Melbourne: Former Australian coach John Buchanan has said that Adam Gilchrist’s using a squash ball in his gloves in the World Cup final is a “non-issue” and asked people not to make fuss over it.

More than a week after the final in which Gilchrist belted a match-winning 149, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Kangadaran Mathivanan alleged Gilchrist’s using of the squash ball was as unethical as Trevor Chappell’s infamous under-arm delivery.

Describing it as a “disappointing” comment, Buchanan said, “everybody will be disappointed about this. The final should be a celebration of cricket and Adam’s innings was outstanding. Comments like these should be ignored by the public, and be dealt with harshly as quickly as possible.

“It’s a non-issue. If you want to go down this road, where do you draw the line? Should it be illegal for players to receive strapping to injuries, or for batsmen to use extra grips on their bats?” Buchanan told an Australian daily.

He urged all to remember Gilchrist’s inning just for it’s sheer beauty and ignore everything else. (PTI)