“Lance Klusener and MS Dhoni were hitting literally the softest ball” - KKR all-rounder blasts new ODI rules

England and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Moeen Ali has blasted the new rules in ODI cricket while praising former players Lance Klusener and MS Dhoni. He spoke about how the rule of two new balls has made things easier for batters, which is one of the reasons why ODI cricket is 'dying.'

“Somebody asked me about the ODI format, and is it dying? And I just think, for a long time. The rules in ODI cricket are terrible. So we have two basically brand new balls for pretty much the whole innings," he said on the 'Beard Before Cricket' podcast (via The Indian Express).

Moeen Ali added how it has become easier for batters, as bowlers are unable to create pressure as such, which is why the batting averages these days are also high.

“I just feel like it’s a lot easier for the batters. And that’s why you see more batters probably averaging now 50, 60, some even 70, I think, at some stage. It’s because it’s a lot easier for them because you can’t really build pressure as bowlers. It’s so much harder to get wickets in the middle, unless you’ve got gun spinners," he explained.

The KKR all-rounder further said having only four fielders outside the circle instead of five in the powerplay, along with two new balls in play, has made power-hitting easier for batters.

“In one-day cricket back then, because you had the old ball, reverse swing came into play as well within 30 overs. It’s hard to hit sixes and fours off the older ball. Now, if you look, even when I batted at seven, it was easier to hit. It is easier than it would have been 15 years ago. Because the ball is only, what, 25 overs old? Hard, and so you can still hit the ball and it flies," he reflected.

Moeen Ali also cited examples of former cricketers Lance Klusener and MS Dhoni, saying they were hitting the 'softest' balls with the reverse swing in play. He said it is much harder to hit the ball a long distance in such scenarios.

“Whereas back in the day, guys like Lance Klusener and MS Dhoni, when they were hitting, they were hitting literally the softest ball. Dark, old, and soft. Reverse swing is hard to hit and see as well," he said.

Moeen Ali has been around for a long time now, having played 68 Tests, 138 ODIs, and 92 T20Is for England in his international career.

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Moeen Ali to feature for KKR in IPL 2025

The English all-rounder will feature for KKR in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. He was acquired by the franchise at his base price of ₹2 crore at the mega auction last November.

Moeen Ali has played for teams like the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Chennai Super Kings in the past. He has played 67 IPL games in his career and has scored 1162 runs at an average of 22.78 and a strike rate of 141.53.

With the ball, he has grabbed 35 wickets at an average of 25.51 with an economy rate of 7.06. In his first stint with KKR, he will be expected to play a vital all-round role as and when he gets the opportunity.

KKR are the defending champions as they beat the SunRisers Hyderabad in the final of the IPL 2024 season.