinetic energy generated by Gilly’s muscles but it can’t increase the power…THIS WOULD BE BREAKING FUNDAMENTAL LAWS OF PHYSICS “CONSERVATION OF ENERGY”. Your “spring” theory is trying to say he stored the potential energy in the ball BEFORE he hit it. Well here you might say your theory bypasses the conservation of energy problem. I would think it VERY unlikely Gilly would be depressing his bottom hand on the bat to any great degree. Any batting coach will tell you your bottom hand should not grip the bat to tightly. But for arguments sake assume your theory holds true and he gripped it strongly. The potential energy in a squash ball is VERY SMALL. Take a sqash ball and throw it at a solid full size cricket bat…….hmmm not much happens. Now compress one and push it against a bat….hmmm nothing of note happens. Why is this so? Well here you have a PHYSICS LAW OF MOMENTUM. The effects of any forces are reduces by the mass of the object as momentum is a product of mass. The pressure gradient of the compressed squash ball would hardly make for enough force to add any bat SPEED. The compressed ball is more likely to push back on Gilly’s hand then add speed to his bat. So Gilly’s muscles would be the source of resistance to this and would probably have to do MORE work because of the squash ball. Your analogy assumes “all” the potential energy of the squash ball goes into the bat. WRONG…the ball will try to expand IN ALL DIRECTIONS and Gilly would have to grip the bat harder to prevent the ball just expanding back on him. So reality is he had to work HARDER with the squash ball using your spring theory. But again ignoring this reality even if it all went into the bat by some divine force…the energy stored in the ball would hardly move a flea let alone a full size cricket bat. It needs to move the bat to add bat speed as this what gives the ball its speed. More importantly the thing that determines the EFFICIENCY of the energy transfer from bat to ball is the batsmans GRIP so while the squash ball may have hepled Gilly’s grip and thus help his batting it was not due to any energy stored in it!!! And helping his grip is definitely not illegal…see thread I posted at another forum below.
Okay….some people need to calm down about the squash ball thing. Reality check:
(1) Put one in your cricket gloves and see if it helps…… it doesn’t hit the ball the bat does, and I think people think it may have added power to Gilly’s game. Again no power involved in the shot is actually transferred from the squash ball, it comes from the bat and can be affected by your grip but only in the strength of it as this is the transfer of your muscle power to the bat. Anyone who thinks Gilly’s strickrate of over 100 is unusual for him based on a slightly lower one for the tournament probably either haven’t seen Gilly play before or lack knowledge of statistics (your average includes some below and some above and their would be COUNTLESS time MANY batsmen have played their better innings in the big matches).
(2) What it did do was help Gilly in two ways:
(a) Mentally – most cricket form slumps are a mental thing and if he believed the squash ball would help then that was the biggest benefit. Steve Waugh carried a hanky in his pocket as he believed this bought him luck. Is a hanky a valid piece of cricket equipment listed in the rules of cricket? Are all his innings now illegal?….. come on people.
(b) The squash ball may have helped Gilly with his grip by stopping him rotating his hand. But in this aspect he could have had it sawn into the lining of the glove and thus not be “carrying” it and no one would have known or thought twice about it. It won’t work for everyone it would depend on their grip and likely it really only probably helped Gilly from twisting the bat slightly. If you tried to make it “illegal” nothing could stop Gilly from requesting the manufacturers of his gloves to design one with an elevated padding in the palm to induce the same effect….so no it isn’t illegal and would be senseless to make so.
Nice batting Gilly
You have no idea what you are talking about. You’re obviously not at that University for Science.
The issue here is legal. The scientific effects need to be investigated.
One question here, did Gilchrist use the squash ball as a protective
gear? Not in my book.
Would the umpire allow if Gilchrist asked permission to use the
squash ball is the question? I don’t think so.
According to him, he used the squash ball to enhance the grip. The
other advantage seems to be a big lump in his glove means that he can
only use bottom hand in a V.
In my view these two facts gave him an undue advantage over the other
players which seems to be contravening the laws of the game.
Ananda
Ian in fact I am more than qualified, more so than some science student…I actually have qualifications and am currently involved in research. The ball in the context it was used does not apply any meaningful force on the bat. Your muscles have to apply the force….a squash ball is just a conduit…it transfers energy. To oversimplify it imagine if the ball applied a significant force to the bat….why then when you play a light squash shot (drop shot) does not the very light squash raquet go flying backwards out of your hand. It doesn’t because the energy transfered from the ball to the raquet is RELATIVELY small and this scenario involves kinetic energy of the ball aswell. Even so Gilly didn’t use it in this manner it was placed in a position so as to remind him not to twist his hand around the bat, in the position it was in it wouldn’t even transfer any force to the bat.
To test this out I actually field tested it. Many theories have been shown to be rubbish in practice and I can assure you it is not useful. Here is a post I put up about in another blog:
Guys and Gals I played a game of cricket today and used a squash ball in my glove. I found that it didn’t overly help. You could see how if positioned correctly it could help you grip the bat but funnily enough I had to grip the bat HARDER and wiggle the ball into the right position for it not to cause me to have to grip the bat too hard. In my relatively short innings I actually started to feel a bit tired in my hand towards the end from the extra strength required to grip the bat. I have seen some ridiculous suggestions that it improves the power it certainly doesn’t do that.
Here are the FACTS:
In cricket you are allowed to use gloves!!!
