World Cup 2023: 'It should be,' Mitchell Starc suggests rule change to make playing field even for bowlers

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc is of the view that ODI matches should have only one white ball, instead of the two balls that are used from either ends. Speaking to reporters ahead of the semifinal against South Africa at the ongoing World Cup in India, Starc put forth his view.

The 33-year-old believes that using one ball will even the playing field and give some breathing space to the bowlers.

"I still think it should be one ball not two. The ball stays harder for longer. As we've seen here, the grounds are quite small, wickets are flat. If anything in world cricket wickets have gotten flatter and I think if you look at some of that old footage when they bowled with one ball, reverse swing comes into it a lot more," said Starc.

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"That actually brings the bowlers back into the game, and I don't think it's any secret that one-day cricket and probably T20 cricket as well is a batter's game and bowlers just have to hang on," he added.

No reverse swing for bowlers

Notably, it was in 2011 that ICC brought in the change that allowed for two different white balls to be used during the 50 overs of each inning. The immediate effect was that reverse swing went out of the contest as each ball was only 25 overs old at the end of an inning.

While the white ball already swings little initially, bowlers in the past had the luxury of using the old one to reverse swing to outfox the batters. For a ball to reverse swing, it has to be old with one side shiny and the other rough.

It allowed for an even contest and bowlers could stage a comeback in the later parts of the game. Moreover, it was a skill that needed a collective effort from the team. The fielders needed to constantly work the ball while the bowlers needed to learn the art of getting it to nip in the air before seaming off it as well.

"I think just because of the two new balls at the start, I don't think the balls swings any longer. They swing at the start and unless conditions suit, they don't swing for very long at all. If anything they stay nicer for batsmen towards the end," said Starc.

At the ongoing World Cup, Starc has looked a pale shadow of his former self, taking 10 wickets in eight matches with an economy rate of 6.55.

(With inputs from agencies)