Did Gilly cheat? India says no

NEW DELHI: Adam Gilchrist's squash ball-in-glove issue may have kicked up a mini-row in some parts of the world, especially Sri Lanka, but the cricket fraternity here sees it as an unnecessary fuss over an innocuous ploy.

"I think this is nothing but an unnecessary controversy. Gilchrist did not use a bat longer or wider than prescribed. He did not do anything that violates any law and there is no need to make an issue out of it," former Indian stumper Kiran More said.

After hitting the match-winning knock of 149 in the World Cup final against Sri Lanka, Gilchrist, who had an average run of form till the final, revealed that he had put a squash ball in his batting glove for a better grip and it paid off.

More than a week after the final, Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan alleged it may not be illegal under existing ICC rules but was as unethical as Trevor Chappell's infamous underarm delivery.

Mathiavan, however, did not find too many takers of his view even in Sri Lanka.

SLC Chief Executive Duleep Mendis distanced himself from the comment and even off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said that the team did not find anything objectionable in it.

More did not find anything wrong with the ploy either.

"You hear about stumpers who used steak inside their keeping gloves and putting extra tapes to help them save their fingers while catching. Even when batting, players sometimes use extra cushion inside the glove, which is just perfect," he said.

Incidentally, another Australian, Rod Marsh, used to place steak in his keeping gloves while keeping to the Dennis Lillee-Jeff Thomson pair.

More said, "Gilchrist is a predominantly bottom-hand player and he put that squash ball in his bottom hand, which probably helped his grip."

Asked if he ever tried anything in his batting glove, More said, "No, sometimes we used padding but otherwise the inner glove was enough."

Former player and ex-coach Madan Lal believes on the same line and says nothing should be taken away from Gilchrist's knock.

"Squash ball in the glove or not, a ton is always a ton and it's even more special coming in a World Cup final. Full credit to Gilchrist," he said. 

On the squash ball issue, he said, "I think it definitely helped his grip but he must have practised it in the nets. Otherwise you don't go out to bat in the final with a squash
ball inside the glove, which is bound to make you feel uncomfortable."

Asked how much impact it could have while playing a shot, Lal said, "I can't really say. I think I should try it once before I can really elaborate."

Lal was rather uncomfortable with the idea of batting with a rubber lump inside the glove.

"Your fingers sweat inside the inner gloves and the squash ball might stop the handle from slipping. But if you ask me, it would have affected my concentration," he said.

Delhi Ranji player Shikhar Dhawan did not seem impressed by the idea of using squash balls.

"It may have suited him but I have never done anything like this in my 10-year career, nor I do feel attracted to the idea. You sometimes need padding inside if the glove is weak, otherwise the inner glove is all you have to save your fingers from express deliveries," he said.

Interestingly, one Vijitha Herath of the University of Paderborn, Germany, has offered an explanation on how the squash ball could have helped Gilchrist.

Herath argued a squash ball, like a rubber ball, compresses when pressure is applied to it and when the pressure is relieved, it springs back to its original shape.

The bottom hand compresses the squash ball and stores energy and when the blade comes in contact with the cricket ball.

"...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.

"As a result, the release-speed of the cricket ball becomes faster, resulting in the ball travelling further before hitting the ground. Therefore, it results in more sixes and fours being scored," Herath told the 'The Nation' newspaper.