Purpose of gloves:
(1) To protect the hands – they have padding!
(2) To enhance the grip on the bat
If Gilchrist finds his grip is improved by inserting a squash ball then it would be silly to suggest it could be ban. Any attempt to do so will just result in a glove manufacturing inserting one inside the glove and then he isn’t “carrying” one. They couldn’t ban it because the glove would just be doing its job. If they tried to claim an actual squash ball couldn’t be used the same effect could be achieved through use of padding sawn into the glove on the palm….. again you couldn’t ban this as padding is currently in gloves!
So point is the glove and squash ball in it is legal. If Gilly finds the squash ball helps the glove do it’s job of gripping the bat better, good luck to him.
For those that think it made Gilchrist some superman, well you haven’t been watching Gilly very closely. Sure it was his best innings in the tournament, but just because you have a “quite” tournament does that mean you are not allowed to score in the final. People who obviously don’t understand statistics have analysed his cup and used this to say the innings was above his abilities. Sorry guys but statistics show a batsman scores knocks above and below his average and the fact that Gilly had a tournament up until the final below his career average (statistically more reliable then the smaller sample of a few innings shows) doesn’t mean his next innings shouldn’t be a good one. In statistics the odds of a coin flip being tails is still the same (50%) regardless of how many heads have appeared in the preceding four tosses. Gilly is an amazing batsman that’s why he scored the knock. It’s not as though he hasn’t done it before. Point is he just rose to the occasion. Sri Lanka had their chances to get him out but they……dropped him…..strange that. Gilchrist has a top one day score of 172 so it is not as though he hasn’t done it before.
Statistically their have been NUMEROUS innings where batsman have risen to the occasion. One that comes to mind is Jason Gillespie scoring over 200!!! Sometimes it is just your day. A good batsman has these days more often then a poor batsman and Gilchrist when he has his day is just awesome. So amateur statisticians go get a degree in statistics before using them in an abusive manner to apparently support a flawed argument. Oh yes I do have one so I could go into the topic on more depth but I think any cricket fan would understand that the history of cricket is littered with innings where batsman have risen to the occasion.
Here are some facts on Gilly. He has scored FIVE one day hundreds against Sri Lanka. In fact he has scored only two fifties against them, making this the ONLY country he has scored more one day centuries against then fifties and not just more but 5 to 2!!! His average according to cricinfo in one day cricket against Sri Lanka is a touch under 48 while his career average is around 36 in one day cricket. So point here would seem to indicate that there is significant statistical evidence that maybe Gilly just likes the questionable bowling action of the Sri Lankans, even though he himself has questioned the legality of Murali’s action.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/2009911.stm
Further in 2002/3 ICC world cup series Gilly scored 99 from 88 balls against Sri Lanka and how did he get out…they ran him out!!! This innings of 99 is one of his “Fifties”. So really this makes him one run/run out away from having a record of 6 one day centuries to 1 fifty against Sri Lanka!!!!!
In 2006 in Brisbane Gilly scored 122 against Sri Lanka and his hundred came of 67 balls!!!! WHERE WAS THE SQUASH BALL HERE???
In 2003 and then in 2004 Gilly was voted international one day cricketer of the year.
In June 2005 Gilly was voted the “scariest batsman”. Refer:
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/cbs/content/story/211318.html
Not a good thing when the “scariest batsman” seems to love your bowling. Sri Lanka lost the world cup not due to some beat up myth of the squash ball but because Gilly is just an amazing batsmen whom they haven’t figured a way to get out once he gets going.
By the way I scored 22 of around 25 balls with a squash ball in my gloves……no Adam Gilchrist here.
Keeping it real
Further is anyone aware a stack of wicketkeepers have used “steak” or similar inserted inside their gloves. I say “steak” as that was once used but most have moved on to a more sanitary solution. From memory Ian HEALY or Rod MARSH who both suffered numerous broken fingers in their careers had to resort to something like this….sorry Heals if it wasn’t you. Unfortunately both are Australian so I am sure some whingers will pick this up and run with it but this is done worldwide! You try keeping to bowlers bowling in excess of 140km/hr with sore/broken fingers. When they are the keeper for the whole test match they don’t have much choice when an injury develops. Is a steak listed as official cricket equipment….of course not…is it illegal….of course not. Any law is subject to interpretation and precedence and must also be interpreted in the spirit it was written. People who think the squash ball is illegal, I hope you aren’t considering a career in law.
KEEPING IT REAL
Ananda,
Oh yeah I forgot to say some people have three grips on their bat…this “enhances the grip”. Some gloves use different lining to “enhance the grip”. These do not bestow “protective” properties, the grip is the subject of many of the subtle designs of the cricketing glove and the bat handle, Gilly’s batting coach has just thought of a modification to the glove that helps Gilly. Smart man, it maybe works for him, maybe doesn’t. It certainly works in his head that is the main thing but his innings is by no means his best, his 122 was quicker in Brisbane (2006) and oh strange thing it was against Sri Lanka.
Did you know upto 30% of medical recoveries are attributed to the placebo effect. Yes some most studies have to include a control population that take a “magic pill” of sugar. Why because even medical researchers have shown that many people get better just because they believe they are taking something to get better. So for a drug to show it works it has to show an improvement beyond the placebo effect. If this cures some people of disease then it is no wonder positive thinking is the biggest hurdle in competitive sport. Most successful sports people visualise success and how to win, when this all dies down the ICC will see the squash ball is just Gilly’s red hanky.
