Lanka says Gilchrist's use of squash ball in glove unethical

Sri Lanka says Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist's use of a squash ball inside his batting glove in the World Cup final was unethical and it plans to raise the issue at the next meeting of the International Cricket Council.It's not a complaint, but we are going to raise it at the next ICC meeting (to see) whether it's in accordance with the spirit of the game, K. Mathivanan, secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, said Monday.

The Australian left-hander scored 149, the highest score ever in a World Cup final, on April 28, an innings that put the game beyond opponent Sri Lanka. After the match he admitted having placed a squash ball inside the glove to get a better grip on the bat. I don't think it would have given him more power, but it certainly helped his grip, Mathivanan said, adding that the issue will be raised at the June meeting of cricket's governing body.Gilchrist only enjoyed moderate form by his standards during most of the tournament, scoring around 304 runs in 10 innings.During the final, returning to his best form, he began waving to someone after he scored his century in only 72 balls, the fastest in a World Cup final. He went on to hit 13 fours and six sixes on his way to 149, and Australia, which scored 281 for four, won the match by 53 runs in a rain-affected final.

Gilchrist was in fact waving, via the television cameras, to batting coach Bob Meuleman back in Perth, Australia. Meuleman had given him the idea of using a squash ball inside the glove of his bottom hand to improve his grip.I decided in this World Cup that I would use it in a match, Gilchrist said. His last words to me before I left the indoor training center in Perth were, 'Well, if you are going to use it, make sure when you score a hundred in the World Cup final you show me and prove to me that you have got it in there.' So I had to stay true to that.