Ashes 2023: The ball change in the fourth innings of the fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval is to be investigated by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The decision to change the ball came after Mark Wood hit Usman Khawaja on the helmet in the 36th over. The umpires, Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena, deemed that the ball was unfit to be used, and a replacement was brought into the game.
However, the replacement ball appeared to be harder and newer than the previous one, and Australia’s batsmen struggled to cope with it. They lost three wickets in quick succession on the morning of day five, and eventually fell to a 14-run defeat.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been one of the most vocal critics of the ball change, and he has called for an investigation into the matter.
“I think it’s a pretty serious issue,” Ponting said. “I think it’s something that needs to be investigated pretty thoroughly because it could have a big impact on the outcome of the game.”
The ICC has said that it will investigate the matter “as a matter of urgency”.
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The ball change has also raised questions about the ICC’s ball-management procedures. Currently, there are no specific guidelines on when a ball should be changed, and the decision is ultimately up to the umpires.
Some have called for the ICC to introduce more stringent ball-management procedures, in order to ensure that all teams have an equal chance of winning.
The ball change in the Ashes has also reignited the debate about the use of technology in cricket. Some have argued that the use of technology, such as a ball-tracking device, would have helped to ensure that the right decision was made about whether or not to change the ball.
The ICC is yet to decide whether or not to introduce technology to help with ball-management decisions. However, the ball change in the Ashes has certainly put the issue back on the agenda.
The investigation into the ball change is likely to take several weeks. However, it is an important issue that needs to be resolved, in order to ensure that the integrity of the game is maintained.