Remember it’s a game, enjoy it win lose draw, and then enjoy life.
KEEPING IT REAL
Honestly, everyone just needs to move on…
honestly, everyone just needs to move on, I had no idea this issue was still being debated. I’m a Sri Lankan, and frankly, Australia played better on the day, ok? our bowlers didn’t come up to scratch on the day, and yes its unfortunate that they cut down the overs, and we had bad weather to contend with, and later batted in the rain etc etc, but frankly, Australia dominated throughout the entire tournament and as nice as it would have been for a team other than Australia to win (if only for a change!), they were in a class of their own. Also, Sri Lanka HAD a few chances to change the game, they dropped Gilchrist, the bowling was loose, and the batsmen couldn’t hope to match the score on the boards… Its boring to watch sometimes, because you feel like the outcome is a foregone conclusion, but that’s simply a reason for the other teams to pull up their socks, not to start ranting and raving over one small detail of one match. Don’t be sore losers.
On another note – frankly, Australia can be really sore winners. Its pathetic the amount of whinging I’ve heard about Sri Lanka not playing their top 3 bowlers in the first match with Australia. That’s not cheating, its resting the players. Duh. Australia does it all the time, and frankly, its probably why they lost the Chappell-Hadlee (sp?) tournament. Why are they whining? Further – don’t you think its a bit childish to continue calling Murali a chucker after he’s gone through rigorous testing IN AUSTRALIA, and been cleared. The laws weren’t changed for him, they were changed for bowlers in general. Just as much as the sub-continent needs to get over the CWC Final, Australians need to get over this. You’re already the dominant force in cricket – why mar a fabulous team and run of the game by bitching and moaning about things like this? It just makes the team more disliked, which is a pity, because they’re good cricketers, but it makes it difficult to always like them as a team.
I live in Australia, and unless Sri Lanka is playing, I always support Australia, but they need to be less arrogant (difficult, I realise, when they’re so obviously the best team around at the moment) and realise that even great teams need a little humility. Also – congratulations to them for the World Cup. They deserved it.
The ball had nothing to do with Gilly’s magnificent innings. If you go back to the previous two World Cup finals (especially in 1999 when he was sadly out of form) Gilchrist smacked very quick 50’s in both games. This time he went on with it to score 149. He is just a big time performer, unlike other players like Sachin who has failed in big games against Australia in the world cup.
Virtirix it is funny how you say Australia has a huge influence on the ICC when team from the Sub Continent run the show. The rules for throwing were changed to 15° so that Murali was allowed to bowl his doosra. The 2011 World Cup final should have been played in Australia and New Zealand under the rotation policy but because the the “money” is from the sub continent the ICC declared the Sub C’s submission the winner even though they had to get an extention of the due date.
Instead of worrying about Australia I suggest India and Pakistan go and put together a decent cricket side and try to pass the first round of the world cup.
Vijitha,
You are to be ashamed to say this analysis being in my old University.
This is not how you conduct research.
As you say if a batsman can bat and get one hundred runs or more with a squash ball in his glove, then there is no fun in playing cricket and watching that game.
If Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya batted 300 runs (each 150 with a squashed ball in their glove) and finish the Sri Lankan innings and two Bangladesh openers batted 150 each and they will finish their innings. Where is the fun watching that cricket?
I hope you are not doing a PhD at University of Paderborn. Ashamed man ashamed.
We all know Gilchrest did some thing wrong without taking prior permission but your explanation is absurd, silly, illogical, and meaningless.
Be more logical when you write in the world stage.
Ranjit
If it is so easy to score sixes and fours with a squash ball, everyone would be doing it.
this is a pathetic excuse from sri lankan fans.
Dear All,
How about the Lankans and their supporters getting a ‘grip’ on reality?!!
Gilchrist innings was totally legal. All these blogs on the topic go in circles and ultimately just come down to human nature. Who ever loses always looks for excuses. Some will except losing gracefully some will not. Some good replies here and the argument for it being illegal is a joke for the following reasons. One it actually can be considered an item of clothing under the laws of cricket. Just because most people don’t wear squash balls doesn’t mean you can’t. Steve Waugh wore a red hanky and this is in traditional thinking an accessory not an item of clothing (you don’t actually “wear” a hanky). When judging if an item breaches the rules you also need to consider “the spirit of the legislation”. This is the little thing in your head that says this might technically be a breach but it doesn’t seem unfair. Judges use spirit of the legislation worldwide to interpret laws in the way they believe they were meant to be interpreted and this sets precedence. The ICC are cricket’s judges and more qualified and neutral to make these judgements. The ICC won’t ban it because they are aware of the FULL rules not just one or two quoted out of context. Further they also know the importance of the “spirit of the legislation” If you start to ban things people carry that don’t give them anything but a physiological advantage then you have to ban Steve Waugh’s red hanky. Hmmm that would take all the fun out of the game….it is the little quirky behaviours that make it fun!!!! People the squash ball did nothing else for Gilly then provide an annoying reminder to grip the bat correctly; it is just like Steve Waugh’s red hanky and gave him a psychological edge only. I played a game of cricket yesterday with a squash ball in my glove and scored 22…..no Gilly cyborg batsman here :-). But for 22 runs I felt like Gilly, that’s the point, people do strange things to help them in the head, the squash ball annoyed the crap out of me though. What I find most strange is that one reply states that if the squash ball can be considered an item of clothing then perhaps the laws should be looked at/changed! This is sad people, when the people upset over the loss finally realise it is within the laws that they would then ask the laws to be changed to put some retrospective taint on the innings…..just accept it was a great innings.
