Tape ball
The glossy surface of a tape ball would make this unorthodox, carrom-like grip difficult and bowlers focusing on speed, rather than turn, would start to find success.
[9][10] For up-and-coming batsmen such as Javed Miandad, who was involved in the early tape ball scene in Gazdarabad, this new way of playing instilled determination and resolve against the quickest bowlers.
[11] In the 1980s, tape ball cricket circuits started to emerge across Pakistan where fiercely competitive games would be played in front of several hundred spectators and formal rules were drawn up.
For children and young adults of the time, Pakistan's 1992 World Cup victory saw nationwide interest in the sport grow even more and tape ball was thriving amongst a new generation of fans who had been galvanised by their homeland's achievement.
[15] Non-pecuniary rewards associated with amateur tape ball tournament performances now included the izzat (honour) amongst one's community and feelings of personal pride.
[16] Towards the end of the 20th century, tape ball games were widespread even in slums and on mountains and battlefields, as the previous novelty had long become an entrenched part of Pakistan's sporting culture.
[17] In 1999, Tariq Ali wrote that "the gulli-danda days are over" [referring to a previously ubiquitous sport] and Ramzan tape ball cricket tournaments were celebrated annual events.
[18] Held during the holy month of ramadan, the informal nature of these tournament games (which could last from 5 to 25 overs) would often be played late into the evenings for short periods of recreation before the commencement of daily fasting and morning prayers.
[20] Shahid Afridi is one such bowler who developed a varied repertoire based on playing with a tape ball, as did Rashid Khan who learned the importance of experimentation when devising new variations in his youth.
[27] As late swing is relatively easy to achieve, tape balls have occasionally been utilised by professional test cricketers who have incorporated them as part of training drills, such as Yasir Hameed and Mohammad Rizwan.
[25] The inexpensive alternative has also been praised for its role in mitigating dangers associated with standard cricket balls, particularly head injuries in children that have previously been fatal.
Despite not being officially recognised by cricket boards, contemporary tape ball tournaments have continued to become increasingly elaborate based on demand from prospective players and audiences.
[48] Regarding skill development, tape ball tournaments have featured the paddle scoop since the 1970s and have been attributed as a key launchpad for the invention of reverse swing and the doosra, both also first conceived in Pakistan.
[52][7] Conversely, ex-cricketers including former national coach and selector Mohsin Khan have claimed that this version of cricket can have a detrimental effect on batting technique.
[53] Concerns have been voiced about how the increased ease of starting cricket and the pull of local tournament fame wrongly persuade impressionable children to drop out of school and pursue the sport.
[56] Since its inception, tape ball cricket has drawn interest from outsiders due to how the indigenous idea spread so quickly and achieved institutionalisation within Pakistan, as well as its longevity over decades and the impact it has had on the international game.
[3][57] In neighbouring Afghanistan, tape ball cricket has perhaps had greatest influence among the other test-playing nations, helping produce players such as Taj Malik, Rashid Khan and Hazratullah Zazai.
[58][59] In refugee camps housing Afghans following the Soviet–Afghan War, interest in cricket swelled and tape ball found popularity within the displaced community living in Peshawar and other areas close to the Afghanistan border.
[61] International cricketers to emerge from the tape ball circuit include Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman, Rubel Hossain and Elias Sunny.
[67] Partnering with the Yorkshire Cricket Board, the charity also launched the Chance to Shine Street Programme which has been praised for encouraging girls to take up the sport.
[73] Evening games of tape ball have been organised to raise funds for various charities, with celebrities participating during nights that also include music from live DJs and other entertainment.
[74] Bajan fast bowlers Tino Best and Jofra Archer started playing when at school and honed their ability to bowl at extreme pace during these competitions.
