Tape ball

A tape ball is a tennis ball wrapped in electrical tape and is used in playing street cricket. This modification of the tennis ball gives it greater weight, speed and distance while still being easier to play with than the conventional cricket ball. The variation was pioneered in Pakistan and is credited with Pakistan's famous production of fast bowlers as children are brought up playing the game using a tape ball in which various skills are developed. The increasing popularity of the tape ball in informal, local cricket has transformed the way games are played in cricket-loving nations such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Such has been the impact of tape ball that in recent years some companies have introduced tennis balls designed to act like cricket balls. These balls are quite popular in South Asia where tape ball cricket is one of the most popular forms of the sport.

The innovation of tape ball cricket began in Pakistan in the 1980s. In cities like Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Sahiwal, where proper equipment, pitches and grounds are a luxury. Informal cricket games are played widely by children and young adults across the cricket-playing world, especially in South Asia. Local grounds, parks and city streets are common locations to find locals playing the games in afternoons and evenings. The tape ball provided a solution to a vexing issue for these cricket enthusiasts. The conventional cricket ball, with which professional and amateur club cricket is played, is made out of cork and leather, and is heavier than a baseball. Considerable effort is required on behalf of the bowlers to extract speed and bounce, as well as control of the length and direction. Playing with a conventional cricket ball requires a stronger cricket bat, and poses a constant danger to players and passers-by who may be struck and severely injured by the ball.

...
Wikipedia