Dale Steyn believes this year’s Australian ball-tampering scandal could be viewed as a “cry for help” because the balance between bat and ball in cricket has become so skewed in favour of the batsmen.
He did not condone the actions of the Cape Town trio but said the incident exposed the need for cricket to change to prevent the loss of the art of reverse swing bowling.
“It’s obviously not on, but if you think about it, it’s almost like a cry for help. We need to do something,” Steyn told Reuters in an interview.
“There’s so much in favour of batsmen these days. Fields are small, two new balls, powerplays, bats have got bigger than they used to be, the list can go on.”
“You bowl a ‘no ball’ and it’s a free hit. But I have never seen a rule change that favours the bowler.”
“It’s a big plea and it would be a sad day to see (reverse swing) disappear,” Steyn said at a promotional event for GoPro.
“I grew up watching Akram, I grew up watching Waqar and all these geniuses run in and reverse swing the ball.
“And you just don’t see it today. What inspiration will other fast bowlers have if they don’t have anybody to inspire them to become fast bowlers. You might as well put a bowling machine there and everyone try and become a batter.”
Steyn is tied on 421 wickets with Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in tests.
