Tape ball is a tennis ball being played in street and backyard cricket.
Its main characteristic is that the ball is wrapped in electrical tape, which changes the weight and speed of the ball. Thus, making it easier to play with rather than the typical cricket ball.
Tape ball is mostly used in Pakistan where its locals play informal cricket.
Tape Ball Cricket soon became popular in South Asia because it is more convenient than traditional cricket.
The Innovation of Using Tape Ball Cricket
The Tape Ball trend started in 1960 when many Pakistanis were looking for alternatives to the more expensive cricket ball.
The first incarnations of the Tape Ball came about due to necessity. But as it turns out, most Tape Balls have a better-controlled speed and bounce than that of an actual regulation cricket ball.
Years later, it became an informal cricket game in Pakistan where children and young adults loved participating, until it reached the whole of South Asia, especially in India.
The Characteristics of Rubber Ball Cricket
Rubber balls are used as an alternative to cricket balls.
The problem is that rubber balls can often be too bouncy especially when it hits on cement or anything concrete. It also hardly bounces on the soil.
By covering the tape ball with electrical tape, the ball’s weight will dramatically increase, as well as its traction. Another use of a tape ball is to imitate the seaming of a cricket ball.
Tape Balls Used in Different Cultures
Tape balls have become an important sport in Pakistani culture, and most young people are becoming exposed to it.
Despite not being officially recognized by the International Official Cricket Society, its popularity spread to India and Sri Lanka.
It has got to a point when during festivities, Tape Ball events would be held and be participated in by nearly 200 teams.
Tape Ball in Elite Cricket Matches
During the 2005 Ashes Series, tape ball was allowed by the London Community Cricket associate to teach children the fundamentals of cricket.
The matches used the Twenty20 rules so the time spent on tape balls will be lesser than the traditional ones.