Here are some facts on Gilly. He has scored FIVE one day hundreds against Sri Lanka. In fact he has scored only two fifties against them, making this the ONLY country he has scored more one day centuries against then fifties and not just more but 5 to 2!!! His average according to cricinfo in one day cricket against Sri Lanka is a touch under 48 while his career average is around 36 in one day cricket. So point here would seem to indicate that there is significant statistical evidence that maybe Gilly just likes the Sri Lankan bowling.
Further in 2002/3 ICC world cup series Gilly scored 99 from 88 balls against Sri Lanka and how did he get out…they ran him out!!! This innings of 99 is one of his “Fifties”. So really this makes him one run/run out away from having a record of 6 one day centuries to 1 fifty against Sri Lanka!!!!! This ratio is unheard of even for Gilly as he has not done anything like this against any other nation, not even Canada.
In 2006 in Brisbane Gilly scored 122 against Sri Lanka and his hundred came of 67 balls!!!! WHERE WAS THE SQUASH BALL HERE??? Hmm maybe it’s not the squash ball, strange that.
In 2003 and then in 2004 Gilly was voted international one day cricketer of the year.
In June 2005 Gilly was voted the “scariest batsman”. Refer: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/cbs/content/story/211318.html. Not a good thing when the “scariest batsman” seems to love your bowling. Sri Lanka lost the world cup not due to some beat up myth of the squash ball but because Gilly is just an amazing batsman whom they haven’t figured a way to get out once he gets going.
Final word people I have explained the legality of the squash ball and the “spirit of the legislation”. I have explained the reason why Gilly seems to love Sri Lankan bowling and is likely to do this sort of innings against them (once he gets started –it’s get him cheap or he will get you). I hope that people upset over this will take a deep look at themselves and realise the truth that they are really upset at the fact they don’t like the Australian team or there team didn’t win. Sri Lanka is a great team and will one day have their time in the sun. The History of cricket tells us teams have generations of domination but it doesn’t last forever…..Gilly will have to retire one day :-).
But finally I would like to remind you it is JUST A GAME PEOPLE, ENJOY IT FOR THAT, ALL THE LITTLE QUIRKS MAKE IT FUN. STOP TAKING IT TOO SERIOUSLY THIS IS WHY A COACH OF PAKISTAN IS NO LONGER WITH US. REMEMBER IF IT IS MAKING YOU ANGRY YOU HAVE LOST THE FUN ASPECT OF IT AND SHOULD THINK OF SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WITH YOURSELF. ENJOY IT PEOPLE, THAT’S WHY IT IS CALLED A GAME.
KEEPING IT REAL
P.S I was born and bred in England, but I respect good cricket when I see it.
If anyone knows about cheating it’s the Sri Lankans. With Murali chucking just about every delivery and Malinga looking to throw down the stumps when he bowls and let’s not forget about fat old Ranutunga demanding a runner when he used to bat.
Technology is changing the game to improve performances and this is no different. Gillys crude improvisation will lead to development in batting gloves moulded to suit the batsman and enable them to get the ideal grip.
Maybe Murali should be forced to bowl in a plaster cast so that he can’t straighten his arm.
What a bunch of sore losers!!! Australia are the best because they look for new and innovative ways to boost their performance, not cheat and try to get the ICC to bend the rules to suit them.
Australia haven’t been beaten in the last two world cup tournaments because no other team has the mental toughness to match our level of intensity. Australia have a team of champions while other teams rely on a handful of players. Thats the difference between Australia and everyone else.
Until the rest of the world can change their attitude, Australia will dominate for a long time to come.
SL were too scared to play Murali against Australia in the super 8’s match because if he had played and they got thumped by Australia like they did, the Sri Lankans would have been so demoralized and Murali would have been hit for 99 again off his overs.
Get a life SL supporters – you LOST!!!!
Hi Steve,
Get the facts correct…..
End of 16th over:
Aus – 98/0
SL – 102/1
This is where the rain starts to fall.
So it is the rains which out did Sri Lanka … not the Aussies…
Aussies were lucky… but the Gap is not so wide…… and I think Gilly was guilty and we can varify this for certain as the Sri Lankan cricketers will be checking the Golf Ball trick for certain. So if Jayasuriya hits 20 sixes next time we meet do not be surprised….. by the way he is not going to retire so soon….. because he is fit.. and we have replacements in the channel…don’t think Jayasuriya in the only one.. wait till you see the youngsters who missed the world cup… may be at the Dubai fixtures….if the selectors are bold enough…
cricinfo says the ball is legal, so end of discussion.
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/columns/content/current/story/293249.html
This certainly needs some investigation.
With or without a squash ball AZ may have still won the WC. But the point is that any performance enhancement device should not be allowed. The Sri Lankans were extremely competitive in the series. Without Gilchrest innings the outcome could have been quite different. If for example Mirali’s and Malinga’s actions are scrutinized all the time it is only fare that the actions of the world champs are investigated too. Everyone has opinions. Let’s let the ICC investigate and decide.
