Cricket could be heading for one of its most unusual debates yet, as England batter Dawid Malan has come up with a bold and controversial suggestion to change the rules of the game.
Speaking on a podcast, Dawid Malan said that cricket authorities should consider allowing a controlled form of ball tampering to bring back balance between bat and ball. He explained that ball tampering is not something new in cricket, as players have been trying to alter the condition of the ball for many years, even though it has been strictly monitored and punished.
However, Dawid Malan made it clear that he is not asking for complete freedom. Instead, he believes there should be limits, where players are allowed to slightly adjust the ball using natural methods, without using any external objects. According to him, managing the ball and getting it to reverse swing is a skill that should be appreciated rather than completely restricted.
Reverse swing, once a major weapon for fast bowlers, has become much harder to achieve in modern white-ball cricket. This is mainly due to stricter rules, frequent ball changes and flatter pitches that favour batting. As a result, bowlers often struggle, especially in the final overs of a match.
Dawid Malan’s main concern is the growing imbalance in the game, where batters dominate, particularly towards the end. He believes that allowing some level of ball control could help bowlers make a stronger comeback, create more competitive situations and make matches more exciting.
He also pointed out that modern batters are extremely skilled and bowlers need some tactical advantage to compete. Even a slight movement in the ball, especially during the death overs, can make a big difference and make those overs less predictable.
In his view, this idea is not extreme but practical, as it could help restore fairness in the game and make close finishes more common instead of one-sided results.
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