For the cricketing world, all eyes are on Dukes cricket balls. Produced by British Cricket Balls Ltd., these balls have come under fire this summer following numerous reports of them softening early during Test matches. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is already dispatching used balls. They will be sending them back to Dukes by the end of the week for second look through. This specific issue has created a huge uproar from the players, coaches and general public of the game.
Dukes cricket balls are steeped in history, as they have been manufactured since 1760. These balls are used for first class test matches throughout England and Wales. So their quality is very important to keep the integrity of the game. Recent protests by cricketers, notably Rishabh Pant and former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, have sounded alarm bells. One of the main complaints they have is that the cricket balls are going soft before the prescribed 80 overs. Broad, speaking about the problem with the ball, admitted, “We talk about it a lot because it seems to be changing every single over. Unacceptable.”
British Cricket Balls Ltd. owner Dilip Jajodia admitted the problems with Dukes balls are not new. He mentioned that a number of things can lead to early softening. New playing conditions, like bigger bats and harder ground, are huge contributing factors. Jajodia explained, “One process actually has very raw materials that get created as part of nature. A human then needs to actually shape and put together those materials. What he did add, though, is that quality of leather is key. If the fibers in the animal hide have a defect, we aren’t going to find out until they explode. We need to do much more inspection and investigation to root out any fundamental flaws.
The ECB’s decision to send back the used balls for analysis forensically is a sign that they are taking the initiative to combat all of these issues. As one part of such a strategy, they have introduced the Kookaburra ball in the County Championship on a test basis since 2023. That’s been a particularly important alternate this season across all four rounds of matches. It has delivered a jaw-dropping average of 1,194.66 runs per match comfortably eclipsing the age-old numbers associated with Dukes balls.
Broad blasted the status quo. He said, “Well, it’s been like that for five years as Dukes would say, the Dukes have a problem and they need to solve it. His sentiments are common among other players. Instead, they have to spend their precious practice time adjusting to the new, confusing reality that comes from defective balls.
In response to these concerns, Jajodia suggested a potential solution: providing a new ball to bowlers after 65 overs instead of 80. We are going to assume that we should rethink everything we do. We’ll take any feedback we receive that points out places where we can make changes, clarifications or improvements and do so. As she made her case, she was careful to warn against irresponsible rush and wild decisions, urging prudence. We need to be extremely careful and we should not be expecting sweeping and radical change,” he continued.
Even as doubts persist over the consistency of Dukes balls, Jajodia is determined to uphold their legacy. This is a TTP application that’s been rolling since 1760. Unfortunately, there isn’t a simple, straightforward one. You need to test every part of your new normal and see what pans out,” he noted.
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