Who is this guy “Steve Terry”…. what crap is he saying…….
To quote him ….. “What a bunch of sore losers!!! Australia are the best because they look for new and innovative ways to boost their performance, not cheat and try to get the ICC to bend the rules to suit them.”
….. So is he saying the Australians had resort to “performance enhancements” to win the world cup??? So what would be next….. some kind of drug???
I guess we know who needs to “Get a life!!!!!”
Hi Erasmus
Time for you to get your facts straight…
End of 17th over:
Aus – 112/0
SL – 106/1
End of 18th over
Aus – 122/0
SL – 110/1
And so on… read ’em and weep!!!
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wc2007/engine/current/match/247507.html?view=comparison
But the most important one
End of 36th over
Aus – 264/3
SL – 215/8
The rain made it just as difficult for Aus as for SL.
Just you wait til January 2008 when SL come to Australia for tri series tournament, when Aus bowlers like Tait and Brett Lee will be sending down thunderbolts at chest height and SL batsmen will wish they played lawn bowls instead.
And SL in test matches against the worlds best – I can just imagine the scorecard. Aus 1st innings 3/680 declaring just after tea on second day, knocking over a few that night and bowling SL out twice on the third day.
Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi!!!
I have written on this a number of times….funny when I address the reason why it is not against the rules the moderator deletes the entry. Is there a conspiracy here to keep this beat up story going? The debate has lost its focus and is just a rabble of Australian supporters vs upset Sri Lankans. If moderator puts this one through I will address some of the points:
THE SCIENTIFIC CLAIM
The “Scientific” claim: This is truly the biggest joke of all the objections. Some of you have acknowledged this and say it is just the technicality of the rules you object to but many still believe this one. Well get a squash ball and CUT IT IN HALF (that is how Gilly had it) Press it in….it returns to its shape with very small recoil. This is no spring. Recoil is found in many materials….including cricketing pads. If they didn’t return to their position then there would be big dents left in them every time LEE or MALINGA hit them. I could go into how Gilly actually positioned the squash ball on his lower palm in line with his little finger but just under his wrist. Here it actually just acts as a piece of material resisting him bringing his hand around too far into a poor batting grip. Here it would not actually be depressed and in heavy contact with the handle….but I will go on with this scientific crap for a second. The recoil of half a squash ball is so small it definitely would not add any measurable speed to the bat. Further in physics you are forgetting that for every force there is an equal and opposite reaction. If the ball was compressed to recoil it has to push both ways!!! To highlight this take a full squash ball and push on it from the side on a flat surface. It rolls…..why? Because nothing pushes the other way to allow it to compress. Now push it straight down. It compresses but the reason is the weight of mother earth on the other side is a bit hard to budge. When rubber in a glove (i.e. half a squash ball) is compressed then Gilly’s hand is no mother earth. In fact his hand would weigh much less then the cricket bat. Gilly would actually have to grip the bat harder as the rubber would uncompress in BOTH directions. This is also why he wouldn’t actually have the rubber positioned in a spot where it was compressed. Any good batting coach would know having to grip the bat harder with your lower hand when you are striking the ball is bad for you technique. The pads on your fingertips also have recoil and I have actually tested some and compared to half a squash ball. Some recoil quicker than a half a squash ball….funny that. So to all those that just keep repeating the scientific crap actually do some science, I have tried to simplify this so you understand. I will now address the other issues
THE CLAIM IT IS AGAINST THE RULES
On the surface there is a reasonable argument here when you quote a section of rules about declaring items to the umpire etc. However you must realize these rules are just a few rules in the game of cricket and are being quoted out of context. People have got their knickers in a knot about the whole “squash” ball thing. You need to answer a few questions honestly here to understand why it was legal.
I have explained that the scientific benefit is totally unfounded. Given this I then ask you the first question:
What is half a squash ball? When you cut it in half it is no longer a squash ball that is for sure…..they don’t play squash with half a ball and by definition it is no longer a “ball” so get over the squash ball thing……HALF A SQUASH BALL IS JUST A PIECE OF RUBBER.
Further half a squash ball loses its ability to be compressed at pressure as the inside is now open it can’t act like a full squash ball where the air inside can be pressurized. So is again JUST A PIECE OF RUBBER.
When you go onto the field do you declare the rubber in your bat handle to the umpires? No, why because they form part of the cricket bat. Just on this point a team of researches have developed a new material that can better absorb shock. They have a major batting company on board and will be releasing them next year. They are perfectly within the rules as the rules allow shock and vibration materials in the handle. The researches themselves have said they stayed away from the body of the bat as the rules don’t allow such modifications. This bat is being designed in Australia but will be available to ALL cricket players so better tell your team to get some to prevent more excuses. But to quote from a report on them “Traditional cricket bat handles are made of cane with rubber for absorbing shock, and now John and his team have developed a new handle made of a carbon fibre shell containing a polymer insert that absorbs vibrations. The researchers are also hoping to use sensors to help control vibrations. John and his team want to expand the “sweet spot” of the cricket bat, the area on a bat that can hit a ball hard yet not cause unpleasant vibrations for the player. “The bigger the sweet spot, the more forgiving the cricket bat becomes,” he claims.”
