New Zealand cricket team captain Brendon McCullum has expressed his frustration over the continual checking and changing of the balls in recent Test matches, as seven were tried and discarded in the Basin Reserve match against Sri Lanka alone.
The most glaring came seven deliveries into the life of one new ball, during Sri Lanka's first innings. McCullum said that the Kookaburra balls have been going out of shape for the last year or two but that the rate's become a bit startling.
McCullum said that he doesn't know what is the reason for it and he is sure manufacturer Kookaburra would come up with a fix for it but added that it is a bit frustrating because ultimately the game's meant to be played with a round ball and it makes them look like they are whinging a bit about the state of the ball, Stuff.co.nz reported.
However, the skipper said that when the ball starts to go square it becomes a slightly unfair game, and added that hopefully that problem would be rectified and they would get back to playing with a round ball for the allotted overs.
Kookaburra Sport group managing director Brett Elliot said that the changes of ball had been noted and came as a surprise. He added that the manufacturing process had not altered in recent years and that Kookaburra had requested New Zealand Cricket send the balls from this Test match to Australia for analysis.
McCullum claimed that the ball does not stay on its axis so to be able to swing the ball becomes difficult because it's not fully round. He added that he is no scientist but Tim Southee assures him that that's what happens so he would run with that.