Former Liverpool player Craig Johnston says the Jabulani ball has been disastrous for the World Cup and threatens to drag the game back into the route one dark ages.

Johnston, one of Australia's greatest soccer players and also a boot designer, says the new adidas ball has robbed the game of skill and led to the most error-riddled Cup in history.

He is so incensed with the ball's erratic behaviour that he has written an open letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter to voice his frustration.

"The ball is a disaster and because of it there have been many mistakes ... more than any World Cup ever," wrote Johnson, who spent three weeks in South Africa at the tournament.

"The most frightening thing is that by endorsing this ball, FIFA are allowing a sponsor to alter the very dynamics of how the game is played and for the worse.

"Not just in this competition, but going forward into schools and youth leagues the world over.

"Players are very clever and are adapting already technically and tactically to the ball's idiosyncrasies.

"The German team knew exactly what they were doing when their goalkeeper kicked the ball deep into the edge of the England penalty box, up and over the English defence for an unchallenged first goal (in their final 16 match).

"No other ball could ever have travelled that far.

"That is also called Route One Football and soon everyone will be doing it because the ball is encouraging it."

Johnston is in a better position than most to comment on football technology.

He was involved in the design and building of adidas's testing lab in Germany in the early 90's, employed as an innovation consultant and creating the Predator football boot.

Johnston said the Jabulani ball took some of the magic out of the game and FIFA should instantly revert back to previous balls.

"Asking players to shoot or pass with this new Jabulani ball is like asking Picasso to paint a picture without bristles on his brush," he adds.

"It has an artificial feel and trajectory and only about 20 per cent of the craft a player is putting on the ball is being translated."

Johnston believed that he had a lot to lose by voicing his opinions to football's hierarchy but said the issue was far too important to sit back and do nothing.

"The statistics are showing the worst passing, shooting and controlling of the ball of any World Cup in history of the competition," he said.

"That cannot be ignored and it cannot be fixed up later as we are being told.

"The problems with this ball will not go away and they need to be understood by the FIFA technical department and addressed immediately before there are any more on field disasters."

Johnston said it was a shame the ball could have a negative impact on the tournament as adidas previously created what he considered two of the finest balls in The Fevernova and the Tricolor Ball.

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