Notice how the report uses the fact that traditional bats have rubber in them…..so rubber is legal in the bat handle. Further rubber is employed in its capacity to absorb shock in the design of many cricketing GLOVES. Do you have to declare the rubber to umpires that is in your gloves….no and no one ever has. When Gilly inserted half a squash ball which as I have explained when cut in half is just a piece of rubber, he simply put a piece of rubber into his glove to allow the glove to best suit the needs of his anatomy. With the rubber in the correct place this allows him to grip the bat correctly. This is the major purpose of the glove other than protection. Have a look at the design of batting gloves. They include many features such as cuts in the padding to allow flexibility. This flexibility assists in a better grip. So as explained the overall design of the glove is to achieve protection and assist in achieving a proper grip. As explained materials used to do this include rubber. So Gilly has found a simple way of modifying his glove to better achieve its purpose for him. He does not have to declare the rubber he used in the same way any other batsman does not have to declare the rubber used in their gloves. Many batsman have tailor made gloves for exactly this reason…..do you think it is for protection…no way…the protection of a $40 pair of gloves with no flexibility will prevent broken fingers as well as an expensive pair. What is better in the expensive pair is the materials used better absorb shock in some models and more importantly to this debate flexibility and design is usually better to allow a better batting grip. Gilly’s crude fix to this solution means instead of consulting the expense of a glove manufacturer to insert a bit of rubber inside the glove he has done it himself. Sachin TENDULKAR had a pair of modified batting gloves so if you are going to call Gilly’s innings cheating then you are inferring that the great TENDULKAR has cheated all his life. This is just ridiculous people we all know TENDULKAR was and is a great batsman who played within the rules and used equipment to best display his talents. Gilly has done no different.
THE CLAIM GILLY PUT ON A FREAK SHOW BECAUSE OF IT
So I have explained how the use of rubber (half a squash ball) is legal and within the rules. I have explained how you do not have to declare rubber in your batting gloves to the umpires before play…..it has been this way since rubber was incorporated into the design of batting gloves.
I have explained how the recoil of half a squash ball is no greater than the pads (many of which are a polymer of rubber) in your batting gloves. I have explained how Gilly used it where it would not make contact with the bat anyway and how half a squash ball also loses it’s ability to pressurize. While it will still return to it’s original shape so to do your pads. Funny that. The pads are often in direct contact with the bat handle….hmmmm.
But some people still say that Gilly’s performance was so unusual that he must have been cheating. Strange claim. Does that mean all the batsmen who make a return to form were cheating? Was Jason Gillespie cheating when he scored 200…..well above his batting average? No because historically people have knocks below their average and above their average. BUT BUT Gilly didn’t do so well in the games before the final at the world cup. Gilly scored 30 against Sri Lanka prior to the final…he was dropped on 31 in the final…..so maybe if he had been caught he wouldn’t have done well…in fact not maybe DEFINITELY. The important thing here is Gilly played Sri Lanka in the final. Here is a list of Gilly vs. Sri Lanka in his last 7 digs:
1. 26-Jan 2006 AUSTRALIA won by 5 wickets Gilly 34 runs
2. 29-Jan 2006 AUSTRALIA won by 6 wickets Gilly 116 runs
3. 10-Feb 2006 SriLANKA won by 22 runs Gilly 26 runs
4. 12-Feb 2006 AUSTRALIA won by 167 runs Gilly 0 runs
5. 14-Feb 2006 AUSTRALIA won by 9 wickets Gilly 122 runs
6. 16 April 2007 AUSTRALIA won by 7 wickets Gilly 30 runs
7. 28 April 2007 AUSTRALIA won by 53 runs Gilly 149 runs
Notice a pattern? Yes BESIDES AUSTRALIA WINNING CONSISTENTLY BY BIG MARGINS.
No what I was looking for is that in the last seven digs Gilly has scored three centuries but his other four scores are all low or around 30. His career statistics against Sri Lanka include 5 centuries and 2 half centuries…one of the “half” centuries was 99 RUN OUT. So really he was one run shy (run out) of 6 centuries to one half century. GILLY HAS NOT DONE THIS AGAINST ANY OTHER NATION, not even Ireland. He has not scored more centuries than half centuries against anyone but Sri Lanka. And Sri Lanka it is effectively 6-1!!!!! What this tells you is that once he passes 50 against Sri Lanka he will likely make a hundred. I remind you HE WAS DROPPED ON 31 AND AGAIN A COUPLE OF TIMES LATER AS WELL. Sri Lanka had their chances to get him but once he got beyond 50 he was always likely to destroy them. His scoring rate was not significantly better than any of his other 100’s in ODI against Sri Lanka. In fact the 122 in the last ODI against Sri Lanka before the cup he bought up his hundred in just 67 balls…..faster than the hundred in the final.
So no this was not anything unexpected from Gilly and simply occurred because Sri Lanka dropped their catches “catches win matches” is not a catch phrase for no reason. Catch phrase….get it…he he.
Anyway hope this helps all those confused fans. I ask you to look at this and then ask yourself why you are really upset. I understand, when the Windies dominated in the 70’s and 80’s it was hard not to feel resentful of them. But just enjoy the game and stop making excuses. The Windies in the 70’s and 80’s had some arrogant but magnificent players and deserved what they achieved. Australia in the 90’s and 00’s have also had some arrogant players but they have had some good players too and of all the players with the least arrogance Gilly is at the top of the pile. So stop using this recentment as a means to twist a piece of rubber into some miracle reason for losing. Just accept the team that has beaten Sri Lanka 6 out of the last 7 times they have played was the better team on the day. Get on with it and have some fun and better luck next cup. (with a bit of luck Gilly will have retired by then)
It really doesn’t matter whether Sri-Lanka won or lost. But the issue is that the mighty “Laws” of cricket have been broken clearly and action needs to be taken.
