Mutterings about the legality of England’s reverse-swing methods have followed them from Cardiff back to the Oval – where the gossip first started – as opposing captain AB de Villiers publicly placed his faith in International Cricket Council officials to ensure nothing untoward takes place. England coach Ashley Giles issued a strong denial of claims made by former Test captain Bob Willis, in his guise as a broadcast pundit, that unfair means were being used to alter the condition of the ball.
De Villiers said he will rely on the ICC to maintain a level playing field. “It’s something that the umpires and ICC will probably look into – why England, and some of the other teams, might get it to ‘reverse’ quicker or later,” he said.
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Hide Ad“If they are doing something with the ball then it is definitely a concern, yes. But we’ve got no proof of that.
“So maybe they’ve just got really good skill in the bowlers.”