New Delhi: England cricketers Dawood Milan has sparked a new debate with a bold proposal: allow a limited, controlled form of ball-tampering in cricket. His idea is not to break the rules entirely, but to modify them to make the game more balanced between bat and ball—especially in modern formats where batsmen dominate.Speaking on the BBC’s Strategic Time Out podcast, Milan pointed out that ball-tampering has always existed in one form or another. They believe that instead of pretending it doesn’t happen, sports should regulate it properly.
“Historically, during the game, people have been caught tampering with the ball for years. You know it’s nothing new. I think you should legalize it, like let people scratch the ball.”At the same time, he clarified that there should be limits, adding, “Obviously, don’t bring things in from outside, but, that’s a skill in itself – to reverse swing the ball.”Milan’s main concern is how difficult it has become for the bowlers, especially in the final overs of the match. Reverse swing, once an important weapon, has become rare due to strict rules, frequent ball changes, and pitch conditions that favor the batsmen.He believes reverse swing can come back into play by allowing minor, controlled changes to the ball. This, in turn, will ultimately make matches more competitive. “I think if you can reverse the ball it will ultimately make cricket a lot more bowler-friendly,” he explained.“I think it will make the game tighter towards the end, and it won’t just be winning by six wickets.”For Milan, this is not a wild idea but a practical adjustment to match the way the game has evolved. With batsmen becoming more skilled and aggressive, bowlers need new ways to compete.He summed it up by saying, “Batsmen have become so skilled now, that if you can get a tactical advantage off the ball, give it a little bit of shape, reverse swing it, you want to do what you can.”“If you can move the ball, it makes such a difference at the death – the hardest overs to bowl,” he said.