Cricket, a gentlemen’s game, a sport governed by mighty ‘Laws’ and is a sport full of “Purists”. Such “Cricket Purists” like Ian Chappell & Michael Holding started howling out at ICC to probe into the dropping of two Sri-Lankan players in their match against Aussies in the super eight stage. Now, what do they have to say about Gillchrist hiding a “foreign substance” to “enhance performance” in his batting glove, which is not approved by the laws of cricket ?
Whenever a cricketer from the sub-continent make a slight mistake, some Aussies never hesitate to scream their guts out. But whenever we make a point and ask for justice, they call us “sub-continent whining morons”.
During our tournaments in Australia, the way we were mentally harassed, racially discriminated is no secret at all. It was confirmed by some autobiographies of former Sri-Lankan players.
Australian sport is well-known for accusing others of cheating but is considerably less enthusiastic about prosecuting its own.
However, this “Gilly’s squash ball” is a serious question that should be answered by the ICC to the cricket fans.
Hay Cricket Player,
Please read the following and try to understand the difference between rubber padding in the glove and a squash ball between glove and hand. Vijitha Herath explained how this squash ball enhanced the performance of Gilchrist. If you are not smart enough to understand the difference, it is not worth discussing this matter. In general, it is impossible to argue with a fool. Monster is a fool and hope you are not.
VIJITHA HERATH of the University of Paderborn, Germany, writes: Apropos the claim that Adam Gilchrist had a squash ball in his left glove during his innings at the finals of the cricket World Cup.
Let me offer a scientific perspective.
A squash ball is a rubber ball. Unlike a cricket (leather) ball, it compresses when pressure is applied on it. When the pressure is released, it take its original shape. In short, it acts like a spring ( e.g.: a motorcycle shock absorber).
So what happens when a batman has a squash ball in the palm of his bottom hand?
When a batsman swings the bat until it hits the ball, there is pressure on his bottom hand. This pressure compresses the squash ball thus storing energy in the ball similar to spring. Just after the ball hits the bat (ball still touching the bat) this pressure starts to relax while the bat is moving forward.
At the same time the energy stored in the squash ball releases its energy to the bat in the form of kinetic energy. The result is that the bat moves faster than normal (without a ball in the glove).
As a result, the release-speed of the cricket ball becomes faster resulting in the ball traveling further before hitting the ground. Therefore it results in more sixes and fours being scored.
The downside is because the bat travels faster than normal the batmen might lose control of the bat. This happened once in the Adam Gilchrist’s innings when the bat slipped out of his hands and fell behind the wickets. If you have any doubts please try to do it yourself and see the result.
In brief Gilchrist’s use of the squash ball allowed him to hit the ball further in the field.
An interesting statistic: Gilchrist faced 104 balls and hit thriteen 4s and eight 6s. All the other Australian batsmen (Hayden, Ponting, Symonds, Watson, et al) faced 127 balls and hit just seven 4s and two 6s.
Is this method legal? I don’t know.
Are other batsmen using this method? I don’t know either.
Sam Aussie,
I am a qualified scientist you don’t have to find some nut pot in Germany to tell you that a squash ball exhibits what is called a recoil effect. Did he use a full squash ball to explain his theory?…I have tried to tell you a number of times GILLY USED HALF a squash ball. Half a squash ball can not pressurize as no air is trapped inside. HALF a SQUASH BALL EQUALS RUBBER….Yes bend rubber it returns to its shape…it does not however have the same recoil as a high grade spring. The recoil it exhibits is so small it is pathetic to even talk about it ESPECIALLY when the thing is not even in contact with the ball. DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND the bit I wrote under “THE SCIENTIFIC CLAIM” try reading it again: remember in point form the main points are:
*Recoil of rubber is small – were it big when the ball thumps into your pads it would go flying for six!!! Your pads have recoil or do you think that when malinga hits a batsman’s pads he leaves dents. No the pads flex in with the pressure and then return to their shape. They don’t send the ball flying (they may deflect) because they act more as a dampener then a spring, even your nutpot from germany used shock absorbers in a motorbike as his anaology (They absorb shock they don’t send the bike flying into the air!!!!)….I can’t believe you have all fallen for this German nuts explanation (funny how they had to go to Germany to find some ding bat to try to offer a theory….does Germany even know what cricket is?)
*Even so this tiny “recoil” would act mostly on Gilly’s hand – remember Physics is three dimensional – for every force their is an equal and opposite force – or do you thing Einstein is wrong (I will trust Einstein). This is why is absorbs the shock. I could explain this more but it would require another lengthy explanation and as you are clearly not reading them or understanding them I am getting a bit bored of this.
*The pads in your gloves also return to their shape and so fit this German’s “spring theory” why are the pads on your glove not ban then!!!!! REMEMBER NOT ALL THE PADDING ON YOUR GLOVE IS FOR PROTECTION.
Try understanding this before rehashing the same argument again without understanding.
The bit I do agree with is “If you have any doubts please try to do it yourself and see the result” PLEASE DO…you clearly have not touched half a squash ball and seen the pathetic force they offer. I have in fact replicated Gilly’s situation as I play grade cricket and actually tried it out of curiosity…it did exactly what I thought it would…just provided an annoying lump in your gloves that you could position so as to help or hinder your grip.
Again you pull out stats to try to show some magic bubble. I have addressed the statistics of Gilly before….read them he is clearly a batsman who loves Sri Lanka and anyone knows Gilly on fire hits more 4’s and 6’s than anyone else in the world. Gee I think Hersher GIBBS must have had a magic squash ball in his gloves when he hit 6 sixes in an over….the stats prove it NO ONE ELSE hit as many 6’s as him in that match…dam it no one has done that in the history of one day cricket….actually SOBERS must have had one too. I say it again if Gilly had been caught on 31 instead of being dropped then he wouldn’t have had a chance to have hit any more 4’s or 6’s. Get a grip on your statistics.
The method is legal and unlike you I know it is…the rules governing glove design clearly allow the use of rubber.
And Yes nearly EVERY batsman has some form of rubber in his gloves.
Hope this helps.
You will note I have addressed EVERY point in your reply. Unlike all of you who keep trying to call rubber a foreign object and half a dome of rubber a squash ball (next squash game you play try using one cut in half!). Rubber is not foreign to a glove it is in all descent batting gloves and is permitted under the rules.
ANYWAY IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME THE OFFICIAL VERDICT IS IN…..(thanks Sammy for the post)
The Marylebone Cricket Club said Gilchrist had not acted against the laws or spirit of the game.
“Gilchrist’s use of a squash ball was designed to alter his grip on the bat whilst at the crease, something which he was perfectly entitled to do,” the MCC said in a statement Tuesday.
Gilchrist scored 149 runs as Australia defeated Sri Lanka by 53 runs in the rain-affected World Cup final on April 28 in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan objected to Gilchrist’s tactic, describing it as unethical and claiming it gave him an unfair advantage.
The MCC said the relevant rule only stated what external protective equipment was allowed.
For batsmen, helmets, pads, gloves and forearm guards are all listed as permitted.
“None has any definition or prescription,” the MCC said.
“Since there is no restriction in law even on the external form of batting gloves, let alone the interior thereof, no law has been breached.”
END OF STORY – if you can’t accept the MCC ruling then you are just a dill. Sorry but it has to be said, the obvious is hitting you in the face now.
Bole your comment just shows your ignorance. You seem to have difficulty differentiating what is within the rules and what is against the rules. Performance enhancment by taking drugs is clearly against the rules whereas the squash ball was perfectly legal. Australia are the world’s best because they are smart and are always trying new ideas and methods. Innovation is the key to remaining competetive which sadly some other nations have chosen not to do. Even Sri Lankans have had Australian coaches because it takes an Australian to bring in new ideas.
If the SLankans think that having a squash ball is such an unfair advantage, maybe they could try that next time they bat. Australians have the best players and also the best umpires who enforce the rules as they are written and not afraid to do their job properly.
I’m looking forward to summer and seeing these sub continent batsmen face up to some sweet chin music on our bouncy pitches.
If SLankans don’t like the way Aus play then they should just take up lawn bowls instead.
unethical? spirit of the game? my arse.
if sri lanka are worried about the spirit of the game, whey did they lost deliberately to austrlia in the super 8?? LOL!! – it must be very ethical and righteous to lose deliberately!!! HA HA HA HA HA. what a bunch of hypocrites.
It must be very ethical to chuck your way to superstar status, Mr Murali??
Hey Lochana,
some of you said Gilly should apologise, I have spoken to him and got this apology “Dear cricketing world……ohhhh sorry deluded Sri Lankan fans that think they stand on some moral high ground and represent the world. I am of the understanding that you don’t understand the full laws of cricket and have taken my use of half a squash ball inserted inside my glove as cheating. I am sorry you do not understand the laws of cricket in their entirety. I am sorry your lack of understanding could result in you thinking this is cheating. I am sorry that numerous other batsman use modified gloves such as his royal highness TENDULKAR and I apologise to him if this now means your lack of understanding of the rules makes some people question his batting performances. I am sorry the world is laughing at you and that people have kept quite intially out of disbelief that you would even raise this issue. I am sorry Sri Lanka can’t move with the times and most of all I am sorry for the lack of sportsmanship displayed by Sri Lankan fans in accepting a team who has beaten them 6 out of the last 7 meetings is the better team. I am sorry Sri Lanka played without some of their better players in the match against us prior to the final. I am sorry they did this to the fans that payed good money to watch that game and that they have done so against the spirit of the game, as the fans that actually attended and payed for that match agree. But most of all I would like to say sorry to the Sri Lankan fielder who dropped me on 31”
HEY CRICKET PLAYER .. YOUR ONE WAS NOT FUNNY ENOUGH .. COULDNT BEAT LOCHANAS ONE
The problem is not about the world cup ,, keep the cup .. okay?
We just want “JUSTICE” ..
ban Gilchrist at least for 10 years ..
OR ELSE apologize and pay compensation to all the other cricketers who were banned and fined for taking “performance enhancing drugs” so far ..
Because, Gilchrist did the same in a different manner ..
SL just got thrashed by Pakistan in the ODI series.